The Glorious Acts of Our Legislature

I always have to remember to take a deep breath when examining the laws being proposed by our grand Legislature. I detest most of the new legislation on the table, but have to forgive our representatives in the House and Senate for it. After all, writing laws is what a Legislature does, and if they don't write enough laws, it can begin to look like they've been loafing.

Call me strange, but I rather prefer a Legislature that goofs off and under produces new laws. I'm convinced we have enough of them already, and agree with Mark Twain, who famously said that no man's life, liberty, or property is safe while the Legislature is in session.

Mainly, that is because no lawmaker wants to look like a slacker, especially so soon after an election. It's bad form. As a result, we get some hideous proposals that I would chalk up as an effort to hide behind some broad good intention while looking meaningful, or at least busy.

House Bill 1508 is a textbook case as one such proposal.

Representative Vanessa Summers, an Indianapolis Democrat, has introduced legislation that would prohibit the use of cell phones, making exceptions for hands-free devices and for emergency use. The proposed fine for violations of the law would be up to $25.

The intent is to make our streets a little less hazardous. We have all groused at the idiot guilty of driving while in conversation that cut us off or made us miss a light, and we have cursed the driver and his cell phone. Summers' proposal takes its cue from similar laws passed in New York and the District of Columbia. As everyone knows, these cities now have the safest streets in the world.

This law is rife with problems, from practical application to the higher concerns of individual liberty.

I know four friends, right off the top of my head, who would gladly pay up to $25, as a cost of doing business. They think this highly of each and every one of their calls. $25 is no kind of deterrent for these people.

What is emergency use? I define emergency use of a cell phone as a frantic call to a friend because I suddenly had two tickets offered to me for a Colts' playoff game, and I have to accept within five minutes, or the tickets will be passed on to a co-worker. My wife defines it as having found a deal on furniture, and she's on her way home so I can look at fabric swatches. I'm betting that this is not what the Representative has in mind. Some revisions will be in order.

But why just cell phones? If the real intent of the law is to eliminate distractions from our roadways, why not ban them all? Summers could justifiably expand the proposal to include a ban on smoking in the car, adjusting the radio or inserting a Britney Spears CD, eating fast food, scolding the rug rats in the backseat, talking with your spouse, shaving or applying makeup, doing the crossword puzzle, using a laptop computer, calling for on-screen directions to Starbucks, and rehearsing your excuse that explains your tardiness to the boss.

Could we really ban Britney Spears CDs? I digress.

Before the law is done with revisions, no common person will be able to read and understand it, and mainly, drivers will just continue to take their chances.

This begs the significant philosophical question: Why bother?

Isn't it sufficient that citations can already be issued if the use of a cell phone is the cause of an accident? Why pile on? No harm, no foul: If the use of a cell phone isn't endangering anyone in the moment, why penalize for the harm that was not caused?

Ah, the law is to be a deterrent, to eliminate the possibility of harm. But won't it also become more than that? How much of a stretch is it to envision police pulling over drivers who endanger nobody on a deserted road at 11pm, but who are guilty of making a cell call, just so the officer can meet his monthly quota? Isn't that a harm all its own?

Say, if the police pull a driver over to the side of the road, isn't that the sort of distraction that could cause an accident? It should be banned!

Let's hope this Bill dies in committee. If it passes, Summers will run for re-election in 2006 on the basis of having produced this wonderful law? and of having been suitably busy.

Mike Kole is chair of the Libertarian Party of Hamilton County (Noblesville) and candidate for Secretary of State (2006).

Libertarian Writers' Bureau http://www.writersbureau.org

---

California Attorneys and Politicians

California Attorneys and politicians are to blame for the energy... Read More

The Typology of Financial Scandals

Tulipmania - this is the name coined for the first... Read More

Joseph Campbell - Permanent Human Values

At the start of the US involvement in WWII Joseph... Read More

Sweet Lies, The Aspartame Issue

Aspartame activists are constantly being attacked because all data are... Read More

PTO - Patent and Trademark Office needs complete overhaul

Recently in Maine, I talked with a gentleman and we... Read More

Federal Trade Commission Franchising Website Needs Updating

Many times our government regulatory over embellish problems in the... Read More

Politics

The Republican Party became popular due to its view on... Read More

If Terrorists Are To Become Slick Politicians, They Need Time Rather Than God on Their Side

The number of countries in the world at the moment... Read More

California Mutual Assistance Program

In years past California Mutual Assistance Program and emergency response... Read More

Poverty in America: Over 35 Million Living Below the Poverty Line

The problem of poverty in America comes as a surprise.... Read More

Illegal Aliens and Homeland Security; Rants from Lance 2003

Is it just me or are you concerned that illegal... Read More

Truckers Take Some Hits and Keep On Trucking

After 9-11 insurance rates on Independent Truck Drivers and smaller... Read More

Government is a Franchise System; just not a very good one

Few understand the Franchising Format and even fewer have correlated... Read More

Government Credit Card Abuse

Veterans Affairs Employees using government credit cards on personal items?... Read More

Problems in the Media

I am noticing an increasing and alarming rate to which... Read More

Belly Full of the Clintons [Political View]

As I read the papers and watch the news day... Read More

Predator or Prey; Hunter or the Hunted; Teacher or the Pupil; Winning or Losing?

This is a thought on the study of Home and... Read More

Media and the Iraq War, Some Random Thoughts Indeed 2001

Here are some miscellaneous thoughts on issues many of which... Read More

How Dogpoo is Changing The World

Perhaps a silent revolution is taking place, this time more... Read More

Liberal Agenda and Communism; Lance Rants

If we go hog wild towards the liberal agenda where... Read More

How Bill Cosby got it Wrong

Bill Cosby got it wrong. His many speeches regarding the... Read More

Clearing Land Mine Fields from the Air

You know we have sent many, many army tanks with... Read More

What Price Loyalty?

With the recent shakeups in the presidential cabinet, it has... Read More

UAV Targets, Aerial Dog Fights, Interception, Future of War Intelligence

The UAV, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle is hear to stay and... Read More

Confession of a King

Rufus King: (Said to be the fifth most important person... Read More

The Cost of the COLD WAR

Many people who are expert in the issue of the... Read More

Trucking and the Flow of Fuel

There are many types of fuels besides that gasoline we... Read More

Mommas, Dont Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Lobbyists

For many years now, I have been the proud holder... Read More

The Contemporary Global Marketplace - IT, Software, and Services

"Had there not been outsourcing and utilization of cheaper resources... Read More

Philosophical Thoughts from a Road Warrior; Part II

Continued thoughts while driving down the road in a huge... Read More

Fundamentalist: Fascist or Common-Sense?

Is the only way to fight Fundamentalist Extremists becoming one... Read More

Political Lobbying & Biblical Aspects of the Mid-East Crisis

1) IS HAVING A DEMOCRACY MORE EFFECTIVE IN ADDRESSING POLITICAL... Read More

PATRIOTIC ARMAGEDDON... Can You Hear Me Now?

Each day the present geo-political reality confirms what The Tribulation... Read More