Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Criminalizing America – How Big Government Makes a Criminal of Every American
ALEC ^ | 11-6-13 | Cara Sullivan

Posted on 11/06/2013 1:43:16 PM PST by ThethoughtsofGreg

There are more than 1.5 million Americans under the supervision of state and federal correctional facilities, at a cost of more than $30,000 per prisoner every year. While some criminal laws and sanctions are necessary to protect safety and ensure justice, criminalized actions now include many normal, everyday activities that average Americans and business owners have little way of knowing are crimes. As a result, well-meaning, law-abiding American citizens and business owners spend innumerable hours and dollars fending off criminal prosecution for actions they never suspected were illegal, and states spend millions incarcerating nonthreatening individuals.

States cannot afford the budgetary costs of imprisoning nonviolent individuals who acted without criminal intentions, and society cannot afford the human costs of incarcerating individuals who do not need to be imprisoned to protect public safety.

(Excerpt) Read more at alec.org ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Society
KEYWORDS: biggovernment; budgets; liberals; overcriminalization
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-23 next last

1 posted on 11/06/2013 1:43:16 PM PST by ThethoughtsofGreg
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: ThethoughtsofGreg

Here in Maryland they have this offense called a ‘hate incident’ that the police investigate and keep records of and tell the newspapers about

Hate incidents are offenses that cant be against the law due to First Amendment(unlike hate crimes) , like a racial slur.


2 posted on 11/06/2013 1:46:27 PM PST by sickoflibs (To GOP : Any path to US Citizenship IS putting them ahead in line. Stop lying about your position)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ThethoughtsofGreg
States cannot afford the budgetary costs of imprisoning nonviolent individuals who acted without criminal intentions, and society cannot afford the human costs of incarcerating individuals who do not need to be imprisoned to protect public safety.

This would be correct were the goal that of actually preserving and encouraging a peaceful and successful society. It isn't. It is not a question of budgetary capacity or human costs when the goal is the establishment of a collectivist existence where the State is the only object of infallibility.
3 posted on 11/06/2013 1:47:58 PM PST by Robert Teesdale
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ThethoughtsofGreg

I’ll say it again:
Yes, we need to end the police state. The criminal prosecution for traffic violations is beyond acceptable. If you have outstanding traffic tickets, they should not be able to arrest you and throw you in with the rest of the criminals in the jail. Simply deny registration for your vehicle, or license renewal, etc. If you do not pay and get caught driving, then vehicle confiscation. This BS of making money off of throwing people in jail for traffic violations is BS. Drugs or drinking and driving? that’s different. Stop making the US a police state.


4 posted on 11/06/2013 1:48:23 PM PST by 9422WMR (: " Tolerance is the virtue of a man who has no convictions".)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ThethoughtsofGreg

I’ve often said that in today’s Amerika, the average person has committed at least half a dozen misdemeanors before breakfast, and a felony or two by lunchtime.


5 posted on 11/06/2013 1:53:53 PM PST by IronJack (=)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 9422WMR
In a Communist state, the greatest crimes are economic crimes. Ever read The Gulag Archipelago by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn?

It is a real life version of that fictitious passage in Atlas Shrugged where one of the nanny staters explains why they want to make every citizen a criminal.

6 posted on 11/06/2013 1:58:59 PM PST by Vigilanteman (Obama: Fake black man. Fake Messiah. Fake American. How many fakes can you fit in one Zer0?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: ThethoughtsofGreg
From "Atlas Shrugged"

Dr. Ferris smiled. . . . . ."We've waited a long time to get something on you. You honest men are such a problem and such a headache. But we knew you'd slip sooner or later - and this is just what we wanted."

"You seem to be pleased about it."

"Don't I have good reason to be?"

"But, after all, I did break one of your laws."

"Well, what do you think they're for?"

Dr. Ferris did not notice the sudden look on Rearden's face, the look of a man hit by the first vision of that which he had sought to see. Dr. Ferris was past the stage of seeing; he was intent upon delivering the last blows to an animal caught in a trap.

"Did you really think that we want those laws to be observed?" said Dr. Ferris. "We want them broken. You'd better get it straight that it's not a bunch of boy scouts you're up against - then you'll know that this is not the age for beautiful gestures. We're after power and we mean it. You fellows were pikers, but we know the real trick, and you'd better get wise to it. There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws. Who wants a nation of law-abiding citizens? What's there in that for anyone? But just pass the kind of laws that can neither be observed nor enforced nor objectively interpreted - and you create a nation of law-breakers - and then you cash in on guilt. Now, that's the system, Mr. Rearden, that's the game, and once you understand it, you'll be much easier to deal with."

