So said Mr. Bumble, the unhappy spouse of a
domineering wife, in Charles Dickens Oliver
Twist. He was responding to being told in court that "...the law
supposes that your wife acts under your direction".
Let it never be said that we in the former colonies
have lagged behind our British forebears. Here in Massachusetts for example:
- Any
person caught eating peanuts in church may be jailed for up to one year
- In
Boston it is illegal to take a bath unless prescribed by a physician
- It
is illegal to peep into the windows of automobiles in Milford
Lest we castigate our
beloved Bay State alone, here is a sampling of other state laws that justify
Mr. Bumble’s complete statement, “...the law is a ass - a idiot".
