Do You Believe It Is Ever Right To Break The Law?

I feel that if there are man-made laws that are broken then all man-made laws are irrelevant. Even though murder, rape, drug trafficking, abuse, etc. are illegal, it doesn't mean people obey those laws. Every individual has their own set of morals and will live by their own standards regardless if somebody else says it's "wrong." There is no good or bad, only the harder or easier choice. Universally, I think we would all agree that it is not "right" to harm another person or creature, but is it okay for us to punish the person who did the deed in the first place? I feel these questions will always exist as long as we are in human form. Therefore I feel that everything happens for a reason and that every experience, whether "right" or "wrong," is a learning experience.

There is also the issue of "spirit of" and actual "intent" of a law. But far too often, cops legal "authorities" are unable to distinguish atwixt the two situations.

Originally posted by Death_Kron

Originally posted by Maxmars
When there is a law that is unjust, it is our moral duty to disobey it.

Unjust laws persist because we do not break them.

I'd agree.

But I can imagine a lot of us sitting in prison before they the actual law was abolished...

Civil disobedience can change laws. Or make them obsolete in practice. I wish more judges would make judgements that hasten the demise of unjust laws. But I suppose many would argue that unless a law was held to be unjust by so many people as to be self-evidently immoral, the judgement call on what constitutes an unjust law, is arbitrary.

Originally posted by Death_Kron
Hello all,

Quite a simple one really guys...

Do you think that it's ever right to break the law?

absolutely! all i can

especially when its some money grubbing lawmakers law that only benefits them.

Originally posted by Death_Kron

Originally posted by bigfatfurrytexan

Originally posted by Death_Kron
reply to post by EnactedEgoTrip

 

Well they do say laws are there to be broken

I suppose the question then becomes what gives us the ability to choose what laws to obey and which to break.

is there a clear victim with a clear loss suffered?

if not, then the law is arbitrary and useless.

Well I don't see a clear victim in the case of under age drinking for example, or with under age sex as long as it's consensual.

and that is the problem.

if you believe in liberty, full and unbridled, then you see it as a person making a stupid choice. this is the view i espouse.

but in the context of the current society we live in, the injured party would be the parents who have to deal with an unruly child, the child themselves, and any person involved who is being made delinquent.

Originally posted by Death_Kron

Originally posted by gandhi
In many cases it can be very right to break the law, and even wrong to follow the law.

Its about damaging ones freedoms. If you are hurting others, then its wrong. However, if you are not, that is where in my opinion the law dose not belong. Because its damaging everyones freedoms.

What about hurting others when someone hurts your wife/children/friends for example?

An eye for an eye and the world goes blind.

Your recourse is in a court of law, not a mob.

reply to post by henriquefd


Wow, Henriquefd, thanks for sharing all that info about the nature of Brazil's taxation systems!

It's a lot like here in England. The lunatics really are running the asylum!

Originally posted by bigfatfurrytexan
An eye for an eye and the world goes blind.

Your recourse is in a court of law, not a mob.

Would you be saying the same thing if you witnessed a rapist sexually attacking your daughter?

Are you 100% confident enough to say that in such a situation you would only use enough force to simply restrain the criminal until the cops arrived?

reply to post by Kandinsky


I KNOW!!! It is a common courtesy on freeways and such to flash your lights at a commercial truck at night especially as they attempt to change lanes before you, but when I have done it for cars they just do the duh???

The truckers usually signal back their thanks with a blinking of tail lights, kind of nice you know?

Speaking of truckers on the open road, we travel across country on a faily regular basis and I am not sure its against the law but I always take my ques from the truckers, they communicate via CB or whatever and if they slow down I do too and usually youll see a cop ahead looking for speeders.

Also one thing I found really awesome was while driving in europe, people move over to let speeders pass safely, that was great and something Americans dont honor enough, they instead will hold you hostage in traffic.

reply to post by bigfatfurrytexan


Nope I will protect my children and deal with the cops later.

reply to post by Death_Kron


This is what some of the greatest men and women who ever lived think about the subject.

If the machine of government is of such a nature that it requires you to be the agent of injustice to another, then, I say, break the law.
Henry David Thoreau

There comes a time when a moral man can't obey a law which his conscience tells him is unjust. – Martin Luther King, Jr.

