There Oughta Be A Law

One of the myriad of ways in which people can be divided into two groups is that some people hear the phrase “there ought to be a law” with regard to a situation, and think “yes, there really should be a law.” Then they begin to think about how that law should be structured. Other people hear “there ought to be a law,” and consider it with an ironic appreciation.
These tendencies cut across the political spectrum. Consider the ill starred Defense of Valor Act, passed by the Republican-led Congress. This law would have made it a crime to claim that you had received military honors and medals which you had, in fact, not received. Congress, in its wisdom, had decided to outlaw braggadocio, a characteristic of human nature that has been with us from time immemorial. Thankfully, the Supreme Court struck down the Act as a violation of free speech rights. Guys trying to chat up girls in bars all over this country breathed a sigh of relief at this sign that the Supreme Court remains a bulwark of their liberties.
Then there is Obamacare, legislation that is a darling of the Democrats. Someone cried out that there ought to be a law requiring everyone to buy health insurance. Others took up the rallying cry, and lo, 2000 pages of densely worded legalese was transformed into the law of the land. The Supremes, in their wisdom, pretty much let that one stand.
Lately, it seems to me as if the number of people who believe that there ought to be a law in all seriousness is on the increase, while the numbers of those who think there are enough ordinances on the books is waning. Personally, I come down on the side that hears the phrase “there ought to be a law” as a comment on the need for patience when dealing with the foibles of society, and a wistful desire for honesty and tolerance in others dealings with us.
Except for the clown who cut me off in traffic the other day. There really ought to be a law against that sort of thing.