Home Science Under Attack In Massachusetts

Slashdot News ^ | 12 August 2008

[Bob J]

Before any conclusion can be made about what happened we would have to know what kind of experiments were going on.

[FReepaholic]

...Pamela Wilderman, the code enforcement officer for [the Massachusetts town of] Marlboro stated, 'I think Mr. Deeb has crossed a line somewhere...

Unbelievable. Mr.Deeb should sue the crap out of the city and Ms. Wilderman.

[ladtx]

Everyone knows you must have papers from the State to insure you are only conducting state approved experiments. Zhere ar places for zees peeple where they must be re-educated !!! Wha.... Oh I lost my head for a second.

[KarlInOhio]

He could have been making crystal meth by the barrel, but if the "apparently without a warrant" is true then it will get tossed by the first sane judge it comes in front of.

What's next, raiding someone's garage metalworking shop because it could be used to make guns?

[E. Pluribus Unum]

One of my childhood favorites:

The Golden Book of Chemistry Experiments

[Ditto]

"Allow me to translate Ms. Wilderman's words into plain English: 'Mr. Deeb hasn't actually violated any law or regulation that I can find, but I don't like what he's doing because I'm ignorant and irrationally afraid of chemicals, so I'll abuse my power to steal his property and shut him down.'"

I wonder what the code enforcement Nazis would think about teaching kids all about evil chemicals and other scary science stuff.

[PrincessB]

Or anyone’s kitchen. My fridge has the occasional “biology experiment” and my stove top has daily demonstrations of liquid to gas when I make tea.

[Andy'smom]

Shouldn’t Marlboro be more concerned with deporting it’s large illegal immigrant population?

[Dead Corpse]

What's next, raiding someone's garage metalworking shop because it could be used to make guns?

Already being done. If you get raided by the Feebies looking for "silencer parts" or "conversion devices", better make sure you don't have fender washers, scrap lengths of iron pipe, or fiberglass matting laying around.

[massgopguy]

What is “customary home occupation”. A Man and a Woman living together in Marriage perhaps?

[ColdWater]

Shouldn’t Marlboro be more concerned with deporting it’s large illegal immigrant population?

Are you saying the Marlboro FD shouldn't have come to his home to put out the fire?

[Old Professer]

Read the linked article to see that nothing more serious or generally considered hazardous than kitchen chemicals were found; the city just felt that such an enterprise ran afoul of the local zoning rules concerning home-based businesses - even though they agreed there was no evidence of a profit making nature.

Couldn’t such a decision be made and the same actions taken against home-brewed biofuels, as well?

Or perhaps a small wine or beer making project; the imagination soars.

[MeanWestTexan]

Maybe he was making a nuclear reactor. Been done before ...

http://www.dangerouslaboratories.org/radscout.html

[blackdog]

What this is, is a war between intellectualy accomplished professionals and social workers with bachelors degrees who could never have made it in private industries or academia because they are essentially complete idiots with a badge.

I am a firm supporter of the notion that we are a de-evolving culture. An Idiocracy.

[Old Professer]

It’s bulletproof, no charges filed, ergo, no court case.

Maybe a civil suit for an illegal taking.

[Old Professer]

What did the fire have to do with the chemicals?

A window air-conditioner smoking will burn very little and self-extinguish when the power cord is pulled; the smoke was two floors above the lab.

[hedgetrimmer]

Freedom under attack in Massachusetts. When ARE the American people going to WAKE UP?

[ColdWater]

Interesting how the “fire” in the article became “smoke” in your post ...

[blackdog]

I know it's fiction, but do you remember the scene in Ghostbusters where the municipal inspector decides to get awnry over tose things of which he knows nothing about?

A very true and typical reaction of most agencies both local and federal.