Today's peeve

As the rain pours down over sunny Central Virginia and the thunder rumbles in the quiet distance, I have come to today's complaint: people who re-write the law for their own benefit.

Two specific types: speed de-limiters and electronic thieves.

First - "Cops don't pull you over up to five or ten miles an hour over the speed limit, no one goes the speed limit anymore, you have to keep up with the flow of traffic just to be safe".

Since when do we re-interpret the law based on whether or not we will get caught? I wish someone would do something nasty to you and get away with it and see if you justify them with the same logic. Secondly, I have never EVER heard of someone causing an accident by going the speed limit. Going 40 down the center lane without your hazard lights on, yes that interrupts the flow of traffic. Forcing the arrogant trucker behind me to do 65 instead of 75 for a half mile before he stops tailgating me and passes? No accident, just my daily public service. The law is the law, it is clearly marked, it is very simple, it needs no interpretations, the things you are saying are not logic, they are justifications for your lawless behavior. STOP IT.

Secondly - people who download free music and movies from the internet without paying for it. I love this - these guys try to pull even more legal logic on you - there is no precedent for the law, and the record companies are too rich anyway, they brought it on themselves by charging too much for CDs. GUESS WHAT YOUR THEFT DOES - DRIVES PRICES UP FOR ME! You stupid self-serving uncultured PHILLISTINE! (wink, Suzanne). First of all - the free market economy will take care of prices that are truly too high. Just shop somewhere that they are lower in price. But if a store isn't selling the CDs they have bought, they must increase the prices on the ones that they do manage to sell in order to make back the money they spent. Likewise the record companies - if they can't get stores to buy their discs, because too many fat thirty year olds and skinny fifteen year olds (not to mention the well-built tall dark and handsome single Christian 23-year-olds) are downloading them instead of buying them, the record companies will jack up the prices. And what about this? The artists whose music you claim to love, you elitist hypocrites, whose music you prefer because they are not just in it for the money - well if you don't buy their discs, how are theysupposed to get compensated? If you really like the band, rather than just liking your own aural entertainment, you would pay something back.

On another side of the die, however, is this - since when does musical talent and athletic prowess deserve money? Respect, awe, emulation certainly, but I don't think we should make the argument that artists need our money in order to make a living - I honestly don't think that you should make your living playing music - you are not providing a service, you are providing entertainment. I guess that moves on into athletes and movie stars - I think I'm still kind of shaky on this, because I don't deny that talents deserve recognition and probably compensation, but it just doesn't quite feel right that America financially supports its entertainment in such a massive fashion.

Either way, though, the law is the law, and all of your socialist ramblings and noble thievery doesn't change the fact that YOU ARE BREAKING THE LAW. And lack of precedents aside, confusion about intellectual property aside, inadequacy of current copyright law aside, one thing is very simple and very clear: You own music without paying for it? THAT'S STEALING. STOP IT.