Remember folks, legal and moral are not the same thing. There are lots of legal things you can do that still make you a total scuzzbucket.
There are plenty of memes and graphics going around reminding people that things like slavery, the holocaust, and countless different genocides have all been legal. It's easy to think of those sorts of things as relics from a backwards past ... but are they?
These sorts of things still happen - sometimes even on just as grand a scale. But it's not just the major monstrous moments that are both legal and awful. On an everyday basis people do things that just ... suck.
Reddit user Zachp787 asked:
What's the worst LEGAL thing you can do?
and ... uh... yeah. Allow us to remind you, once again, that legal does not mean it's okay. Nor does it mean you will be free from consequences from your fellow human beings. Here are some of the worst legal things people could think of.
Truck Parts
Changing a part or part number slightly only to mark it up 50-100%.
I'm a heavy diesel mechanic and see this every damn day. Truck parts a real racket. I feel sorry for the contractors out there.
A 20 Year Game
Develop a wonderful loving relationship with someone for a majority of your life. Kids, pets, trust, everything included.
One day, tell them all you never loved them, it was all a game you were playing for the last 20 years. Divorce your partner and leave with the stash of cash you've been putting away for the last 20 years, moving to a new country never to see them again.
I see we had the same dad.
- cb148
The Craigslist Prank
When I was still in college someone posted my number alongside a lengthy request in the women seeking men section on Craigslist. (Pretty sure CL has since shut down the personals section.)
Immediately, and constantly for about week I began receiving texts (and pictures..) from strangers about the ad -which I discovered quickly- and was horrified.
The poster claimed to be a blonde, busty, white chick who was graduating soon, and was regretting not experiencing enough in college. So to expose herself more to more of what she had been missing out on, she was looking to have sex for the first time with a guy, preferably black, or maybe a few. The poster said he had to have a huge package, so it was encouraged that they send a demonstration.
A girl I'm friends with who'd been through this told me all I can do is report the post, try to contact Craigslist, or the person who posted it to take it down. But I never heard back from anyone.
So for the next week, right before finals, and occasionally over the that month, I would get texts from people trying to talk dirty and sending me dick pics. It grew to a point where you had to just ignore them because there were so many people responding to the ad.
It drove me crazy for the obvious reason of unsolicited genitalia in my inbox, but also because I wanted to know who was responsible for this. I tried to think of anyone whom I had wronged, or argued with recently, or ever. The only possibility was one person I randomly and drunkenly talked trash to on Twitter, then blocked before they could respond. But even that was weak.
After seeing my distress over the issue and finding it funny, one of my friends let it slip that he knew who posted it, but promised it wasn't him. That proceeded to shatter my trust for everyone in my circle of friends and people I interact with - I was alot more closed off for a long time.
Not just because someone I'm close to would do this to me as a prank, but that even the people around me knew this embarrassing thing was happening constantly, and who caused it; but just weren't telling me. I was embarrassed enough that I didn't want to ask if people knew who it was because I'd have to tell them what was happening.
I found out a long time after that it was another friend of ours that was actually one of my closest and best friends.
The Yellowstone Murder
Murder someone in that one corner of Yellowstone National Park.
Wait what?
- owwlies
There's a part of Yellowstone that's technically outside the populated judicial area of any state, so there's no one to form a jury from.
That doesn't mean it's legal, however, it just means they can't technically hold a trial.
I imagine they'd patch it up quick if it ever became relevant.
- Joe_Jeep
Equifax
You can leak the names, addresses, email addresses, social security numbers, driver's license numbers, and payment card details of nearly half of all Americans (and more than half of all American adults) and then settle for about $5/person.
(Hold Equifax Accountable, yo)
- bman214
MLMs
Be part of an MLM (Multi Level Marketing.. aka Younique, Mary Kay etc) & make money by being higher up in their uplines while struggling women/men below them work their ass off to not make jack in return.
Why We Need New Laws
There was a guy a while back who took a photo up a 13 year old girl's skirt. The judge had some choice words to say but the guy got let go because, technically, it wasn't illegal. In a lot of places they pass new laws after stuff like this.
Gay Panic
In some places in the USA, beating a trans or gay person to death, then claiming gay or trans panic defense to get out of murder charges. Cause apparently being unaware of someone's gender or orientation is legal grounds for murdering them.
Cannibalism Waivers
The act of cannibalism itself is legal in most nations. It's just getting the meat that is usually illegal.
- JimmyL2014
So if you had permission from the family, or In the deceased's will it said you could, you could eat somebody?
Most places, yes. There was also that fairly popular Reddit thread, about a guy who had his foot amputed, then cooked and ate it with some of his friends. The pictures were seriously not safe for life. lol.
Inconvenient Pets
Giphy
I know a woman who had a perfectly fine Yorkie put down because she was moving and didn't want to deal with a dog during the transition. Then she immediately buys a maltipoo puppy upon arrival at the new destination.
Now she's moved again and has a new dog, but no longer posts about the maltipoo. I suspect the worst, and it's a shame because we would have gladly taken him if she didn't want to move with him.
- otisanek
Help - Or Call Someone Who Can
Standing idly and filming people who desperately need help, instead of helping. Like those kids that filmed and laughed as a disabled guy drowned and died.
Prosecutors talked about trying them for "failure to report death to a medical examiner", but ultimately no charges were filed and they got to walk away like nothing happened.
The Business Of Breastfeeding
Claim that access to water isn't a human right and then forcing people in third world countries to buy your crappy products at exorbitant prices because there's no alternative.
- Berdfan
Didn't they also tell mothers in Africa that they would be provided with baby milk and after a while, when the moms stopped producing breast milk, the company (it's a HUGE one) was like "lol we thought we made it clear that those were only samples"?
It was a large smear campaign about how breastmilk can be poisonous or dangerous for babies. Many of the people didn't have consistent access to clean water or a way to sterilize bottle parts in the first place. So incredibly evil.
I always get so angry thinking about this. I live in a third world country and people ended up using things like coffee creamer or rice water because they ran out of formula samples. To correct this, our government had to make a law that basically took away the choice whether or not to breastfeed—in the hospital we're all forced to breastfeed, and hospitals that have formula in them face consequences.
It's equally sucky because some women can't produce enough milk and momming is hard enough as it is, but I get that it's really a hypercorrective measure taken because of the bull that formula companies like Nestle pulled. It's also why, despite breastfeeding being a literal pain and me being incredibly privileged in my country (so I have access to formula and clean water), I still breastfeed. Not because breast is best or some bullshit like that but because it feels like a personal f-you to those companies that hurt so many moms and babies.
Surprise Divorce
Giphy
Here in the Philippines, we have annulment and legal separation, no divorce. One big thing is that no "collusion" can occur between the spouses. That means that one of you must be surprised that the other has filed for this. You cannot be in agreement that your relationship as a married couple has ended; it can't be amicable and a joint decision.
If the court finds any evidence of collusion, your case can be thrown out and dismissed and you are forced to stay married.