I don't live in the US, but here's the perspective from Canada:

Why are people obsessed with laws? Because the US should really be a country that split apart; but is holding it together through miraculous hard work, luck, and a stable welfare state.

Laws are a big ass deal because minority groups can flip the tables on the native population of a state to fit their agenda. This leads to different blocs of power based on race, culture, ideology, etc. To fight over what they see as their inalienable rights. Federal laws? Even a bigger deal.

Single-payer healthcare gets through? A victory for socialist(democrats). More gun laws are passed? A victory for Liberals. Lower progressive tax? A victory for conservatives. Church tax exemptions stay the same? A victory for the priest class. It all turns into a mass tragedy of the commons.

That's why there's so much attention over police court cases as observers look out for what they can and can't get away with; and whether this makes certain groups angry(#BlackLivesMatter) is on a case by case basis.

Also think about the state of California and how Californians are leaving for 'better shores.' But not caring for what actually went wrong in California that caused it to become a place they didn't want to live in anymore. Then off they go to places like Texas to enable the same laws all over again.

Luckily, a lot of the US populace has self-preservation always on the green light. While Canada seems to keep a tight lid on what demographic changes are happening; considering Vancouver is now China Inside™. Which some Canadians are not taking kindly too.

If someone else has a better answer for why, they can explain. But I truly do believe that the US cannot exist as a single entity for much longer. It's going to break up at the rate it's going, and it needs massive reforms if it doesn't want that to happen.