I have a simple definition of bad laws:
*Any law that forces most people to act illegally or dishonestly is a bad law.
Our society requires the cooperation of everyone in order to function. No amount of police can enforce cooperation. The core behavioral rule for members of our society is that they obey the laws and act honestly.
When there are laws that force honest people to act illegally or dishonestly the laws tear at the fabric of society and increase the level of social disintegration. Murderers in black neighborhoods run rampant when they know that honest people are afraid to cooperate with the police.
The following laws are good examples of bad laws.
In an earlier blog I pointed out that the number of stop signs in urban areas keeps increasing without restraint and without regard to the number of cars or drivers. The consequence is that fewer and fewer drivers make a full stop at a stop sign or even at a stop light.
The speed limit on major highways is 65 mph. Light traffic most of the time has cars exceeding that speed limit. Consequence: the speed limit becomes either the cluster of cars acting as a speed barrier or trucks going the speed limit becoming the speed barrier. Otherwise the speed limit law is treated as a suggestion.
Bicycles are legally required to act like cars. In the streets. They don't and both bicyclists and automobile drivers are perpetually frustrated and angry because bicycles act more like pedestrians. But they are not allowed to use the sidewalks like pedestrians in many other countries.
The most egregious of all laws as I pointed out in an earlier blog are the laws aimed at controlling dangerous-criminal and lunatic use of firearms. The number of laws on the books is continually increasing to govern people who observe laws and are honest. These laws have exactly zero impact on the actual criminal users of firearms. They have minimal or no impact on lunatics.
The consequence is that legal honest people are angry at the government and increasingly acting outside the law to enjoy their firearm rights.
The recent recall of two anti-gun legislators in Colorado is the first example of how the public is rising up against laws against legally oriented citizens. Most of these voters in the recall were Democrat blue collar citizens.
If you have more examples of laws against honest law-abiding people please send them to me.