Do Laws Actually Mean Less Crime?

According to an op-ed written by Harry Neuwirth, in the Silverton Appeal, Libertarians expanding on the ideas of Ayn Rand are advocating, well, here’s the title for the op-ed, “‘Anything goes’ destroys our social fabric."

He states,

"Ignoring the fact that their principles have undermined the social efficiency and grace that prevailed during and prior to the early 20th century, a minority constituency still insists that unlimited rights be granted to anyONE to do anyTHING, further undermining democracy and social stability, unwittingly inflicting great harm upon friends, neighbors, and enemies."

Every individual I am acquainted with who advocates personal responibility and liberty would behave no differently tomorrow if their were no laws, as they do today encumbered by numerically staggering numbers of laws.  Doing no wrong, unless unjustly wronged. 

His conclusion.

"Let there be no doubt. It is dramatically evident today from the statistics on crime, suicide, divorce, drug abuse, late term abortion, civic and domestic violence, child pornography .... When did these criteria begin to go into decline in America? When we legislated privilege into law in the early 20th century. When philosophical zealots seized privilege and named it a “right” to which Americans were entitled WITHOUT LIMIT. Since individuals have an absolute right to do what they like… [See quotes above.]

Liberty – Natural Rights – must be judiciously limited if democracy is to survive!"

A conclusion which advocates rule by force.

Posted by on 01/25 at 05:18 PM

  1. He’s right about one thing—liberty must be limited for democracy to survive. Of course, I say to hell with democracy.

    Mr. Neuwirth is a perfect example of the type of person Dave Barry discusses in his REASON interview:

    http://reason.com/barry.shtml

    Namely, the kind of person who thinks that without legislation and men with guns to enforce it, everyone would be having sex with dogs.

    Posted by damaged justice  on  01/26  at  03:39 AM

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