Sounds crazy and useless right? I mean, who would actually be desperate enough to think of this as an option and to go through with cutting off their own limb simply for money or sympathy?
You're probably wondering why in the world this is even a law. How would anyone possibly think of this and decide to make a law so it doesn't occur? Well there actually is a good reason, or so they thought at the time when this law was made...
This law actually states that it is illegal to: maim oneself to escape duty or recieve alms. It goes on to say that any person that does injury to themselves to be seen as less than whole for sympathy or monetary means is guilty of a felony. In much more legal and official terms than this, the law actually says this.
Still sounds dumb, right? However, this law was created originally to keep people from injuring themselves to escape military service or enforced enlistment. Hopefully this was not necessary and was just a precaution however it leads me to wonder how many people tried this that it was actually enacted into law?!?!
I mean I guess if you're really that desperate... It still doesn't seem like the best plan though, I mean wouldn't you rather just break a bone, or pretend to have had flat feet? Not that I'm advocating doing anything to try and avoid military service by inflicting harm upon yourself in any way. This just seems like an extreme option that you most definitely cannot change your mind about or correct (back then anyways, since now you could probably just have it reattached).
So for future reference or friendly advice for your current plans, if you live in Alabama please, please, PLEASE DO NOT cut off any limbs for the abovementioned reasons!!!
when it comes to the verge between life and death, people may be delusional enough to sacrifice their own extremities to hopefully reverse their fate. That sounds kind of courageous to me if anything lol. Just saying
ReplyDeleteCertainly an interesting way to reverse fate, yes. If it's courageous to cut off a limb, isn't going to war and risking your life for your country even more courageous? Seems like maiming yourself to avoid commitment is not about courage and more aligned with fear. Some irony there, perhaps.
ReplyDeleteI used to have an app on my ipod about crazy laws, but this one doesn't surprise me. What people will do out of fear... I like how you elaborated on it. It made me feel as if I were talking to you face to face.
ReplyDeleteActually in several countries young children are often maimed by adults and used to beg for money. So in that sense that particular law makes a lot of sense. But yeah if I ever got the draft I'd just "fall" down the stairs.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Lauren. Cutting off a limb to avoid being drafted into the military seems more like an act of fear than an act of courage. Even though this law seems odd now, it was probably very helpful at the time if people were doing this to avoid military service.
ReplyDeleteJust because you like history, Nickie, in the Civil War, mean would pull out their front teeth or cut off their right index fingers so they would be unable to properly fire a gun, therefore sparing them from military service. During the Vietnam War, people would shoot themselves, often in the foot, to escape the draft. Those who weren't down with self-mutilation burned their draft cards or went North to Canada.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I'd pretend I was colorblind. But the origins to which this law responds to is a pretty interesting way of evading the draft. Conjures up a disturbing image of autonomous amputees sitting in a jail cell. Wonder if they were hand-cuffed...
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