Boat owners say they were fearful during Coast Guard search

The Monterey Herald ^ | September 18, 2005 | VIRGINIA HENNESSEY

[general_re]

Why should the boating public (often very wealthy) sass LE officers who must work to earn a living? Don't you believe they should be treated with respect too?

Should they be treated with respect? Sure. Do you think the Coast Guard should be able to enforce that respect at the point of a gun? No way.

The Coast Guard is here to serve the citizenry, not the other way round. If they are the sorts of folks who can't tolerate free people exercising their right to speak freely, then they are unfit, by definition, for the job they have been assigned, and they neither deserve to wear the uniform nor respect from folks like me.

BTW, I would hardly call a safety inspection done respectfully as revenge, would you?

You offered that as a possible rationale for their actions, not me. Which leads me to suspect that you understand the possibility for abusing a routine "safety inspection" quite well.

[Nov3]

Holy flying balls of dung beetle dung! Another melodramatic wuss gets his sword polished by the MSM!

You just wish you were in NO's kicking in doors, seizing guns and pissing on the Constitution.

[GodBlessUSA]

This is a bunch bunk. The response by any Coast Guard Boarding officer to the question of, what are you looking for? would be, "Any Violations of Federal Laws or Regulations". The minute a Boarding Officer says, I'm looking for a terrorist or any specific reason, they are limited to only that one function while they are on board the vessel.

I wish I knew the facts of the entire circumstances. I do not believe they are presented in this article.

[Ramius]

The Coast Guard is here to serve the citizenry

and you think they don't? Is that right?

[Nov3]

If the random late night searches of floating homes is accepted by The People it will not be long before the law is stretched to include warrantless searches of traditional homes.

Where have you been? They are legal now! It is a brave new world.

[Mark was here]

I have never been concerned about a group of armed LE personnel, day or night.

Even when they cant even read the numbers on a house, and go in the wrong house killing people?

[The SISU kid]

They have their hands full with nuts and drunks using boats.

Boy Howdy!!!

And the thing most folks don't understand is that virtually anyone has the right (but unfortunately many times not the knowlege or skill) to operate a vessel on the water.

Case in point, I navigated a 50' vessel thru "Deception Pass" in Puget Sound earlier this year.

Now that's a scary thought....

8^)

[Kokojmudd]

Was Jones an 80 years old guy in a wheelchair or was he dressed up as a granmar? Otherwise why would his vessel be searched?

[Nov3]

I think we may not know the whole story. These guys may have earned a spot on sombody's watch list. Maybe the guy is a smart A and this is payback.

Yeah the jackboots don't like it when their boots aren't properly licked. BTW what do they taste like. You seem to like them.

[general_re]

and you think they don't? Is that right?

I'm sorry - it appears you've misdirected a post to me that was intended for someone else, since I didn't say that.

[The_Media_never_lie]

Do you think the Coast Guard should be able to enforce that respect at the point of a gun? No way.

I don't think the guns were drawn. The CG regulations require boarding parties to carry weapons. Try enforcing the law without a gun. I wish guns weren't necessary but I believe they are.

The Coast Guard is here to serve the citizenry, not the other way round.

The Coast Guard is here to enforce the law and to protect lives and property. They are not here to be servants of the citizenry.

[Ramius]

yeah, just automatically believe that it all went down just as this guy said.

Yeesh.

[puppypusher]

We have only heard the statement of the complainant involved with this incident. You would think that if there were a group of coast guardsman doing whats been said there would have been some witnesses to confirm the information. Reading that article I saw only the complainants argument.

These Coast Guard guys will not just barge onto your boat without a valid reason. Maybe they observed suspicious activity or had information regarding that vessal befor they boarded it.

What the complainants doing is the same thing your average Islamic thug would do to deflect blame from himself by saying he was searched in an unreasonable manner and that his feelings were hurt. I say too damn bad. I only hope the coasties keep this up.

[Ramius]

Sorry. It was in your post. I thought you said it. Nevermind then.

[GodBlessUSA]

Heightened sense of security.


Meaning, if there are three officers and 10 men aboard the vessel they have to board, they would then, maybe have more than just side arms. Heightened sense of security, meaning their own safety.

[Jack Black]

Gee, maybe we should all refrain from drinking, especially sailors. On holidays. Yeah, that's the root cause problem here. Maybe we should not be smart-alecs to our masters, er, I mean public servants. WHATEVER !

[The_Media_never_lie]

Yeah the jackboots don't like it when their boots aren't properly licked. BTW what do they taste like. You seem to like them.

Yes, I appreciate law enforcement personnel. Those LE officers who do their job well earn my respect. I'll admit it.

You don't like police officers?

[Jack Black]

Idiotic. THEY said it was a safety inspection! Is it OK for the local police to barge into your home and search it if they say they are there to check the fire safety code. NO!

If they are looking for drug dealers they should say they are looking for drug dealers at boarding time. Is that even legal? I doubt it.

[AdamSelene235]

I believe Alex proposed an elected President for life, not a Monarch.

[general_re]

I don't think the guns were drawn.

Guns drawn or not, "being a smart ass" is not a valid reason for the government to invade the property of its citizens.

The Coast Guard is here to enforce the law and to protect lives and property. They are not here to be servants of the citizenry.

Which they have been empowered to do by you and me - they are not popes or angels, and their power does not originate from God Almighty, but rather from We, The People. And they are only empowered to enforce the law and protect lives and property within the parameters and boundaries that We, The People have set for them. They are most definitely here to serve the citizenry, in the same manner as any other public servant. If they don't care for that thought, then they are again unfit for duty and deserve no respect from the citizenry on whose behalf they toil.