Last week, I wrote a post about people answering the question, "What is something that is illegal but isn't wrong ethically?" People — including our very own BuzzFeed Community — had some incredibly interesting responses.
Here's some of what people shared:
1. "Ringing up two bananas instead of four to six at the grocery self-checkout. Produce is already inflated."
2. "Smoking pot outdoors. I use it for pain control and to help me walk. I have to carry it out and about, or I collapse."
3. "Riding your bike on the sidewalk."
5. "I think someone said this already, but leaving your ID at home. POC have been killed for not having ID."
6. "In New York state, there are laws against 'fortune tellers' that are still on the books. I remember going through my penal code book in school and asking, 'WTF?!' It's just one of those old things that state legislature doesn't have time or incentive to change and goes back culturally to the racial stigma of 'gypsy' scam artists."
7. "Permits or anything that is punishable by fine just means it's legal for the rich."
8. "In my country, it's illegal to feed stray animals, which are mostly very friendly. On the other hand, it's perfectly legal, and I see it hundreds of times a day, to litter everywhere you want. Trash, plastic, cigarette butts are everywhere, the air is polluted and so is the water. Anyone can take down a tree or row of trees and destroy a forest, but you can't feed stray puppies and kittens? Seriously?"
10. "Any sort of consensual crime. Drugs, prostitution, gambling, weird sex. If everyone is consenting, I think it being legal makes it more regulated and much safer."
11. "Sex work! It's a consensual transfer of money for services. The only reason it became illegal is because it gave women independence, and the only reason it is dangerous now is because it’s illegal. Legalize it, regulate it, and make people in the industry feel safe to report crimes and abuse."
12. "Assisted death. Terminally ill people should absolutely have the right to die with dignity on their own terms, instead of drawn-out, painful, oftentimes expensive, slow deaths."
13. "Downloading college ebooks for free instead of spending $400 on the latest version. Usually, all they did was change the spelling of a few words and called it v87.12458281648391846 of the book, and then they required it for your college class."
14. "Pirating media that isn't available for purchase in your area. You weren't going to get my money either way."
15. "Loitering in a park. I've always wondered why this is illegal in some places. The point of a park is to loiter."
16. "There’s a stoplight on my commute where I need to turn left. The light is a hard red/not on a timer. It’s not motion-detected. So even at 5:30 a.m., when there is zero traffic in the lanes ahead or behind me, I must wait for the timer or risk a photo-triggered ticket. The left turn lane should be a blinking yellow arrow at all times, TBH."
17. "Jaywalking and crossing the street on a red light, as a pedestrian, when there are no cars around."
What about YOU? What's illegal but isn't ethically wrong? Let me know in the comments below!
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.