“I am further of opinion that it would be better for us to have [no laws] at all than to have them in so prodigious numbers as we have.”

OR, the only law we need is the constitution, as the forefathers intended.Why change a perfect document??? GREED...POWER..CONTROL

If he thought they had a lot of laws then, he should see the mess we have now. Laws spawned by this War on Drugs are among the worst.

With the vast amount of vague and ambiguous "laws" we have had written to special purpose, we are all guilty of something at all times. The ability to prosecute (persecute?) anyone at anytime is the ultimate tool of control.

Unfortunately law is a living thing. Like living things it grows and older parts die or get buried under the heap. This is why law and legal precedent must be researched. Thus it is in a free democracy. In a totalitarian state they have but one law and that is whomever is on the throne. I remember standing in a long line at a sales counter in the last decade and a man complaining about the law that would not let him smoke in the building. Now most folk have accepted or acquiesed to that "law". Is this one or a type of law you guys don't like?

We probably have enough laws on the books to make every man, woman, and child a criminal. The trouble is that politicians are allowed to make laws and I believe they make them simply because they can make them.

Thank you, Waffler, for another sensible evaluation.

Moses (with Law given to him by God)...offered people 10 commandments, summarized by Jesus Christ ("Love the LORD thy God with ALL your Heart, Mind and Soul, and like unto IT...LOVE thy NEIGHBOR...as you LOVE THYSELF. Unto these TWO LAWS - hang ALL THE LAWS and PROPHETS.) Moses could NOT get the PEOPLE to UNDERSTAND THIS...so he ADDED approximately 600 more. NOW...we have added 65 Million MORE!

Rat awn, Kimo! Well said!

Waffler, your super shallow perspective never ceases to amaze. Your question can not be lawfully or, accurately answered (kinda like; are you still beating your boy friend) Your ultimate religion's canons can't really be associated to law. Man can not make law. Law exists all on its own and it is up to civilized man to create codes, regulations, rules, ordinances, statutes, etc. to harmonize with such law. The question should be (based on the principle your rights end at my nose) does fumes from the burning entity (cigar, cigarette, etc.) or second hand smoke harm property or people so that justice would would paint the situation so that statute can be made in harmony with law and inalienable rights.

Having studied Michel de Montaigne's essays at school, I am not agreeing with him on this one. Without law, rules or codes of conduct, we would have chaos! Simple as that.

This guy wrote this in the 1500's. Go figure. It would appear that the aversion to law is some kind of psychosis in some folk.