Good laws and stubborn people

Today's Saying

Why should people go out and pay money to see bad films when they can stay home and see bad television for nothing? ~Samuel Goldwyn

The problem with laws written to handle real problems with great intent is that the idiots that administer them don’t care about intent they hold in a stubborn manner to the legalistic letter of the law.
Here are two recent examples.
First there is the grandmother in Indiana who was handcuffed and taken to jail on a drug charge. Her picture was on the front page of the local paper with an article entitled, ‘17 Arrested in Drug Sweep.’”. What terrible thing did she do.
Well on Monday her husband had a bad cough so she stopped and bought a bottle of cough medicine.
Then her daughter got sick with a cough with a lot of mucous so on Friday she bought a package of Mucinex.-D.
That’s it.
But Indiana has a law making it illegal to purchase products containing more than 3 grams total of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine in a week .Her medicines came out to 3.6 grams. She broke the law.
Now the intent of the law was to prevent crooks from getting the chemical needed to make methamphetamine or meth. It is a well intentioned law.
But it should have been obvious she was not doing that . The one package was there when they came to arrest her four weeks later and still had unused pills in it.
They could have explained to her that technically she had violated the law and next time check the packages for amounts.
But the sheriff said the law is the law and she broke it. So much for the intent. They got one dangerous grandmother off the streets.
Second there is the non working mother in Michigan. Two of neighbors who did work felt uneasy about leaving their children alone for the hour until the school bus came. They asked her if they could leave them with her since she had a child going to the same school she said yes. She did it as a good neighbor and they didn’t pay her.
Then she got a letter from the Michigan Department of Human Services warning her that if she continued, she'd be violating a law aimed at the operators of unlicensed day care centers.. It further warned her she could be fined and sent to jail.
Now the intent of the law was to protect children.
The intent of the housewife was to protect children.
But thanks to their legalistic attitude she stopped. The children now sit alone at home until the bus comes.
Human services read the law in the most legalistic manner and ignored the needs of the children.
The problem with government is often not the law makers who have the best of intents but the people who narrowly without understanding of the intent administer those laws.
On the other hand you can’t fault them it’s the law.

(Click on the Pigeon Falls Graphic for previous chapters.)

Tommy turned to the man in black and said " Why don't you go stand with your boss Oscar? You know which side your on."
Oscar walked slowly down the street to stand next to the alien leader.
" Then there are only two of you against all this firepower, three rocket ships, and the unbelievable power of a Guardian so you have no choice but to surrender." The alien leader announced.
Tommy smiled and said " Since you have been so nice as to let us surrender we offer you the same possibility. Lay down all your weapons and we will let you go back on your ships and leave unharmed. Otherwise we will wipe you from the face of the universe."
The alien leader began to laugh. " You do have guts boy" he said." But let us demonstrate our power".
A door opened on the side of one of the ships and a large weapon emerged pointed at the barn. The alien leader gave the command to fire. A blue ray moved from the end of the weapon toward the barn but then turned back and the ship began to glow.
" I'd have them turn them off if you want a ship to fly home in" Tommy said." Now you have felt the power of our poltergeist. It has enveloped all three of your ships and they can't help you."
" That means it can't help you either and we have superior firepower and a Guardian" the leader said.
" Look behind your men " Tommy directed.
There coming down the road was row upon row of woolly elephant like creatures each with a rider with a weapon that looked equal to that of the weapons the aliens had.

" Do you want to surrender now or do we need to bring out our last surprise?" Tommy asked looking toward the Masonic building.
What surprise can Tommy possibly have left? Where did all those troops come from? Will the alien leader surrender?
Tomorrow a few answers or more questions.

And the name Betty drew yesterday is Mellissa B. If she draws it again today Mellisa B gets what is in the treasure chest. Click on the treasure chest in the left hand column to see what is in it.

Betty has come into the computer room.
She has pulled a name from the bucket.
Sorry Mellisa B it's not yours.

The name Betty has drawn is

..


Dulce

If Dulce is drawn tomorrow she wins what's in the treasure chest.
Good luck Dulce.
Why not stop over and wish her luck.
To see what's in the chest click on the treasure chest in the left hand column. Because tomorrow is twofer Thursday she will have two chances to win.
I am so excited. Because if she doesn't win two people will have a chance on Friday. Between Dulce and the two I might get a winner.