Respect for law, like any other kind of respect, has to be earned.
If you pass nonsensical, or worse yet, outright evil laws, not only will they not be respected, but one can reasonably argue that it is a moral duty to disrespect them and assist in their breaking. The Underground Railroad is a prominent historical example of this.
Do you think restriction of immigration is a case of nonsensical or outright evil law? Do you think law abiding deportation of illegal immigrants is morally justified in concept?
no matter where you land on this, it stands that division on the topic is a top point of conflict in the US. I dont think either side claiming to be above the law helps move society in a more productive direction
>Respect for law, like any other kind of respect, has to be earned.
If someone choses to disregard the the law, this puts them in conflict with those who do care about it, and they will often seek to force obedience.
If I find you breaking in my house, I dont care about earning your respect, at least not in a way that you would enjoy.
You posit a false dichotomy here. The law isn't just about what is prohibited, but also about what the consequences are, and how it is enforced. One doesn't need to believe that e.g. stealing should be legal to oppose on moral grounds a law that says thieves get the death penalty.
Let me ask you directly: do you believe that people who smuggled away slaves into freedom, back when US had legalized slavery on large parts of its territory, were in the wrong and didn't "help move society in a more productive direction"?
Im not sure how to continue the conversation in a productive manner if you are withholding key information about your stance.
You refuse to answer my questions, but I will answer yours. Of course not, I don't think smuggling slaves was wrong.
I still hold that refusal to respect the law is incredibly divisive and leads to social conflict and destruction. In the case of the US, it led to the most deadly and destructive war in American history.
When you give up on settling issues with the law, you move to settling them with brute force. I dont think this is a positive direction.
I will ask one last time: Do you think restriction of immigration is a case of nonsensical or outright evil law? Do you think law abiding deportation of illegal immigrants is morally justified in concept?
If you pass nonsensical, or worse yet, outright evil laws, not only will they not be respected, but one can reasonably argue that it is a moral duty to disrespect them and assist in their breaking. The Underground Railroad is a prominent historical example of this.