7 posted on 11/06/2013 2:00:46 PM PST by gov_bean_ counter (Romans 1:22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ThethoughtsofGreg
“Did you really think that we want those laws to be observed?” said Dr. Ferris. “We want them broken. You’d better get it straight that it’s not a bunch of boy scouts you’re up against—then you’ll know that this is not the age for beautiful gestures. We’re after power and we mean it. You fellows were pikers, but we know the real trick, and you’d better get wise to it. There’s no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren’t enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws. Who wants a nation of law-abiding citizens? What’s there it that for anyone? But just pass the kind of laws that can neither be observed nor enforced nor objectively interpreted—and you create a nation of lawbreakers—and then you cash in on guilt. Now that’s the system, Mr. Rearden, that’s the game, and once you understand it, you’ll be much easier to deal with.” --Dr. Ferris, "Atlas Shrugged," by Ayn Rand
8 posted on 11/06/2013 2:03:57 PM PST by E. Pluribus Unum (Who knew that one day professional wrestling would be less fake than professional journalism?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ThethoughtsofGreg; Travis McGee
Government criminalizes you if you grow tomatoes in your yard and sell them. Government criminalizes the metal shop owner who wants to employ a couple of local teenagers at the wages he considers workable, teaching them the trade that way. Government criminalizes you if you try to prevent an openly homosexual man from leading your kids' youth group. Government criminalizes you if you try to take your dad's fishing boat out and earn a living the way he did. Now government criminalizes doctors who just want to run their medical businesses as their own.

Just read on a thread that starting next year, kids are criminals at University of Virginia, where they must have health insurance in order to attend class. No health insurance, no college education.

The government considers all of us "domestic enemies." We, on the other hand, consider the government the "domestic enemy." Or at least, we should.

9 posted on 11/06/2013 2:10:17 PM PST by Finny (Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. -- Psalm 119:105)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: gov_bean_ counter; E. Pluribus Unum

Bump.


10 posted on 11/06/2013 2:53:41 PM PST by thesearethetimes... ("Courage, is fear that has said its prayers." Dorothy Bernard)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: gov_bean_ counter; E. Pluribus Unum; Publius

Rand Ping


11 posted on 11/06/2013 2:54:54 PM PST by thesearethetimes... ("Courage, is fear that has said its prayers." Dorothy Bernard)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Vigilanteman

They shoot people in China for economic “crimes”.


12 posted on 11/06/2013 2:55:55 PM PST by Secret Agent Man (Gone Galt; Not averse to Going Bronson.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Vigilanteman

Course they also shoot drug dealers in China too. Wish we did that here.


13 posted on 11/06/2013 2:56:26 PM PST by Secret Agent Man (Gone Galt; Not averse to Going Bronson.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: ThethoughtsofGreg

“The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren’t enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws.”—Ayn Rand


14 posted on 11/06/2013 3:14:35 PM PST by Hugin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ThethoughtsofGreg

Government is out of control.


15 posted on 11/06/2013 3:23:06 PM PST by I want the USA back (Media: completely irresponsible traitors. Complicit in the destruction of our country.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Finny

16 posted on 11/06/2013 5:28:30 PM PST by Travis McGee (www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: gov_bean_ counter

Thank you! That’s the passage I wanted quoted in post #6.


17 posted on 11/06/2013 6:14:51 PM PST by Vigilanteman (Obama: Fake black man. Fake Messiah. Fake American. How many fakes can you fit in one Zer0?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Finny
"Bad Comrade Matt"


18 posted on 11/06/2013 6:36:44 PM PST by Travis McGee (www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Finny
"Bad Comrade Matt"


19 posted on 11/06/2013 6:36:56 PM PST by Travis McGee (www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: ThethoughtsofGreg

Always demand a jury trial.

The jury has the power, whether the judge tells them (unlikely) or not, to find the defendant not guilty because the law is unjust. Oh yes they can!

The soap box, the ballot box, the jury box ... and finally the cartridge box.


20 posted on 11/06/2013 8:08:21 PM PST by DNME (Something wicked this way comes ...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-23 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson