You're quite right. There's a big difference between showing an obvious dislike for a law you disagree with, and breaking the law because you disagree with it. Civil disobedience, protests etc. all show distain for a law without spoiling your cause by doing criminal acts.
Case in point, The hunting ban. Now I'm not exactly the most sympathetic person to the fox hunting cause, but I do approve of their protests insofar as they have not broken the law. Of course they have a right to protest and try and get the law changed. Should they continue hunting? It's an entirely personal choice, IMO. They probably will get arrested, but the choice remains theirs to make.
John Locke said 'It is the people who decide when a breach of trust has occured, for only the man who deputes power can tell when it is abused.' The point of democracy is that people can change thing if they don't like them; Locke thought this was a natural right was even now I believe it's your right as a citizen to take an active part in politics and if that means opposing laws you think are wrong then so be it.
And I signed up to NO2ID a while back. Assuming they come into force some time after 2010, I'll probably make the choice to leave the country before I'm forced to carry one.
no subject
Date: 2005-Aug-19, Friday 01:30 (UTC)Case in point, The hunting ban. Now I'm not exactly the most sympathetic person to the fox hunting cause, but I do approve of their protests insofar as they have not broken the law. Of course they have a right to protest and try and get the law changed. Should they continue hunting? It's an entirely personal choice, IMO. They probably will get arrested, but the choice remains theirs to make.
John Locke said 'It is the people who decide when a breach of trust has occured, for only the man who deputes power can tell when it is abused.' The point of democracy is that people can change thing if they don't like them; Locke thought this was a natural right was even now I believe it's your right as a citizen to take an active part in politics and if that means opposing laws you think are wrong then so be it.
And I signed up to NO2ID a while back. Assuming they come into force some time after 2010, I'll probably make the choice to leave the country before I'm forced to carry one.