You ever wonder how much of what we perceive is actually true? I do. I also wonder what the "truth" really is anymore. When I was younger, I had a tendency to look at things in black and white. Either something was good, or it was bad. There was no in between. Chocolate was good...asparagus was bad. End of story!
As I got older, things began to change. Chocolate, in my mind still tasted good, but had enough bad qualities, that I no longer wanted to eat it. Meanwhile, asparagus still tasted funny, but it has so many positive attributes that I will usually eat it when it is placed in front of me. It seems that as my knowledge base broadened, so did my ability to see things in shades of grey. To me, although grey is a nice color, and can make some things more palatable, there are some parts of my life where I still only want to see things in black and white. It is easier for me that way. There are currently over 50 volumes of books published by the U.S. government that hold the laws of the United States. I googled the question "How many laws are there in the United States?" No one seems to know. They change all the time is quoted over and over again. To me, this screams one thing. If no one can even say how many laws we have in the U.S., then nobody really knows if they are breaking "the law" at any given time or not. Since no one can say how many laws we have, let alone if they are all just, I have decided to follow my own set of laws. My law is black and white and really simple. Treat others as you yourself want to be treated. That's it. If I follow that rule, then I really shouldn't run afoul of any of the more important federal laws. If you wouldn't want to be stolen from, then don't steal! If you want to be treated civilly, then treat others that way as well. If you give your word about something...then follow through! Life can be that simple! Problems arise when others don't follow these rules. Laws are needed for when people don't follow these rules. These laws can be simple. How are you legally allowed to react when people don't follow these simple tenets? How much force are you allowed to wield in each situation? Yes, I believe laws are necessary, for everyone's protection. Even so, I think they should be there to protect people's property rights, not to protect the government's right to make and enforce arbitrary laws. Is your child not wearing a helmet while riding their bike? So what! It may not be what you or I might do, but the act itself is a victim-less crime. What it comes down to is: should my opinion of what another should be able to do be made into law? Should anyone's opinion? I don't think so. I think all laws should be based on property rights. How to protect everyone's person and property. If a law can't pass this simple test, then it should not be made a law. I have really over simplified things here, but I think that by following my own personal code, I will have few brushes with the law...other than speeding tickets, which I have had a few of over the years. It all comes down to perceptions. I see over 50 volumes of books with laws very few can quote. Or I see one rule to live by with a small set of laws that give permissions to what is allowable in each instance of rule breaking. Let me tell you, we wouldn't need fifty volumes of laws to handle my simple system!
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