America's Prison System

America's prison system is failing, miserably. We have more people in all of our prisons than all the other nations in the world, we have more prisons and jails than any other country (and are building new ones every year). And, believe it or not depending upon where you live, there may be more laws restricting your activities than there are in some communist countries. There are stupid laws still enforced in every state, there are stupid laws in every state that aren't currently enforced, though if one wanted to, they could use those against you, too. I live in Virginia. I'll throw down what it's like to live here.
All of these laws are "blue laws" meaning they are still on the books, but aren't really enforced. However, should a public official learn to hate you or hold a grudge, they can be used against you, because they've never been amended off of the books.

**It is illegal not only to purchase, own, or steal a bath tub, but it's also illegal to have one in your house or in the backyard.---

I'll be taking all my showers in the front yard from now on.

**It is illegal to have sex out of wedlock.---

I should've been in jail a long time ago.

**The state laws prohibit "corrupt practices of bribery by any other person than a cndidate for office."---

Give it up to our Republican state.

**No animal can be hunted on Sunday, except raccoons, which can be hunted until 2 am.---

Thanks for the extra 2 hours, but you can't eat a raccoon...

**It is illegal to engage in business on Sunday, except for almost every industry.---

Why even have that law?

**All cars must honk while passing other cars.---

Uh, I thought we learned in Driver's Education not to do that...

**Children are not allowed to go Trick-Or-Treating on Halloween, but every other day is OK.---

Me: "Come on honey, lets go Trick-Or-Treating today!" Kid: "But Mom, it's Thanksgiving! All they're giving out is turkey!"

**It is illegal to tickle women.---

Is it illegal to tickle men, too?

I'm including this one as a state-wide law because (according to it's wording) it affects the whole state.
**It is illegal for any colored person to be outside or inside the Dayton city limits after 7 pm.---

OK, all the black people, out of VA after 7 pm. Sorry, they don't say when you can come back.

Our seperate municipalities have some freakish laws too, but I decided it's better for my cause if I list the ones that are on the books and currently enforced. Some of these piss everyone who lives here off.

If any person shall, in the presence or hearing of another, curse or abuse such other person, or use any violent abusive language to such person concerning himself or any of his relations, or otherwise use such language, under circumstances reasonably calculated to provoke a breach of the peace, he shall be guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor.
(Code 1950, § 18.1-255; 1960, c. 358; 1975, cc. 14, 15.)---

If you cuss me out, I can lock you up for a year. Ha! Payback's a bitch.

these are just a few of the horrible things that are illegal in VA, there are, across America, many more like this that are jail-able offenses. We ask, "Why are these things illegal?" My answer, "Because America decides what we do, instead of us deciding what we do."

It's very possible that the cops could come barging in my door to lock me up for even writing this blog, as having a dissenting opinion on any subject in America is also technically, illegal. I completely hold up my right to free speech, contextual or otherwise, to keep me out of jail for writing this blog.

If some of the things that are illegal here weren't illegal (much like other countries), then we wouldn't have so many people in the prison system. They could do house arrest for a lot of the minor offenses like misdemeanors and literally cut prison intakes by 18%. That's about 360,000 people out of the prison system. Less mouths to feed, less money required by the government to house our criminals. Makes sense to me.