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Post by pjohns1873 on May 13, 2014 5:33:41 GMT
In another thread, I noted that Tennessee once had a law that required all automobiles to have a red flag displayed on the trunk, so as not to scare the horses; that this law had not been repealed, as of the 1970s (though it was not enforced); and that it is still on the books, as far as I am aware.
However, Tennessee is hardly the only state to have archaic (or even downright silly) laws on the books.
From George Will's book, One Man's America (which is a compendium of his syndicated columns):
"The fifties did have worries. ...You could get fourteen years in an Indiana prison for instigating anyone under age twenty-one to 'commit masturbation.' And to get a New York fishing license, you had to swear a loyalty oath."--November 26, 2006
Interesting...
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Post by ShivaTD on May 19, 2014 11:53:55 GMT
In another thread, I noted that Tennessee once had a law that required all automobiles to have a red flag displayed on the trunk, so as not to scare the horses; that this law had not been repealed, as of the 1970s (though it was not enforced); and that it is still on the books, as far as I am aware. However, Tennessee is hardly the only state to have archaic (or even downright silly) laws on the books. From George Will's book , One Man's America (which is a compendium of his syndicated columns): "The fifties did have worries. ...You could get fourteen years in an Indiana prison for instigating anyone under age twenty-one to 'commit masturbation.' And to get a New York fishing license, you had to swear a loyalty oath."--November 26, 2006 Interesting...
One thing often overlooked is that legal precedent established by the Courts often renders these laws unenforceable. When the Court renders a legal decision establishing precedent it doesn't remove any laws from the books but does make them unenforceable.
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Post by pjohns1873 on May 19, 2014 17:54:05 GMT
In another thread, I noted that Tennessee once had a law that required all automobiles to have a red flag displayed on the trunk, so as not to scare the horses; that this law had not been repealed, as of the 1970s (though it was not enforced); and that it is still on the books, as far as I am aware. However, Tennessee is hardly the only state to have archaic (or even downright silly) laws on the books. From George Will's book , One Man's America (which is a compendium of his syndicated columns): "The fifties did have worries. ...You could get fourteen years in an Indiana prison for instigating anyone under age twenty-one to 'commit masturbation.' And to get a New York fishing license, you had to swear a loyalty oath."--November 26, 2006 Interesting...
One thing often overlooked is that legal precedent established by the Courts often renders these laws unenforceable. When the Court renders a legal decision establishing precedent it doesn't remove any laws from the books but does make them unenforceable.
That is a very good point. (Perhaps the law in New York state--as regarding fishing licenses--was once enforced. But it is very difficult for me to imagine an officer's ever having attempted to enforce the silly laws mentioned in Tennessee or Indiana.) |
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Post by ShivaTD on May 19, 2014 23:10:51 GMT
One thing often overlooked is that legal precedent established by the Courts often renders these laws unenforceable. When the Court renders a legal decision establishing precedent it doesn't remove any laws from the books but does make them unenforceable.
That is a very good point. (Perhaps the law in New York state--as regarding fishing licenses--was once enforced. But it is very difficult for me to imagine an officer's ever having attempted to enforce the silly laws mentioned in Tennessee or Indiana.)
I've read of some silly laws to be sure and most are not enforced today. They are amusing though and there have been numerous books that mention them.
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