Ignorance offers us no defense from stupid law
The Ignorance of the Law is no defense; no matter how stupid it is.
I want to be clear here. I'm talking about stupid, and in my opinion, intrusive law (and regulation) Imposed by various forms of government and those who would serve it.
Here are just three examples of Government excess and it's seemingly insatiable need to micro-manage all aspects of our daily lives. And these in only the last couple of weeks!
I want to be clear here. I'm talking about stupid, and in my opinion, intrusive law (and regulation) Imposed by various forms of government and those who would serve it.
Here are just three examples of Government excess and it's seemingly insatiable need to micro-manage all aspects of our daily lives. And these in only the last couple of weeks!
- The Ashya King case.
- The Criminalization of parents who chose to vacation with their children during term-time.
- Limits to the power of vacuum cleaners (soon to be followed by hairdryers and other devices).
I would like to include the Rotherham debacle in Child Services & Protection but that has much more to do with inefficiency, secrecy, political correctness and a lack of accountability. At the very least worth it's own Blog(s)!
First, to be serious, let me say that I wish Ashya King and his family well. This surely a very trying time and my heart goes out to them.
I don't presume to know anything about Ashya's condition, treatment options or prognosis, only what has been reported in the media. I am however incensed by the way this sick little boy and his family have been treated, or should I say persecuted by various arms of our government.
It seems that, certainly in my lifetime, the old protections afforded us under Common Law have been eroded by ill conceived legislation from Westminster, regulation from Brussels and an 'Activist' European Court of Human Rights.
Gone (apparently) is the presumption of innocence, a family's rights to privacy and parents right to determine what is in the best interest of the family and its individual (minor) members. In its place, a busy-body's interventionist charter which, in the King's case, has allowed Police to issue a Criminal Arrest Warrant for the child's parents. Based only on the parents determination to seek an alternative treatment for their son. A treatment, incidentally, not available to them at their own (National Health Service) Hospital.
The Nanny State has also decreed that, rather than Government and it's Educators, parents are at fault for the appalling number of 'educated' young people, unable to read and write competently, joining the ranks of the Unemployable. Parents are at fault and are accountable to the Government! Taking a vacation with your child during term time, far from building family bonds, is now so heinous an act of child abuse, so disruptive in schools and so damaging to a child's education as to be a Criminal Offence. Punishable by fines. These levied by Administrators. I find it hard to see this as anything other a "Tax Event".
Protest! Demand 'due process', -your day in Court.
At your peril, expect the fine to double and Court Costs to be added. It's almost as crazy as giving Bin-Men and Parking Attendants the power to levy fines.
No, wait, I understand we've done that already!
Lastly (for now) I've just recently found out about the new vacuum cleaner power regulation. This is a truly sad example of Regulation as a make-work for bureaucrats. They regulate because they can. We are regulated because we can't do much of anything about it. I have to wonder how much it costs just to formulate, let alone implement such unnecessary nonsense. How much does regulating down the power of future vacuum cleaners adds to their cost. Check with your retailer to find out.
Exasperated and Grumpy
First, to be serious, let me say that I wish Ashya King and his family well. This surely a very trying time and my heart goes out to them.
I don't presume to know anything about Ashya's condition, treatment options or prognosis, only what has been reported in the media. I am however incensed by the way this sick little boy and his family have been treated, or should I say persecuted by various arms of our government.
It seems that, certainly in my lifetime, the old protections afforded us under Common Law have been eroded by ill conceived legislation from Westminster, regulation from Brussels and an 'Activist' European Court of Human Rights.
Gone (apparently) is the presumption of innocence, a family's rights to privacy and parents right to determine what is in the best interest of the family and its individual (minor) members. In its place, a busy-body's interventionist charter which, in the King's case, has allowed Police to issue a Criminal Arrest Warrant for the child's parents. Based only on the parents determination to seek an alternative treatment for their son. A treatment, incidentally, not available to them at their own (National Health Service) Hospital.
The Nanny State has also decreed that, rather than Government and it's Educators, parents are at fault for the appalling number of 'educated' young people, unable to read and write competently, joining the ranks of the Unemployable. Parents are at fault and are accountable to the Government! Taking a vacation with your child during term time, far from building family bonds, is now so heinous an act of child abuse, so disruptive in schools and so damaging to a child's education as to be a Criminal Offence. Punishable by fines. These levied by Administrators. I find it hard to see this as anything other a "Tax Event".
Protest! Demand 'due process', -your day in Court.
At your peril, expect the fine to double and Court Costs to be added. It's almost as crazy as giving Bin-Men and Parking Attendants the power to levy fines.
No, wait, I understand we've done that already!
Lastly (for now) I've just recently found out about the new vacuum cleaner power regulation. This is a truly sad example of Regulation as a make-work for bureaucrats. They regulate because they can. We are regulated because we can't do much of anything about it. I have to wonder how much it costs just to formulate, let alone implement such unnecessary nonsense. How much does regulating down the power of future vacuum cleaners adds to their cost. Check with your retailer to find out.
Exasperated and Grumpy
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