Happy November! Back in September, I wrote about the purpose of law. I showed how the purpose of law in the US today is to deny freedom, as most laws do just that. Since writing that article, I had a conversation with a person who I know and respect. That conversation had to do with the moral good of “following the law”, regardless of the effect of the law. And further, whether one who fails to follow the law regardless of its effect deserves to be punished? And more, whether one who upholds the law regardless of its effect is morally superior to one who violates it? When a law denies freedom, it is immoral. Whether it is based upon racism or bigotry, it is still immoral. Worse, it makes criminals of people who simply wish to be free and labels them immoral. At the same time it protects racist and bigoted lawmakers and law enforcers, and labels them as moral. Thus, the individual is forced to become a law abiding racist and/or bigot, or a criminal, under the laws.
There are many examples both in and outside of the US. For instance, in September, 1935, German lawmakers passed the, “Nuremberg Laws”. These made it a criminal offense for Jews to intermarry with Germans, and declared that only those of German or related blood could be citizens. These were expanded
in 1935 to include Blacks and Romanians. Other laws included the 1935 law for a National boycott of all Jewish businesses, and the 1935 law excluding non-Aryans from the legal profession and civil service. (These are the main enforcement mechanism in society.) Thus, those most willing to be racists/bigots were deemed morally superior to those who were not. Further, those most willing to be racist/bigoted were law makers and enforcers, while those who were not were made criminals, to be imprisoned and eventually sent to death camps.
Should we then hold in the highest of esteem those racists/bigots who “followed the law” and denounce and imprison those who refuse to be racists/bigots? Ahhh, I can hear your thoughts, but that can’t happen here! Think again, it did, does, and can again. Americans had laws which criminalized interracial marriage 300 years before the Nazis which lasted over 30 years after the fall of Nazi Germany. These were known as Micegenation Laws, which began in the late 1600’s and were not declared unconstitutional until 1967. And yes, they were enforced by police, judges, and juries around the country. Think of that, people made criminals and punished by the law because they wanted to be free. What is more, it was everyday people who supported those laws by remaining silent, or by voting for them.
Yet, today we see those types of laws as immoral. Really? Today, many people support and defend laws based upon racism/bigotry by saying, well “it’s the law”.
Laws against the use of marijuana are no different than those laws which forbade people to exercise their freedom to marry whoever they wish. Racism and bigotry are the same. They are both based upon greed. That is, greed is attempting to, or taking the unearned by force or fraud. In the case of race and bigotry, the “unearned” is self-esteem or self-worth. Those who are willing to make and enforce laws, whether based upon racism or bigotry, are attempting to gain self-worth by portraying themselves as morally superior.
Interestingly, self-worth cannot be gained by the use of force against others, whether based upon race, gender, or personal choices. Not only this, but the attempt to do so, which is always the case with laws based upon racism/bigotry, denies freedom to those who make and enforce those laws. That is, once a person accepts that it is moral and right to deny others their freedom, then they must accept that it is moral and right for others to deny them their freedom. Again, this is how I recognized the syndrome I call, Parasitic Anthropophagy Syndrome (“PASY”). I recognized that if one attempts to obtain self-esteem by criminalizing others, one is attempting to live as a parasite. (Parasitic) And if one does this, one is merely devouring one’s own freedom. (Anthropophagy) It is a syndrome, because one can overcome this by working to gain self-worth through the use of one’s own mind and hands in creating things of value, rather than attempting to destroy the self-worth and freedom of others.
In a society in which the laws are based upon racism/bigotry, and whose purpose is to deny freedom, one can refuse to support those like the Nazis and be a criminal, or become like a Nazi, and be a law abiding citizen. The only other alternative is to demand and defend freedom!
Till next month, as always, keep rolling on.
Disclaimer: This is an informational article only. It is not to provide individual legal advice. If you need legal services, feel free to contact me, or any attorney of your choosing.
