15 Things That Should Be Illegal But Are Totally Legal
What is an action you believe deserves jail time? Price gouging on life-saving medications? Getting behind the wheel without an adequate night’s rest? Selling concert tickets for five times their original price? I’m sorry to inform you that performing those tasks won’t land you in prison, though several people believe those actions and the following should result in litigation.
1. Owning Select Exotic Animals
An exotic animal is a non-native or rare find not typically kept as a house pet. Breeders and animal handlers find these animals in their native habitats, remove them, and sell them for profit. Select states ban individuals from owning these animals, although many states require a permit and allow people to own and sell exotic animals. Of course, the term exotic pet applies to many animals. This point refers to tigers, lions, kangaroos, monkeys, and animals not equipped to live in a human household. Fun fact: ferrets, bearded dragons, and chinchillas also qualify as exotic pets.
2. Drowsy Driving
Imagine the last time you got behind the wheel for a long drive. Did you stay alert the entire time, or did your eyes droop, giving way to the pangs of tiredness clawing at you? Drowsy drivers have a higher risk of car accidents than non-drowsy drivers: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that around 100,000 car accidents occur yearly due to drowsy driving. Plus, drowsy driving is preventable. A large portion of people believe drowsy driving, like impaired driving, should be illegal.
3. Declawing Cats
Declawing a cat involves removing the feline’s claws and their toe’s first knuckle. Removing their claws limits their ability to protect themselves, increases lower back pain and foot discomfort, and can affect a cat’s gait. States such as New York, Maryland, and Virginia made this operation illegal, though other states and countries continue to operate,primarily for behavioral issues. Instead of opting for this unethical practice, cat owners suggest training for the cat.
4. Overselling a Plane
Parents attempt to calm their screaming children. Overtired teenagers wait for the airport attendants to call their respective boarding numbers. Irritated solo travelers pack their bags, waiting to get on the plane to their destination. Then, the second worst announcement in an airport – right behind a flight cancellation – booms across the loudspeakers. “Hi. We’ve overbooked this flight and need a few volunteers to offer up their seats for a reward.” Grumbling and groaning echo throughout the concourse. How could a flight oversell its available seats and get away with it?
5. Conversion Therapy
History.com reports the first documented case of conversion therapy occurred in 1899, and the practice spread in the 1900s. Conversion therapy exists as a method to change the identity or orientation of an LGBTQ+-identifying person. This type of treatment uses religion, scare tactics, manipulation, and, in extreme cases, medical procedures to try and rewire one’s beliefs and preferences. Today, conversion therapy remains legal in nineteen of the 50 United States and several countries in Asia, Africa, and Europe.
6. Child Marriage
In the United States, a child becomes a legal adult at age 18. Thirteen out of fifty states in the U.S. established rules preventing child marriage, while the other 37 states allow kids under the age of 18 to wed an older individual as long as they receive parental consent. Child marriage is not a new practice. The first two states to ban the practice enforced the rule in 2018, just six years ago. UNICEF reports that child marriage may lead to an increased risk of violence, a dangerous power dynamic between child bride or groom and their adult spouse, diminished access to education, and exploitation.
7. Ticket Scalping
Ticket scalpers purchase tickets at face value once they go on sale. They then resell the ticket after doubling or tripling the price to take advantage of desperate fans or ignorant parents looking to gift their kids with the best night of their lives. Tickets to Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour are a prime example of ticket scalper’s evil. When Eras tour tickets firstsold around two years ago, you could find a decent seat for around $200. The day after the sale, ticket scalpers began selling tickets for extravagant amounts to increase profits and contribute to the greed plaguing the ticket-selling industry. A mom stated she spent almost $4,000 on four VIP tickets and instead sold them for $5,000 each when she learned the value of the tickets.
8. Child Beauty Pageants
Child beauty pageants judge children based on appearance, clothing, swimwear, talent, and personality. People opposed to child beauty pageants believe these contests set girls up for high levels of criticism and low self-esteem at a young age, all to benefit their parents monetarily. Complaints also say beauty pageants objectify young girls, giving child predators an entertainment platform.
