David LaBahn Quotes
When you pass legislation, it is not tied to a particular problem. It can have unintended consequences.
He was discussing “Stand Your Ground Laws” which were enacted to solve one problem, but then effected many other things negatively. The law, once passed, is the law regardless of whether it has adverse consequences that the legislators never anticipated. This is one of the reasons that drafting legislation is such a difficult skill.
David LaBahn, Prosecutor, President & CEO of the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, Kojo Namde Show, WAMU FM, March 22, 2012
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
There seem to be many unintended consequences to most new legislation and reform legislation is almost always breaking new ground.
Generally we make laws to try and stop bad actions. Without the bad actions, there would generally be no laws.
There is an opposite school of thought which argues that because technology develops so fast, by the time you legislate about it of you understand it, it is too late to prevent major problems and abuses which can become institutionalized. Instead it is argued, legislate rapidly BEFORE you understand all the consequences and then repeal and revise very frequently as the technology develops. This school argues that Schmidt’s view is tantamount to not legislating at all as it will ALWAYS be too late if you wait till you understand the consequences.
Spinoza’s ideas were considered so radical and dangerous that he was the only man in history who was excommunicated by the Catholics, the Jews and the Muslims.
Professor Neustadt had served on the staff of President Harry S Truman so he had a practical perspective from which he spoke in addition to his scholarship.
