20 Things That Are Surprisingly Legal and Should Be Illegalized Immediately

From multi-level marketing to political lobbying there are a number of things you’ll be shocked are actually legal. It’s a mystery why these practices or behavior despite their potential harm or ethical concerns are legalized. In this article, we cover 20 things that are surprisingly legal and should be illegalized immediately.

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1. Conversion Therapy

Conversion therapy is an unethical practice of trying to change a person’s gender identity or sexual orientation. Widely discredited by medical and psychological associations this practice should be banned to protect LGBTQ+ people.

2. Payday Loans

Payday loans target individuals in desperate need of cash and offer them loans at exorbitant rates. This predatory practice is already banned in New York but placing regulations in other states can protect consumers.

3. Robocalls and Unsolicited Telemarketing

We all know how annoying it is to get unsolicited calls, especially automated robocalls that just disrupt your day. If companies utilizing this form of telemarketing are regulated it will safeguard individuals from unwanted interruption.

4. Political Lobbying

Many see lobbying as borderline bribery as lobbyists influence how congress votes on issues through ‘favors’ and other incentives. Some even believe that lobbyists own congress and they may not be wrong.

5. Big Corporations Avoiding Tax

It’s mind-blowing how billion dollar corporations can get away without paying tax and its legal! They exploit tax loopholes and tax-havens to avoid paying tax, undermining the system. Closing these loopholes ensures big corporations do not get away with corporate greed and are forced to do their bit to create a fair economic landscape.

6. Unregulated Use of Personal Data by Tech Companies

You just mentioned buying a car to your friend and now there are YouTube ads related to cars all over your social media. It’s really scary how much access tech companies have to our personal data and how they use this data for profit.

7. Lawmakers Owning Stocks That Will Benefit from the Laws They Make

Conflict of interest is one of those obvious legal things that have no business being legal.
The biggest example of this is that members of congress shouldn’t financially benefit from the laws they make. It’s obvious that lawmakers and their families owning stocks that are influenced by their legislation raises a conflict of interest.

8. Puppy Mills

Puppy mills, where dogs are bred under inhumane conditions, are surprisingly legal in a number of states. Prioritizing profit over a dog’s welfare, puppy mills are contributors to animal suffering and are also a breeding ground for diseases.

9. Sale of Assault Weapons to the Public

The unrestricted sale of assault weapons to the public has led to a number of mass shootings. Which is why it’s still jaw-dropping that it’s legal to purchase assault weapons that pose a serious risk to our society.

10. Prescription Drug Advertisements

Big pharma has been hard at work with prescription drug advertisements to the extent that many Americans can identify COVID-19 vaccines by name. Advertising prescription drugs directly to consumers is just weird and can potentially lead to inappropriate medical use.

11. Churches Not Paying taxes

Many people believe that it’s high time churches start paying taxes. The tax exemption status that churches and other religious organizations have raises questions as to fairness. Especially when it’s suspected that revenue is used to enrich the administration.

12. Exploitative Practices of For-Profit Prisons

For-profit prisons are a gray area in the US, even in government owned prisons most contracts are executed by private corporations. Simply put, companies are getting paid to keep people behind bars which promotes incarceration and profit over the well being of inmates.

13. Civil Asset Forfeiture without Due Process

Civil asset forfeiture gives law enforcement the authority to seize property without charging an individual to court. This often begs the question; “Why should I forfeit property that has nothing to do with the crime committed?”

14. Owning Exotic Animals

Believe it or not in a number of states in the United States you can still own endangered species. The issue is private ownership of exotic animals often leads to mistreatment, endangerment and public safety risks.

15. Spanking at Home

Though many Americans think spanking their kids is a good form of discipline. The act raises ethical and child-welfare concerns as spanking is easily associated with child abuse.

16. Driving While Drowsy

Outside of Jersey and Arkansas, there is no law against driving while tired but the thing is over-tired drivers are the cause of one-third of highway accidents and pose a significant road safety risk.

17. Child Beauty Pageants

Child beauty pageants are a form of child exploitation. They put undue pressure on children and objectification. Age restrictions for beauty pageants can protect kids from the negative effects.

18. Pre-existing Condition Discrimination in Health Insurance

Health insurance companies discriminate against individuals with pre-existing conditions limiting their access to essential and affordable health care services.

For example, someone with mental health issues who needs prescription drugs to get through her day would be denied coverage for her condition.

Eliminating this exclusion safeguards equitable access to healthcare for everyone.

19. Paparazzi

Even though only famous people have to deal with the paparazzi, there’s no reason why anyone should have to deal with such an extreme breach of their right to privacy. The constant stalking and harassment of celebrities can have negative effects on their mental health.

20. Wealthy Tax Evasion

Wealthy people exploiting tax loopholes and offshore tax havens to avoid paying taxes promotes income inequality and burdens the middle class. Those that profit more from society should also contribute more to society.

Final Thoughts…

There are many other examples that didn’t make our list: gender bias and the gender pay gap, charging a fee to provide official school transcripts, convenience fees on many e-commerce websites, and free trials that place an auto charge on your credit card.

It’s astonishing how so many of these unsafe and unethical practices are actually legal. We can work to create an equitable society by closing these legal loopholes and enacting the required reforms.