Overlawyered: Chronicling The High Cost Of Our Legal System

“Any idea that’s 100 years old will probably offend someone or other”

I have a bit more to say about the “warning label on the U.S. Constitution” story in Diane Macedo’s FoxNews.com report today, which is getting a lot of readership. Original posts here and here (& welcome KTRH, Lars Larson listeners). Update: statement from Wilder Publications courtesy Distaff View of the World.

Speaking of warnings, Bob Dorigo Jones has picked the finalists for his 13th annual Wacky Warning Labels Contest (on a go-cart: “This product moves when used”) and I’ve got a post on that at Cato at Liberty.

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5 Comments

  • I’m betting it gets stuck into all books they print that are over a certain age.

    • By mojo

  • Admittedly, I can remember the three-fifths compromise, in conjunction with the black students, leading to what can only be described as “epic lulz” in my US History class in high school. I may have instigated that realization, as in the schools I attended (until college) it tended to be *very* swiftly moved past…

    ‘Twas a good thing I was a jock as well as a sarcastic SOB honors student…

    • By CTrees

  • CTrees, I really can’t figure out what you are saying here. (But I did come away with the idea that you were an academic all-American.)

    It is a silly warning. But what is the take home message? The warning is ridiculous. The concern that I have is that this is interpreted as “trial lawyers are making people put insane warnings on products.” So the more silly and insane the overreaction is, the more that point is underscored? That can’t be the barometer.

  • as for the wacky warnings, I will say what i always say. its almost always fun to imagine the scenario where someone did what they are telling you not to do, preferably to a mental “cartoon” soundtrack.

    but yeah, i have trouble seeing the obvious connection to the constitutioanl warning, except that its a warning. but oh well.

  • Many of today’s ideas offend me. Can I demand that warning labels be put on the books of everyone whose ideas offend me? Where do I find the forms to fill out for this?

    • By GregS