Someone obviously had a “beef” with them.
Can’t say I have any argument with “Peace Chicken’s” list of legitimate uses for SWAT teams. Assuming the police need them at ALL... which IS arguable.
Just think how it would have turned out if there had been any “identity confusion”, and the residents were inclined to exercise their RKBA in defense of their property and family.
There is a lot of bogus material in this supposed “true” story, the swat team held guns to the childrens head for 9 hours? ya, right, BS
Too bad the Illinois Governor wasn’t involved with the farm. If he had, they would have received a call at home and would have been allowed to come on over and get it all fixed up.
The fact that asome judge somewhere signed a warrant justified by “beef” recalls the old line:
Q: What do you call an attorney who graduated in the bottom 5% of his class?
A: “Your Honor”
Just as I suspected. Anyone else who believes this exaggerated hokum story should do a Google search and read something other than the hysterical web “reporting”, which in this case is far, far worse than anything cooked-up by the MSM.
For example, the following from http://www.cleveland.com/lorain/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/lorain/1228901590175700.xml&coll=2 :
The Plain Dealer
‘Raid’ at Manna Storehouse organic food co-op disputed by Lorain County Sheriff’s Office
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Patrick O’Donnell
Plain Dealer Reporter
[snip]
Openly proclaiming it is not licensed and does not plan to obtain a license, Manna has members affirm that they “take full responsibility for their own health, health choices, food choices and food quality.”
County officials say the business cannot operate that way.
Assistant County Prosecutor Scott Serazin said any business that sells perishable foods must be licensed and follow regulations covering those who store and supply food. There is no exception in the law for a co-op, Serazin said, and Manna cannot ask customers to waive safety regulations
The Lorain County Health Department tried to inspect the Storehouse in November 2007 but the family told inspectors to leave the property. Jacqueline Stowers wrote the department the next month that Manna does not need a license and that the inspection was an attempt to “cunningly coerce unlawful entry into our house and private property.”
In September, the county asked the Ohio Department of Agriculture for assistance, and an agent purchased eggs at the store. When agents learned of a possible delivery of meat, they obtained a warrant to search for evidence of the business’s activities.
I can see both sides of this issue- it seems the authorities could have sat down with these people and told them what is required for their operation to be legal, and given them copies of laws and ordinances that pertain to what they are doing. The idea of food co-ops, bartering of food- selling certain food items directly to the public are all gray areas in food laws. Most food laws are aimed at retail food sales and it seems these people think they are not (the authorities think they are) retail selling food.
Food laws are important to protect people from many diseases and food-born illnesses- especially when it comes to meat. Laws regarding beef have become a really big deal since the fear of mad cow disease and the authorities wanting to track beef at every step in the chain so if Mad Cow disease is discovered it can be rapidly determined exactly where it came from. The laws are probably over-kill and over-reaching since it is the government after all, but some enforcement is definately needed to protect the public.
These people are weird. The police are always right. They need to follow the LAW. The LAW is always right. They just should have know all of the laws on the books and followed every one of them.
If they didn’t want a standoff with the police, they shouldn’t have done what they did. They’re obviously guilty of morally corrupting farming practices.