The blue laws were not about permanent laws that obviously prohibit uncivilized acts such as murder, rape, fraud, and theft, but those laws that prohibit other heinous crimes such as raising sheep on Union Street on Sundays, as this technically violates the law of my hometown. Blue Laws, also known as Sunday Laws, Sunday Trade Laws, and Sunday Closure Laws, are laws that restrict or prohibit certain activities on certain days, usually Sunday in the Western world. The laws were originally passed for religious reasons, particularly to promote respect for the christian day of worship, but have also served secular purposes ever since. In the 21st century, states have begun to ease restrictions and, in some cases, repeal Sunday blue laws altogether. The first known example of the term „blue laws” printed is found in the March 3, 1755 issue of the New York Mercury, in which the author envisions a future newspaper praising the revival of our old blue laws [of Connecticut]. In his 1781 book General History of Connecticut, the Reverend Samuel Peters (1735-1826) used the term to describe many laws passed by the Puritans of the 17th century prohibiting various Sunday activities, both recreational and commercial. [14]. [15] In addition, Peters` book is considered an unreliable representation of laws and was probably written to satirize their puritanical nature. [16] It`s easy to conclude that some of these stupid laws were simply meant to make you laugh or alleviate the boredom of local legislators. If not, how could you explain the following Texas law? „If two trains meet at a crossing, everyone should stop and neither should continue until the other has passed.” But for the rest, you can be sure that they reflect the public standards of the time. In fact, if you want to study how public values have changed over the years, there`s no better place to start than with your national and local regulations. You will not only gain insight into our past prejudices, but also our best intentions. After all, who else but a well-meaning official would criminalize butterfly harassment in California? Critics accuse the laws of being economically burdensome and violating the Religious Freedom Clauses of the First Amendment.
Some argue that the laws violate the free exercise clause by imposing a disadvantage on those whose Sabbath is not on Sunday, while others argue that the laws violate the settlement clause by supporting and advancing Christianity. Still others say that the laws – although they are of religious origin – are now justified by secular purposes. Here are some examples of blue laws still languishing in Bay State, and one of the Keystone State. Prior to 1994, trade laws prohibited the sale of certain products on Sundays; The distinction between those who could and could not be sold was increasingly seen as arbitrary, and laws were not sufficiently enforced and largely ignored. For example, some supermarkets would treat relatively modest fines that arise as business costs and are always open. [Citation needed] The future of blue laws The question remains whether blue laws will remain in the books for years to come or fade. Some of these laws have been increasingly attacked in times of economic hardship. For example, critics have claimed that Michigan`s dizzying auto industry would be well served by ending the ban on Sunday car sales in major counties. The Blue Book: A Uniform Citation System is the guide for generations of law students, lawyers, scientists, judges and other jurists. In a diverse and rapidly evolving legal profession, the Blue Book continues to provide a systematic method by which professionals provide each other with important information about the legal sources and authorities on which they rely in their work. Order the 21st edition today! They are known by a variety of names – blue laws, Sunday blue laws, Sunday closure laws, Sunday laws.
They involve a variety of activities on Sundays, from selling alcohol to hunting and buying a car. Many blue laws are county and city ordinances, although some are statewide laws. The two most frequently cited opinions are McGowan and Braunfeld. The McGowan case came after several employees of the Maryland department store were convicted and fined for selling items such as a stapler, loose-leaf backrest and floor wax. Maryland`s Blue Law banned the sale of most items on Sundays, with the exception of tobacco, milk, bread, gas and some other products. Blue laws are those that have been specifically established to prohibit certain behaviors on Sundays or „God`s days.” Although few people generally observe the strict Sabbath, many towns and villages across America still have legal reminders of this observance in books. For example, in Salem, West Virginia, it is illegal to eat candy less than an hour and a half before worship. While the historical roots of Sunday trade laws are well known in the United States, the origin of the term „blue laws” remains a mystery. According to an editorial in Time Magazine in 1961, the year the Supreme Court heard four cases on the subject, the color blue was associated with colonial laws, as opposed to the red emblem of the British royal family. [17] Further explanations were provided.
One of the most common is that the first blue laws passed in Connecticut were printed on blue paper. However, no copy was found to support this claim. [18] A more plausible explanation that is increasingly accepted is that the laws passed by the Puritans were intended to enforce morality and were therefore „blue-nosed,” although the term „blue” may have been used in colloquial language at the time as a synonym for Puritanism itself, in fact excessively strict. [16] [2] Disputes over Sunday laws were conducted in the 19th century and in the first half of the 20th century. ==References==Supreme Court decisions In 1961, the U.S. Supreme Court issued four opinions rejecting challenges to Sunday laws in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts on the basis of the equality clause of the 14th Amendment and the religious freedom clauses of the First Amendment. These are McGowan v. Maryland, Braunfeld v. Brown, Gallagher v. Crown Kosher Super Market of Massachusetts and two guys from Harrison-Allentown, Inc. v.
McGinley. In the Kingdom of Tonga, the Vavaʻu Code (1839) was a form of blue law inspired by the teachings of Methodist missionaries. With the introduction of the Tongan Constitution on the 4th. In June 1875, the sixth clause stated: „The Sabbath is sanctified in Tonga, and no one may exercise his profession on the Sabbath or engage in a commercial enterprise except as required by law; and any agreement entered into or witnessed on that day is null and void and has no legal effect. In terms of culture, the impact of the disappearance of blue laws could be greater. A 2006 study in New Mexico found a sharp increase in drunk driving on Sundays after that state lifted its Sunday ban on selling packaged alcohol.