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It is true that you can only legislate on actions - actually legislating ideas is far too Orwellian.I don't want to "legislate away" emotions. That sort of thing lacks subtlety. The trick is to use legislation as an identifier - much in the way DUI offenders are required to undergo alcohol-related therapy, those who commit hate crimes should undergo some form of diversity training (hopefully a form that works and not one of those insipid, smiles'n'sunshine "feelings-share" circles).Consider the early 20th Century South. Murder there was illegal, yet lynching - a form of murder - was common, often ignored by law enforcement officials (sometimes even participated in by law enforcement officials). Although their legal system was far from equal, in that instance the law was equal - and yet that equality was ignored in favor of social norms.Todays issues with social norms conflicting with the law are generally more subtle. I doubt that lynching would come back into style, but problems of social acceptance would continue to be problems. Fully legal equality does nothing to correct these problems - people will ignore that equality at the drop of a hat, if for some reason hat dropping offends them.Hopefully I'll be able to post more often. I'll be going back to school fairly soon, which removes me from my exhausting job and even more exhausting family.
It is true that you can only legislate on actions - actually legislating ideas is far too Orwellian.
I don't want to "legislate away" emotions. That sort of thing lacks subtlety. The trick is to use legislation as an identifier - much in the way DUI offenders are required to undergo alcohol-related therapy, those who commit hate crimes should undergo some form of diversity training (hopefully a form that works and not one of those insipid, smiles'n'sunshine "feelings-share" circles).
Consider the early 20th Century South. Murder there was illegal, yet lynching - a form of murder - was common, often ignored by law enforcement officials (sometimes even participated in by law enforcement officials). Although their legal system was far from equal, in that instance the law was equal - and yet that equality was ignored in favor of social norms.
Todays issues with social norms conflicting with the law are generally more subtle. I doubt that lynching would come back into style, but problems of social acceptance would continue to be problems. Fully legal equality does nothing to correct these problems - people will ignore that equality at the drop of a hat, if for some reason hat dropping offends them.
Hopefully I'll be able to post more often. I'll be going back to school fairly soon, which removes me from my exhausting job and even more exhausting family.