A lot of the "laws" mentioned aren't really laws but are "traditions of men" which ironically makes the elders much like the Pharisees of Jesus' day.
Instead of allowing the Law of Moses to guide them in how to rule and judge, the Pharisees became dogmatic in their approach to the Law and created even more laws and rules thus oppressing the Jewish followers. The same today, the individual elder bodies have become dogmatic in their approach to "counsel" as printed by the WTS and have created even more "laws" and "rules" thus oppressing the friends.
Of course the argument can be made that the dogmatism comes from the top through oral communication so as to not have the WTS pointed to as being the one who created all these "laws" to begin with. For instance, the beard "law". The prohibition of beards is not really in print anywhere but go to almost any congregation in the continental US and you will find this "law". The recommendation to have the brother show obedience by not allowing over the top fads was handed down through the traveling Pharisees servants and the elder bodies showed required obedience by instituing the rule locally. In time, this recommendation became "law".
But the willingness of local elders to enforce their own "laws" is shown in how some people post "laws" that other people from other parts of the country or world never heard of. Girl Scout Cookies were the Devil's food in my area, but I've visisted other areas where the friends laughed at our aversion to buying them. The white shirts only for brothers "law" strikes me funny because we didn't have that rule. Brothers have been wearing colored shirts for as long as I can remember where I come from.
