What criteria should be used to judge the value of individual laws?

[Cryogaijin]

There are a metric ****ton of laws on the books that are relatively without merit, and should likely be removed.

Likewise there are laws being proposed all the time that honestly have no place on the books.

As such, I think there should be some criteria to judge laws:
1. Does the law abrogate personal responsibility? A very large % of "nanny state" laws are designed to defer someone's personal responsibility. Gun laws are a great example. "I don't know my neighbor, so I don't trust him with a gun!" thus no guns for anyone.
2. Is the law universally applicable, or is it based in a subgroup's philosophy? A good example of this one is the law that required the covering up of the "Lady Justice" statue's bare breast. The statue was quite aged, and had been there for a long time before people descided to get offended that a natural part of the female anatomy was showing. The same thing with TV censorship, the VAST majority of complaints comes from one action group.
3. Does it meet a common sense test? This is where a lot of "feel good" laws fail. For example, many places in Alaska, pedestrians do NOT have the right of way. This was explained to me as being simple common sense. "On ice, it is easier for a person to stop than a semi-truck."


Now what surprises me is that the laws the "republicans" howl about tend to fail point 1. The laws the "democrats" tend to howl about fail point 2. At the moment the dems seem to like to nerf things, and the reps seem to like to legislate morality.

Frankly I like alaska. We're pragmatic up here. Just don't take your moose through the drive-through.

[NMCB3]

Originally Posted by Cryogaijin

As such, I think there should be some criteria to judge laws:

Unless something has changed that standard is to be found in the Constitution of the United States.

[Cryogaijin]

Unless something has changed that standard is to be found in the Constitution of the United States.

. . . Which itself is subject to change in the form of ammendments.

[jednp]

a law that is useless to you and I, may make sense to someone else. Afterall, in today's politically correct world, they need as many laws as they can to control your thoughts, speech, and opinions. What you can or can't see, do or not do, is left up to the types of morons who made up some of the crazy laws in the first place.

Personally, I think there needs to be a way to see what AMERICANS want for certain laws. As long as they don't violate the constitution. It appears that these Gallup polls and such are used to push bills into law, stating that the majority of america wanted it. Or lets keep this law because NBC news did a story on it and the city of Berkely thought it's a good law that should be kept.

I can't remember the last time as an American citizen that I was asked in a poll about something. They say based on their polls, 59% of people in this country believe this or that. Well, I never was asked, my friends weren't asked, my family wasn't asked. Nobody I know was asked. So as soon as they stop running this country based on what the polls say.. which are based on a very very small portion that doesn't even attempt to replicate the views of the majority in this country.. then we can start figuring out a way to get rid of stupid laws.

[Requiem]

Well... if you want a good laugh look at http://www.dumblaws.com/index.php