If You Won’t Tell Me The Law, I Can’t Follow It
Posted by Scott BannonThis Week’s Dolt! Award goes to… Oregon (and there was much rejoicing)
In the most recent of a long list of bone-headed ideas put forward by government officials, the state of Oregon has been sending Cease & Desist letters to informational resource web sites (such as Justia.com) who publish exact copies of Oregon State laws.
It seems the state of Oregon (or a few bone-heads within) believes that the public shouldn’t have free and open access to the laws governing them. Yes, the very laws that “ignorance of” wouldn’t normally be an effective court defense for…until now.
What reason is Oregon giving for the C&D letters? Get this, copyright violation.
Can you imagine the founding fathers sitting around after writing the Constitution and discussing how best to hide it from American citizens?
Do you honestly believe the term “state’s rights” extends so far as for a state to create secret laws that nobody can know about?
But wait, there is a solution it seems… anyone wishing to publish copies of Oregon’s Laws can purchase a license to do so.
What??? Citizens have to pay for the privilege to learn what laws exist and don’t?
I’m sorry, that sounds awful un-American to me.
Aren’t we in Iraq right now to offer our gift of “free and open democracy” to the middle east? When will we truly begin to respect ideas like those here at home?
But I don’t want to go off on a patriotic rant, this is just about Oregon.
So, state of Oregon, if I can’t find out what’s expected of me legally while traveling through your state, then you can’t hold me responsible for violating… well… anything.
In fact, I pledge to bring hookers, homegrown tobacco (my special blend) and a few unruly sheep (known as the Slutty Strumpets) with me on my next visit to your fine state, and we’re going to get loud–and I defy you to charge me for violating any state ordinances which you claim copyright over.
There’s ignorance of the law, which can be a fine line of contention and debate; but then there’s just plain ignorance, which is the road Oregon is choosing to take by attempting to block access of information regarding state legislation that applies to the public masses.
Story Sources: BoingBoing & The Patry Copyright Blog
Image Source: Alexa.com (An Amazon Company) <– so don’t sue me for publishing it here, please Oregon…
buxtohispano.com 
2 Responses to “If You Won’t Tell Me The Law, I Can’t Follow It”
By Steve | Reply to article
Technorati Tags: Oregon, Copyright, Sheep
That floored me!
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By Roberta | Reply to article
You had me at “Slutty Strumpets”
What? This isn’t the movie quote bloopers thread. Sorry
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