The right to defy an unconstitutional statute is basic in our scheme. Even when an ordinance requires a permit to make a speech, to deliver a sermon, to picket, to parade, or to assemble, it need not be honored when it's invalid on its face. – Potter Stewart (1915-1985), U.S. Supreme Court Justice, Walker v. Birmingham, 1967

When a legislature undertakes to proscribe the exercise of a citizen's constitutional rights it acts lawlessly and the citizen can take matters into his own hands and proceed on the basis that such a law is no law at all. – Justice William O. Douglas

If the jury feels the law is unjust, we recognize the undisputed power of the jury to acquit, even if its verdict is contrary to the law as given by a judge, and contrary to the evidence … and the courts must abide by that decision. – US v Moylan, 4th Circuit Court of Appeals, 1969, 417 F.2d at 1006

The pages of history shine on instances of the jury's exercise of its prerogative to disregard instructions of the judge. – U.S. vs. Dougherty, 1972

The jury has the right to judge both the law as well as the fact in controversy. – John Jay, first U. S. Supreme Court Chief Justice

Bad laws are the worst sort of tyranny. – Edmund Burke

Resistance to tyranny is service to God. – James Madison

The limitation of tyrants is the endurance of those they oppose. – Frederick Douglass

Unnecessary laws are not good laws, but traps for money. – Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan, 1651

The most basic question is not what is best, but who shall decide what is best. – Thomas Sowell

To make laws that man cannot, and will not obey, serves to bring all law into contempt. – Elizabeth Cady Stanton

Laws are like cobwebs which may catch small flies, but let wasps and hornets break through. – Jonathan Swift, Gullivers Travels 1726

I know of no method to secure the repeal of bad or obnoxious laws so effective as their stringent execution. – Ulysses S. Grant

Common law? No Statute law? Doesn't bother me since most is unconstitutional to begin with making the law itself illegal.

Pro tip: When you find yourself at a ordinance hearing ask for a jury trial, they'll more then likely dismiss the case.

If you can find just ONE unjust law, then it is okay to break this law.

If there are no unjust laws, then pony up for my healthcare, amigo.,

I think Laws are irrelevant in this day and age and are only their to serve the people in Charge, keeping everyone else under control.

I do not obey the law. I do not care for the laws that govern people. Governments, bankers, politicians, Cops all abuse the law.

I just do not care enough about society to use their rule book as a way to govern my life. So far in 36 years 3 arrests NO charges. A damn good solicitor on retainer, two "alibis" on tap and a crime scene kit or Lab kit (making sure police chase someone else for a while) are the best things to have in your arsenal theoretically speaking.

Just my take on it. I expect most on here to follow the law blindly and pay your fines because you have been told too your whole life.

Law, law everywhere a law! Of course I've broken a few but they never hurt anyone and they were just ridiculous laws at that. Sometimes you just have to Jwalk!

reply to post by Death_Kron


To disobey an unjust law is called Civil Disobedience. Henry David Thoreau explained this principle well in his writings. Civil Disobedience is used to call attention to unjust and unenforceable laws. I consider it to be a civic virtue.

Originally posted by Death_Kron
Quite a simple one really guys...

Do you think that it's ever right to break the law? I'm pretty sure the majority of us on here have, at one time or another, broken the law whether that be for some as trivial as littering or something more serious.

Following on from the current on-going thread about the two teenagers having sex below the legal age of consent; that in my opinion isn't breaking the law and how it can be considered a "crime" is beyond me.

BUT... you're seemingly attempting to address two Entirely different issues here.

Do you think that it's ever right to break the law?

AND

two teenagers having sex below the legal age of consent

Granted ... Both would be against the law in certain states and under various jurisdictions, But ... while the former would seem to denote having prior knowledge of illegality yet willfully doing it anyway, the Latter would appear more a case or incidence of youthful exuberance, desire and That moment ... lacking Willful and Knowing Intent to breach any said law (?)

Kinda like premeditated homicide or murder ...

As for "Is it ever Right to break the law" ... I'd have to ask Which and Whose.

I'm pretty sure I break the law daily. Victimless crimes, mind you. No, I'm not a klepto or a drug dealer or anything but I enjoy herbal sacraments and pirating music. I guess that last one has a victim. Does anybody agree there are laws that shouldn't be there? Another thing, why can't we just vote on some more socially important laws and get it over with? Its a crime to me that laws are just imposed on us. Also remember that in a lot of states sodomy (that's blowjobs among other things folks) is illegal.

Originally posted by Death_Kron

Originally posted by bigfatfurrytexan
An eye for an eye and the world goes blind.

Your recourse is in a court of law, not a mob.

Would you be saying the same thing if you witnessed a rapist sexually attacking your daughter?

Are you 100% confident enough to say that in such a situation you would only use enough force to simply restrain the criminal until the cops arrived?

If you are witness to the incident, then you have a moral duty to act. no doubt.

Ex-post facto, however, is not called "justice", it is called "revenge".

If i catch someone in the act and physical contact is needed, there is no such thing as only using enough force. You come with everything you got, because if you misjudge you put yourself at great risk. I am 100% sure that any physical altercations that some poor soul may choose to have with me will result in me using 100% of all my ability and force.

However, if it something that i did not witness, then it becomes a matter of justice, and proof is going to be needed while conducting the due process. I do not seek revenge, personally. It is not in my nature. And i do not kill needlessly. not even insects. But if i swat a wasp, you can bet i will swat it 100%, nothing less.

reply to post by bigfatfurrytexan


And therefore by using 100% of your force if you caught said criminal in the act you would be breaking the law...