Tuesday, August 21, 2007

BREAKING NEWS: the law is insane

There is so much that is so wrong about this story. I could go on and on and on.

Instead, I'll just single this out:
While unauthorized entry into the United States is illegal, being in the country after having entered illegally is not necessarily a crime, according to a new ruling by the Kansas Court of Appeals.
So, I picture myself making this phone call in Kansas:
KANSAS POLICE: _______ City Police Department, what's your emergency?
ME: A man broke into my house! He's standing right here!
KANSAS POLICE: So?
ME: ...?!
KANSAS POLICE: Sir?
ME: Yes, maybe you didn't hear me: a man broke into my house, and he's still standing right here in front of me!
KANSAS POLICE (helpfully): And...?
ME: ...and I want you to come and arrest him!
KANSAS POLICE (again helpfully): For...?
ME: ( strangling noises )
KANSAS POLICE: Sir?
ME: A man broke into my house. Where did I lose you?
KANSAS POLICE: There's really nothing for us to do.
ME: What?!
KANSAS POLICE (patiently): Sir, it is illegal to break into someone's house...
ME (triumphantly): Progress! At last!
KANSAS POLICE: ...but it is not necessarily illegal to be in that house.
ME: ( thunderstruck silence )
KANSAS POLICE: Sir?
ME: It isn't illegal to be in the house you illegally broke into?
KANSAS POLICE: The court says "no."
ME: ( thud )

9 comments:

ricki said...

Just remember, half the people out there are below average intelligence ...

Seriously, it makes one wonder how our society continues to exist.

Ed Groover said...

But what's scary is that so many judges are of below average intelligence...

Anonymous said...

I quibble only with the headline. Is this really breaking news? I thought the insanity was well-established.

Unknown said...

Doesn't leave much that needs to be said. Erin

David A. Carlson said...

Did you bother reading the actual legal decision?

Because that is not what the court decided.

DJP said...

I bothered reading the article, and commented on it. Did you bother to read my comment? Or is snark all you have?

David A. Carlson said...

All you have done is dogpile on a court decision, based on an article that is wrong in its reporting. It makes you look silly to anyone who actually bothers to read the court case.

It is especially egregous because the online article provides a direct link to the online court decision.

Your sarcasm should be pointed at the newspaper, not the court.

DJP said...

And here, from the decision: "While Congress has criminalized illegal entry into this country, it has not made the continued presence of an illegal alien in the United States a crime unless the illegal alien has previously been deported and has again entered this country illegally."

That legalistic hairsplitting is enough to warrant everything I said.

Instead of dogpiling on me, your sarcasm should have been directed at the law.

Going on and on about it just makes you look like a boorish jerk.

ricki said...

just checking my math ... 6 of us commented, half are below average, assuming I'm one, there are still two of you below average.

Using the word "boorish" puts DJP in the top half so he's out.

I'm not sure about Ed, April, or Erin but I'm kind of hoping I'm with David in the below average group because if he really is a boorish jerk and he is above average, then I'm really a mess.