As a constituent, I expect my legislators to weigh the facts, sample constituent opinion, then make an informed decision on how to vote on proposed laws. I don't expect any one to be expert in all the concerns of all the people, but I do expect every one to act intelligently. As a retired police officer, I know laws to be founded in common sense and enacted for the protection of the public. Crimes mala per se, bad in and of themselves, were crimes even before there were statutes. Statutory regulations on many activities make crimes mala prohibita.
Speed limits are to benefit everyone.
But when legislators propose laws that do not address the problem, that actually work to the detriment of public safety, that offends me. The gun control controversy is a good example of misunderstanding and misdirection. It's one I know about because I've followed it for most of my adult life. It's disheartening to see the same ill-conceived proposals and the same logical and factual arguments against them raised today as were raised a generation ago. The assault weapon furor is a farce.