1 . Crazy Laws

It seems that the Greek philosopher, Aristotle, was right when he said, “Even when laws have been written down, they ought not always to remain unaltered.”     1     Some of them were strange right from the start!

Did you know, for example, that London taxis (officially called Hackney carriages) are still legally required to carry hay and oats for their horses to eat? And in England, it is illegal to stand within 100 yards (91 metres) of the queen, without wearing socks?

If you live in Scotland, however, it’s important to know that if someone knocks at the door of your house, and needs to use your toilet, you are legally required to let him in.     2     There, it is perfectly legal to shoot a Scotsman with a bow and arrow, unless it is a Sunday!

    3     In France, you cannot call your pig Napoleon, and in Italy, a man can be arrested for wearing a skirt. That’s not all. In Alaska, US, while it’s legal to shoot bears, waking a sleeping bear to take its photo is prohibited. Still in Alaska, it is considered an offence to push a live moose out of an aeroplane.

Lots of the craziest laws seem to involve animals.     4     And in Florida, if an elephant is left tied to a parking meter, the parking fine must be paid, just as it would for a vehicle.

Last, children are forbidden from going to school with their breath smelling of wild onions in West Virginia. And in Arkansas, teachers who have a certain hairc ut (a bob) will not be given a pay-rise. In Florida, a woman can be fined for falling asleep under the hair-dryer and unmarried women must not parachute on a Sunday. If they do, they might be arrested, receive a fine or be put in jail.

When we visit museums, we see cultural artifacts -from everyday household items to precious carvings and statues, that give us glimpses into the     1     cultures and communities from around the world. However,     2     surrounds these artifacts and whether or not countries should return these pieces of culture if they were stolen or forcefully taken during colonization.

By the 18th and 19th centuries, European countries such as Britain, France and the Netherlands had     3     many African and Asian countries. During their rule, they either seized artifacts or took them as spoils of wars, and brought them to their own countries where they are now displayed in museums.

In 2017, the Government of Benin in West Africa     4     with the British Museum in London to return their renowned Benin Bronzes, a     5     of thousands of metal sculptures and plaques, which were previously hung in the royal palace of the Kingdom of Benin.

The debate regarding this issue took a turn in 2018 when under President Emmanuel Macron a report was released that directed that all heritage objects brought to French museums (without the permission of their original countries) be     6    . With the official release of this report. museums all across Europe began reconsidering their previous policies on colonial treasures.

Those who propose returning these objects to their original homes argue that with technology enabling virtual museum tours, returning these artifacts to their homeland does not take away the opportunity to learn about them. Furthermore, the country of origin will receive a     7     part of their heritage back, and these artifacts will be given a chance to be truly appreciated under proper historical context. Those against the restoration claim that culture is a     8     treasure and the artifacts are in fact “cultural ambassadors” that promote     9     and understanding They believe that while stealing them was wrong, history is full of “good” and “bad” actors. Moreover, they feel that keeping the cultural objects in the current museums have kept millions of artifacts     10     from disfiguration and damage.