9. Private Prisons
Third parties work with the government to capture and imprison people in private or for-profit prisons. The government operates public prisons, following protocols when arresting and imprisoning inmates. A central issue with private prisons arises when third-party companies put less money into workers’ and prisoners’ safety. Since third-party companies run private prisons, different regulations govern the facilities. The American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees states that outsourcing to save money contributes to under-trained and underpaid employees that contribute to foul play within the prison.
10. Application Fees
Common application fees pop up on college applications and apartment applications. A candidate completes their application, but before sending off the materials, they must pay a fee to submit. The mandatory payment does not promise admittance or acceptance. Landlords claim the fees help cover the cost of background checks and other pre-screening compulsory requirements for potential renters. Colleges state that the application fees cover the costs needed to review application materials and transcripts. Objections against the fees range from limiting applicants to exploiting people for money (one article writes that landlords might charge a fee for applications yet never look at the applicant’scredentials) to adding to high costs in already expensive markets.
11. Plastic in Foods
How much plastic do you consume a day? A comprehensive study published by CNN declared that 90% of proteins (animal and vegetable) contain microplastics. Fruits and vegetables contained over 100,000 microplastics per gram in the food group. Bottled water saw 110,000 and 370,000 nanoplastics in two bottles of water. According to these findings, adults face low levels of microplastic exposure at 11,000 particles a year and a high level of exposure at 3.8 million pieces a year.
12. Calf-Roping
A few weeks ago, the annual rodeo rolled into my town, inviting guests to glimpse the life of local cowboys and cowgirls. We sat in the rain, watching the contestants ride their horses and bulls, showing off their livestock’s natural beauty. Next, the horrific calf-roping started. The event encompasses a baby cow, calf, horse, and cowboy or cowgirl. The calf begins running forward, away from the horse and cowperson, for a few moments before the chase ensues. The cowperson then chases the calf, throws a lasso over the animal, jumps off the horse, slams the calf on its back, and ties three legs together. How this isn’t considered animal abuse boggles me.
The practice spans centuries as a way to capture injured or wounded calves. Today, the “sport” seems to act as a disgusting way to assert dominance and inflict pain upon weaned cows. Organizations like the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals call for the banning and outlawing of this practice, which harms the animal’s welfare.
13. Price Gouging for Medical Treatment
Price gouging refers to raising the prices of a popular item because of low competition, high demand, or corporate greed. Price gouging of Insulin to treat Diabetes and Daraprim to treat HIV are two examples of ridiculous price gouging that prevent thousands of people from receiving necessary medical treatment. CNN found that 8.4 million Americans live with a Diabetes diagnosis, and 1 in 4 diagnosed can’t afford the Insulin needed to stay alive. Back in 2021, the price of HIV medication rose 4,000% from $17.50 to $750 to generate revenue for the pharmaceutical company.
14. Tips, No Wages
Servers make a high percentage of their paychecks from their tips. In six states, Alabama, Louisiana, Tennessee, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Georgia, servers only receive tips as wages. Minus Georgia, these states don’t implement rules where the server receives a minimum salary in addition to tips. Georgia’s minimum wage of $7.25 does not apply to servers.
15. LED Headlights
You’re cruising down the highway, blasting your favorite U2 song as fluorescent lights beam into your rearview mirror. You cower behind your hand, unable to see the culprit of the blinding lights. Moving your hand away from your eyes, you discover the worst automobile embellishment in recent history: LED headlights. Many drivers, myself included, believe LED headlights cause heightened road distractions and should be outlawed for public safety.
Myths Busted: 15 Legal Actions You Thought Were Illegal
Have you ever wondered if what you are doing is legal or not? It may come as a surprise, but numerous laws in different states make you wonder about the legality of specific actions. The items on this list are all legal but have certain parts that make them legal in certain states.
Myths Busted: 15 Legal Actions You Thought Were Illegal
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You might be the safest driver in the world, but eventually, you’re going to get pulled over. A clerical snafu that leads to your license being unjustly suspended, a momentary distraction while your foot weighs heavy on the accelerator, or any other unintentional hiccups could lead you to a face-to-face encounter with a boy (or gal) in blue.
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