Linky

[elizilla]

Just wanted to call people's attention to a cool multi-part article over on Slate.

American Lawbreaking

The author talks about how, through selective enforcement, we basically jettison certain laws, without ever formally repealing them. The article is up to five installments already and I'm looking forward to seeing the next one. This is all stuff I've been aware of on some level, but connecting the dots this way, and the idea that unenforced laws are used to create "zoning", is very interesting.

I can't say I like the idea of having some laws everyone breaks, and then ignoring them instead of formally repealing them. It gives the gov't a weapon that could be used to target someone it doesn't like, which is highly uncool. And I don't like the social class aspects. But I like the idea of the system being flexible and adapting despite bad laws.

Comments

[bikergeek.livejournal.com]

Ha! I just read that not five minutes ago.

[talyen.livejournal.com]

This is really fascinating reading, and yes, stuff I've thought about, too. I think about it in terms of who get stuff enforced (racial profiling, then finding marijuana, then certain people are jailed more frequently, for example).

But these articles spur more thinking along the lines of how culturally areas of society are adapting to enforcement (or not) of laws based on what's acceptable at the time.

It makes me want a more longitudinal, broader scale look at what's getting ignored and enforced by, say, each decade.

[(Anonymous)]

If government can establish a legal system complex enough and laws-a-plenty, they can create an environment where everyone is afraid to speak out against that government for fear that they might be brought in on violations of laws they unintentionally broke.

[elizilla]

You are Bownse and I claim my two misdirected emails.

[(Anonymous)]

The ghost of Ayn Rand, maybe?