Every law has a loophole, and sometimes, trying to do these seemingly illegal things is fun. In the USA, there are some seemingly taboo things people might look down on, but they are actually legally alright, depending on your state. Some things are legal in America but seem illegal. They might elicit whispers from the neighbor, but they won’t put you behind bars if you’re in the right state.
1. Marrying Your Cousin
Let’s say, horror of all horrors for your parents, you fell in love with a cousin. In some countries, and for scientifically real genetic risks, this is not allowed in most countries around the world. Some states, however, in the USA allow cousins to marry each other but with certain conditions. Among things legal in America but seem illegal, this seems to be the most controversial and genetically dangerous. You can marry a distant cousin in at least 25 US states without legal repercussions. In some of them, however, you can only do this if you are over 65 or if you are only cousins because of the adoption process. While some may still see this as somewhat incestuous, the law won’t get in the way of your affairs for as long as you meet the necessary criteria.
2. Arsenic in Your Food
Your nutritionist friend might just be right to suspect every food on the shelf of your local grocery store because while arsenic is banned in other countries, there is no law stopping manufacturers from slipping arsenic into our food. You might be eating a bag of chips without being aware that one of the ingredients they have slipped in is arsenic. Long-term exposure to arsenic can have detrimental effects on the skin and your internal organs. Eating seemingly harmless food from the convenience store might mean slowly ingesting poison into your system. Ironically enough, the FDA has listed arsenic as one of the most harmful chemicals you can introduce to your body. One might wonder why this stands among the most controversial things that are legal in America but seem illegal.
3. Spanking in School
Spanking, back in the day, was an accepted form of discipline. Of course, in our era of gentle parenting, one would think that spanking in school by teachers is completely illegal. Corporate punishment, or any form of physical assault, can put you behind bars as an adult, so how could spanking in school possibly be legal, right? Unfortunately, in a number of states, this is one of the things that are legal in America that seem illegal. Among states that allow a reasonable amount of spanking from educators are Wyoming, Texas, Tennessee, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Missouri, Mississippi, Louisiana, Missouri, Kentucky, Kansas, Indiana, Idaho, Georgia, Florida, Colorado, Arkansas, Arizona, and Alabama. If you have never experienced any form of corporal punishment in school, you must be from New Jersey. Spanking in school has been banned there since 1867.
4. Spanking at Home
While some countries tag spanking as an illegal form of discipline for children at home, the USA is surprisingly one of the countries that still support it. That is, as long as it falls within “reasonable discipline.” Spanking at home is still one of the things that are legal in America but seems illegal. In a nutshell, for as long as the spanking is done to a degree that won’t harm your child permanently, these forms of punishment are allowed. The gray area would make any parent uncomfortable, though, what will all the supporters of gentle parenting out there and old-school parents blaming all this gentleness for children’s misbehaviors lately?
5. Making Minors Drink Alcohol
The legal age for anyone to drink alcohol should be 21. However, in a vast majority of US states, they allow minors to drink for as long as they are in the company of their parents and they have parental consent. This makes a lot of sense, putting the accountability on the parents instead of the state. However, if you look into the unhealthy consequences of alcohol on a child’s body, you would begin even to wonder why these parents would like to introduce alcohol to their children. This makes it one of the most questionable things that are legal in America but seem illegal.
6. The Use of Walkers for Babies
Many pediatricians say walkers do more harm than good in the child’s development. It gives the baby more mobility than it is physically ready for, further delaying mental and physical milestones because it “helps” too much. In Canada, walkers are illegal, and as its neighbor, you would think the USA would also agree and ban this contraption. However, walkers are still legal in the USA, with the introduction of this contraption to babies all up to the parents themselves.
7. Performing Surgery While Sleep-Deprived
It’s detrimental to the patient’s health if the surgeon is not in the best state of mind, right? Unfortunately, in the USA, it is completely legal for a surgeon to perform surgery even if he did not get a good night’s sleep. So, imagine getting a cosmetic surgery without knowing your surgeon is sleep-deprived. This is for as long as there is no malpractice done during the surgery. Every patient hopes that coffee actually works if the hospital is understaffed and they need to go under the knife of a very tired surgeon.
Strange Laws, Huh? Things That Are Legal In America But Seem Illegal
It’s great fun to know about things that are legal in America but seem legal. This doesn’t mean you need to take advantage and do them all. But it sure is good to be more aware of things you can sue someone for and surprisingly cannot sue them for. From marrying a cousin, spanking, using walkers for babies, and other things that may seem trivial but can get you in trouble (or not), make sure you did not miss any of the weird US laws your locality or state follows.