Times Change: Laws That Didn't

"Wacky Laws Still on the Books in America "
FOXNews (December 30, 2008)

" From changing the color of baby chicks to shooting effigies to properly honoring the glory of the log cabin, Americans have spent valuable legislative hours throughout the years making sure we're on the straight and narrow...."

I remember the business about baby chicks: there was quite a hue and cry at one point over the cruelty of coloring them for Easter - and some quite reasonable concerns about salmonella if memory serves.

A prohibition on equine dental work made much better sense when horses were a primary means of transportation. These days, I understand that it's illegal to set back odometers.

Alabama's law against exploiting bears is probably more reasonable than it sounds, too.

Still, laws do seem to last longer than their reasons for existence. And some seem to be simply silly.

While I'm on the subject:

"Odd Alcohol Laws Keep the Party Spirit, Within Limits Of Course"
FOXNews (December 31, 2008)

"Before you pop the cork on that champagne bottle to ring in the New Year, it's best to be aware of the laws that regulate alcohol consumption in your state...."

Interesting: In my home state, Minnesota, it's legal to be drunk in public. But you can't use being boozed up as an excuse for breaking the law.

Makes sense to me.