Quote:
Originally Posted by Lady Fitzgerald
So if large numbers of people cheat on their income taxes, the laws should be changed to make it legal? If large numbers of people believe in discrimination of some kind, the civil rights laws should be changed to allow it? If large numbers of people speed in school zones, the laws should be changed to make it legal?
|
Short answer? Yes.
Long answer: if lots of people stop paying taxes, then the government has lost its legitimacy, and the tax system should be reworked. There are countries where the black market is bigger then the white market, because doing business above ground is simply too slow and costly.
Discrimination is a bit different in theory, less in practice. State referendums on gay marriage, for example: clearly discriminatory, and to many people wrong (unless you think that the abolition of slavery or women's suffrage should have been put up for state vote), but acceptance and comfort with the notions depends on individual feelings more than law, and forcing laws ahead of their "natural" progression rates often leads to backlash.
School zone speeding? I don't think it's something "large numbers" of people do, but if they did, then the law is clearly deeply flawed and unpopular, so it merits looking into changing it.
If large numbers of people have no problem copying songs and movies and ebooks, then clearly copyright and the laws around it no longer fit the body politic very well, and should be changed. Several US states still have blasphemy laws, but when was the last time anyone cared?