Craziest United States Laws
Some of the laws we encounter on a daily basis might seem a bit too harsh, overprotective, or sometimes even wacky. What many people do not realize is that there are laws that still exist today that are hilarious now, and would probably barely make sense even at the time they were passed. Law is supposed to be in our lives to uphold justice and maintain peace, but these laws will make you question the lawmakers’ sanity. Here are six of the craziest laws that either existed in the past, or still exist today.
1. Dogs – There was a law passed in 1919 in the state of Michigan saying that dogs may not be killed using a high altitude decompression chamber. This really makes you wonder how many people were actually engaging in this act if the government felt the need to pass this law to put a cease to it.
2. Bullet proof – A 1983 New Jersey law has made it clear that anyone that commits a crime (whether it is burglary, rape, or even murder), may not be wearing a bullet proof vest while doing so. Thank goodness that we have laws like this to keep us safe. If it weren’t for the vest law, people might still be committing murder today.
3. Family values – In Mississippi, there was a law passed in 1964 that said anybody that has two illegitimate children may have to serve thirty days in jail or pay a fine. This is an especially useful law because the best thing for an already illegitimate child is to take their parents away. Did anybody actually think these laws through?
4. Bathrooms – A law in Oregon has made it illegal to place containers filled with fecal matter on the side of any highway. It’s about time this law was passed. You Oregonians are going to have to store those containers in your trunk like everybody else.
5. Adultery – Anyone that commits adultery in the state of West Virginia will be fined no less than twenty dollars according to an old law. It may have been repealed due to the number of complaints received claiming that twenty dollars was double what they paid in the first place.
6. Fun and Games – It is illegal for anyone under the age of eighteen to play on a pinball machine in the state of South Carolina. These types of laws are especially great because of the shorter lines. Plus, how many pinball games can a kid play on their allowance anyway?
These laws are absolutely ridiculous, even if you try to put them into context. Would a bullet proof vest law really keep people from committing crimes? It would be surprising if there was even one less crime committed at any point in history because of that specific piece of legislation. A purpose that these laws do serve, however, is keeping us all laughing years later.
