Tuesday, June 16, 2009

A Brief Refutation Of Law

You ever know someone who didn't break any laws? Any laws at all? I don't mean the obvious ones like murder and rape and arson and so forth, I mean any laws period. Someone that never drove faster than the speed limit, never drank while underage, never used any illegal substance, never bought a bootleg DVD or downloaded pirated software. Never engaged in oblique sexual practices in areas where said practices were illegal. Never turned without using a blinker. Never, ever, ever broke the law. While you are out looking for this hypothetical person I am going to move ahead with my argument by assuming that this Ideal Law-Abiding Citizen simply does not exist.

Next. Imagine murder was made legal tomorrow. Are you going to go out and kill someone just because you can? If arson was legalized would you start torching shit? If rape was legal, would you be out raping people? Okay, but don't joke about it because my mother might be offended. Zing! My point is, if you were inclined to kill, burn and/or rape, chances are you would be inclined to do so even with it being illegal. How do I know this? Because these kinds of things happen every day everywhere. On the other hand, I wouldn't do any of them even if they were legal. Why? Because they are wrong... to me, at least.

Personally, I have an internalized ethics / moral code that guides me. I don't need a Mystery God to damn me, I don't need The State to imprison me. Punishments are for children. I have my own code and I live by it, and when I break it the knowledge that I fucked up stays with me forever and I would say it is punishment enough. There is no need for law.

Eh. When I was drifting off to sleep last night this was more eloquent.

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