Why are there laws?
-A kid talking to his dad
Laws are made for one of two reasons:
Some things are illegal because they are fun (e.g. speeding, naming your kid Sex Fruit, or pretending to be a cop).
Some things are illegal because you can hurt people (e.g. speeding, stealing, or driving on the sidewalk).
There is also a genre of crimes that sort of defy description. Laws like marriage licenses, why do I need a license to commit my life to something? They don’t require a license to join a church. And there are laws about which law supersede which laws when they conflict. For example federal law supersedes state law in any context that state law conflicts with constitutional law, but you can still be charged federally for growing medical marijuana. I’m not a lawyer, but, I don’t think that the Constitution mentions ganja.
And there are laws that literally make it illegal to be a teenager. Seriously, it is a federal crime to transport a minor across state lines if you intend to have sex with them. This essentially make it federal crime to be a boy between the age of 16 and 18. No concerts or road trips. Let me tell you that is a weird law, and how exactly do you determine intent? When I was 17 I probably “intended” to put it wherever it fit (and some places it didn’t).
I am getting off topic. The reason we have laws is because old people are all jerks that want to make sure young people don’t get to have the same fun the old people had. To that end I recommend that you never trust anyone older than me.
Thank You and Goodnight
