The Truth About the Law is the Law

I was talking to someone not long ago who likes to claim "rules are rules" and "the law is the law". I do agree with him that there is a reason for the rules and that there is a reason for the law. The first problem is that he doesn't practice that for himself, just for others. Another problem is that it ignores the intent.

People who say things like "rules are rules" or "the law is the law" are ignoring the intent of or the reason for the law. Laws requiring permits for businesses are not intended to shut down the lemonade stands of 14 year old girls who are trying to raise money to go to a nearby theme park as happened in Georgian according to CBS.

A while back the police chief and another police officer shut down the lemonade stand of teenage girls. There are situations and circumstances that must be taken into consideration. What about when police speed? There's a reason that speeding is illegal. There's also a reason police are allowed to speed. But if you use this "the law is the law excuse" for everyone, the police would not be allowed to speed, ever, not to even to catch you speeding so you can be given a ticket.. Neither would any other emergency vehicle. Emergency vehicles such as Ambulances, Fire Trucks, and Police Cars and their drivers are allowed to speed for a reason. In other words, there are a few exceptions for a reason. Claims about the law is the law excuse doesn't work here, because there are reasons for the exceptions.

I think, whether they realize it or not, people who use this "law is the law" excuse are really being dishonest and deceptive. More often than not, they're not enforcing the law, but abusing the law.

Sometimes, these same law abusers use the excuse that if we don't enforce it in this situation, then everybody will think they can get away with it. That one does have a little more validity, but really it is just another dirty excuse being used to justify abuse of the law. I am of the opinion that more often than not these excuses are not used to enforce the law, but for law enforcement officers to justify themselves when they abuse the law, as they did with the teenage girls.

It is this kind of abuse by law enforcement that makes them afraid of cameras, and it is also why every citizen who can should be equipped with a camera. Every citizen who can afford to do so should have a camera and sometimes honest mistakes by the police can be tolerated.

There are honest police out there, and we should "catch" them on camera too. And while I certainly disagree with the law is the law excuse so many use, It's not as popular or as embarrassing for the good officers, but we should "catch" them when they do good, too. Post that on You Tube, too. Some officers know about circumstances and situations.