Governement's Bureaucratic Half-Witted Laws
 

 
 
	Todays big government is a 
typical display of bureaucracy in its 
most creative state.  Due to the 
enormous bureaucracy within 
todays state governments, many 
laws have been passed through 
legislation that really didn't need to 
be passed.  These laws are a display 
of the way government likes to show 
power over the people using legal 
suppression.  Governments have 
created laws governing almost 
anything that the people do as an act 
of blatant suppression, even if the 
laws my never be able to be 
unforced.
	In reviewing many law books, 
many laws were found that did not 
seem to do anything but annoy the 
general populous.   These laws and 
ordinances are used by the 
government to show power without 
having to be confronted by any 
particular person who might have 
been affected, because these legal 
suppressors will most likely not be 
enforced by the local law-
enforcement agencies.  
	In Alabama it is legal to drive 
a motor vehicle while you are 
blindfold.  Most of the people in our 
nation most likely would not decide 
to drive with a blindfold on.  Yet, the 
Alabama state government needs to 
have power so it passed the "no 
driving while blindfold" law.  
Alabama is not the only state with 
laws that seem useless.  In California 
community leaders passed an 
ordinance that makes it illegal for 
anyone to try to stop a child from 
playfully jumping over puddles of 
water.  The fine for such a crime is 
fifty dollars and up to ten days in 
jail.  Once again a government 
decided it didn't have enough power 
and thought that it might as well 
impose a new law to show its 
"immense" power over the people.  
	In Connecticut you can be 
stopped be the police for bike riding 
over sixty-five miles an hour.  You 
can also be arrested for walking 
across a street on your hands.  These 
laws will probably not be enforced 
due to the fact that the odds of 
biking over sixty-five miles an hour 
or walking across a street on one's 
hands seems unlikely.  
	Florida may be one of the 
most creative legal suppressors in 
the Unites States.  One law reads 
"Women may be fined up to 150 
dollars if they fall asleep under a hair 
dryer, as can the salon owner."  
Another law states that if an 
elephant is tied to a parking meter, 
the parking fee has to be paid just as 
it would for a vehicle.  A special law 
in Florida also prohibits unmarried 
women from parachuting on Sunday 
or she shall risk arrest, fine, or 
sometimes jailing.  Men may not be 
seen publicly wearing any type of 
strapless gown or they can be fined 
up to seventy-five dollars.  In 
Sarasota, Florida, it is illegal for one 
to sing in public in a swimsuit.  
These laws and ordinances display 
Florida state government legislating 
laws that to show power and a 
suppressive attitude.
	In some states the act of 
suppression is shown in the control 
of personal activities.  For instance 
citizens are not allowed to attend a 
movie house or theatre nor ride any 
form of public transportation within 
at least four hours after eating garlic 
in the state of Indiana.  Another act 
of personal suppression by the 
government is the Iowa state law 
that states, "Kisses may last for as 
much as, but no more than, five 
minutes." One is not allowed to 
transport an ice cream cone in ones 
pocket or one can be arrested in the 
state of Kentucky.  New Mexico also 
has its own form of personal 
suppression in the form of a law that 
states "Females are strictly forbidden 
to appear unshaven in public."  
Massachusetts has an array of 
personal suppressors involving its 
citizens.  One such suppressive law 
states that mourners at a wake may 
not eat more than three sandwiches.  
Another law makes snoring a crime 
unless all bedroom windows are 
closed and securely locked.  If one 
wants to wear a goatee a special five 
dollar permit must be purchased to 
wear a goatee in public.  In New 
York a fine of twenty five dollars can 
be imposed on any citizen that flirts.
	Some laws and ordinances 
seem to be "jokes".  One instance that 
a law seems humorous is it is illegal 
to rob a bank and then shoot at the 
bank teller with a water pistol in 
Louisiana.  In the state of Indiana it 
is illegal for anyone to bathe during 
winter.   Yet another almost comical 
law states that it is illegal for any 
person to give lit cigars to dogs, cats, 
or any other domesticated animal 
kept as a pet in Illinois.
	The bureaucracy of the 
