Elie Mystal on 'Bad Law' and Reforming America's Legal System

The Nature of 'Bad Law'

• 💡 Laws are not objective truths but are chosen by humans, making us responsible for the bad laws in our system.
• ⚖️ Once enacted, bad laws act like a poison or cancer, weakening the entire legal structure due to their layered nature.
• 🎯 Laws like the Armed Career Criminals Act (ACCA) were intended for severe cases but have been layered upon to ensnare low-level offenders, demonstrating how bad laws have far-reaching negative consequences.

Reforming Voting Laws

• 🗳️ Voting laws are critical because they determine who participates in choosing laws, impacting the entire system.
• 🚫 Voter registration requirements are argued to be intentionally designed to suppress votes, preventing eligible citizens from participating.
• 📜 The US Constitution's lack of an explicit right to vote and reliance on state-defined eligibility creates a fragmented and easily manipulated system.
• 🇺🇸 A national voting standard is proposed as the