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This is an excellent point I've struggled to put across. Furthermore people act like laws are set in stone and are always objectively Good. "It is illegal" is i
by smcl 9y ago
This is an excellent point I've struggled to put across. Furthermore people act like laws are set in stone and are always objectively Good. "It is illegal" is in some cases not a good argument against something.
- _Tev 9y agoLaws are usually there for a reason. You could apply your whole argument to public opinion and referendums - public will change mind a lot, why make such drastic moves based on it?
- smcl 9y agoUsually laws are there for a reason. Then sometimes we have to repeal "slavery is OK" or "black people count for 3/5 of white people" or "women can't vote" laws. Because they're obviously wrong.
- dragonwriter 9y agoThere never was a black people count for 3/5 of white people. It was “states that have slavery get to count 3/5 of their enslaved population when determining the representation the free population gets in Congress (and, hence, also it's voting power in Presidential elections.)” It's actually worse than black people counting as 3/5 of a white person; its more like slaveholders counting as 1 + (slaves held × 3) / 5 people.
- smcl 9y agoThanks for clarifying - my knowledge of US history is bad. But the point stands - bad laws exist and "it is the law" does not necessarily mean "it is right"
- _Tev 9y agoOk that's a good point. I guess I am too spoiled by modern mostly-making-sense laws and annoyed by the neverending "government is bad" rants. On the other hand, public supported all those "bad" laws at the time ... But yeah, I was wrong, illegality on its own is wrong argument.