government has created some laws 
that do not even make sense.  For 
instance in North Dakota it is illegal 
for any bar to sell or serve beer and 
pretzels at the same time.  In 
Nebraska, a parent can be arrested if 
ones child burps during a church 
service.  In Louisiana biting someone 
with natural teeth is "simple assault", 
while if one bites someone with false 
teeth they are charged with 
"aggravated assault".  In Kentucky, 
by law anyone who has been 
drinking is "sober" until he or she 
"cannot hold onto the ground."  In 
Washington all lollipops are banned 
and one can be arrested if he or she 
is seen in public eating the forbidden 
candy.  Another law from 
Washington is that a motorist with 
criminal intentions is to stop at the 
city limits and telephone the chief of 
police as he is entering the town, or 
he or she may be arrested.  This law 
seems especially stupid in the fact 
that the person with criminal 
intentions is most likely going to go 
to jail anyway, but if he or she did 
not call the chief of police they will 
get arrested.  
	There are even more laws that 
show the government's abuse of 
power.  The government of 
Pennsylvania for example makes it 
illegal for a man to purchase alcohol 
without the written consent of his 
wife.  Another Pennsylvania law of 
suppression involves a cleaning 
ordinance that says that housewives 
are not allowed to hide dust or dirt 
under carpets or rugs.  In Oklahoma 
violators will be fined for making 
ugly or demeaning faces at any type 
of dog.  In that same state it is also 
illegal for females to stylize their 
own hair without being licensed by 
the state.  Oklahoma also has a law 
that states that dogs gathered in 
three or more must have a permit 
signed by the mayor if they are to 
gather on private property.  The 
government in Oklahoma seems to 
even need a power trip over animals.  
Oklahoma state government just 
makes the suppression extremely 
obvious to the public by declaring 
such half-witted laws.
	All of these laws support the 
fact that government does not think 
it has enough power, and that it 
must show its power by instituting 
laws that have virtually no affect on 
the general public.  Yet if citizens 
knew that their government was 
using their tax dollars to pay for 
police patrolling for dogs gathered in 
three or more without a permit or 
for people smelling of garlic on 
public transportation systems, there 
could be an enormous rebellion.  The 
act of passing a law costs tax payers 
money, and when these tax dollars 
are used frivolously on silly laws 
that sometimes do not even pertain 
to people such laws that pertain to 
elephants and dogs, the government 
is showing a huge amount of 
irresponsibility.  Lawmakers are 
proving to the public that they do 
not want to be powerless against the 
public.  The phrase "government for 
the people; by the people" seems 
almost none existent when such laws 
and ordinances are passed.  The 
government controls what you do 
from personal activities such as 
kissing to laws that seem strange to 
even have such as not shooting a 
bank teller with a water gun after 
you rob a bank.  It is laws like these 
that are an example of government 
waste and tax dollar 
mismanagement.  With this show of 
waste the phrase "bureaucratic 
spending" can be implemented.  
Bureaucratic spending is the waste 
of money when such laws are 
created by lawmakers just to keep 
people employed.  These laws are 
also used as "busy work" for 
legislatures during slow periods of 
no serious governmental events.  Yet 
the general public is in a "catch 
twenty-two", in the fact that if these 
laws are to be repealed by 
legislature, tax dollars will once 
again be paying.  If government 
would think about the laws it signs 
into affect, maybe these types of laws 
would be nonexistent, and thus 
government would not appear to be 
the suppressive power that all of the 
nations pawns must follow in order 
to keep a clean record.  
 


	
 

Bibliography:

(WWW)
Laws and Legislation. (1996, June 29).  Laws Governing Us
	Available: HTTP://www.law.harvard.edu/laws.html
	File: Essay057.txt

Lawyers Guide of Laws and Ordinances. (1996, August)
	Available: HTTP://www.gama.com/medi.html
	File: LGLO1.html

(E-Mail)
Sellar, William (1996).  Hope you like this
	Available e-mail: [e-mail]

Denn�, Edward (1996). Lawyers Diary and Manual
	Available e-mail: [e-mail]

(Telnet)
Available Telnet: setonhall.law.edu  Directory:Main Reference
	Full Text: Ridiculous Laws