Criminalizing everyone

Washington Times ^ | Oct 5, 2009 | Brian W. Walsh

[Travis T. OJustice]

Do you have any more info on that one? State, year, etc.? Thanks.

[Dudoight]

And the recent case mentioned on FOX of the judge who gave a convicted pedophile probation only as his sentence.

[thefactor]

Jeez, I really hate sentences like this one:

"The six agents, wearing SWAT gear and carrying weapons..."

Do we really need to be told that cops carry guns? I hate this type of scare-tactic journalism. That being said, this article frightens me. I am sure there is more to it, but...

[backwoods-engineer]

Read Unintended Consequences by John Ross. Racy scenes aside, this is the best novel that explores how the "jack-booted thuggery" by the FedGov plays out.

Is everyone aware that the agents of the following Federal departments carry guns? BATFE, Treasury, Fish & Wildlife, IRS, Labor, Interior, Environmental Protection, Transportation, and Agriculture.

Department of AGRICULTURE? Yes, Agriculture.

One of these days, some bunch of jack-booted thugs from Agriculture or BATF is going to invade the wrong innocent-man's house, as detailed in Ross's book. That man is going to fight back mercilessly, killing the invaders of his home in self-defense. And he is going to touch off a nation-wide revolt against the Federal government's illegitimate arrogation of power to itself.

Watch it. It WILL happen. And soon.

[Jack Hammer]

Big Brother is Watching You.

[Clint Williams]

It's not a "living constitution." It's stone cold dead, and the sooner you realize this, the better.

America -- a great idea, didn't last.

[JayAr36]

F’ggovernment is truly one word!

[P-Marlowe]

Juries have the right to ignore the directions of the court and to find a person who may be factually guilty of a crime "not guilty" because in their own hearts they either do not believe he should be punished for that crime or they believe that the law is not proper or just or right.

The Jury is the final determiner of the law and juries have an intrinsic right to determine that a law ought not to be enforced by finding a person who has violated that law to be not guilty.

[Wolfie]

In the old days (real old days) juries could vote not only on the guilt or innocence of the defendant, but also on the validity of whatever law was broken in the first place. Basically, it's a common citizen's right to veto a law by refusing to convict. (Of course, everybody thinks they like this idea until they realize some of their pet laws could face the same scrutiny).

This site explains it much better: Fully Informed Jury Association

[Bearshouse]

So let me get this straight, Child molesters get probation but a senior citizen growing orchids get 2 years in jail?

Exactly the reason I gave up a hobby that I really enjoyed. I began making home-made soap several years ago, sold some, made some craft shows, but mostly just used it and gave it as gifts. I made some really nice baskets for friends and even did some guest gifts for showers and weddings. Then the federal government decided that the lye I used is also used in the manufacture of meth. You can no longer buy lye over the counter. You can buy small quantities by mail, but it is subject to hazardous material shipping restrictions. The whole process is expensive and frankly you worry about being on a watch list somewhere. I just used the last of my soaps and had to purchase soap at Walmart.. It is not the same.

[jimt]

The Fourth Amendment was abrogated by the Drug War decades ago. To cheers and huzzahs from the crowd. So now the tactics are applied everywhere. So it goes.

Bingo !

[Vineyard]

I think it is telling how Fish & Wildlife Agents, investigating possible paperwork mistakes related to shipments of orchids show up in SWAT gear.

It helps highlight the overblown sense of importance that these agents have - the need to show up and instil shear terror by those being charged with infractions!

I can understand SWAT gear when police are trying to protect the general public against an armed and dangerous criminal ....but I can hardly see ANY justification for anything more aggressive than a single agent, unarmed, knocking on the door of these “perps” and politely inquiring about various potential improper activites. Anything more serious should result in firing of all agents on excessive use of force!!!

[marstegreg]

Thanks! I had no idea that the jury wielded more power than the judge. If the judge disagrees can he override the jury, or is it a done deal.

[The Comedian]

Where or where do they come from!

Government schools operated by communists.

Frowning takes 68 muscles.
Smiling takes 6.
Pulling this trigger takes 2.
I'm lazy.

[driftdiver]

Will have to look for a source. Its listed on those sites that outline the abuse of the SWAT teams.

[marstegreg]

What a shame, you would think that they would put a warning on the lye or something. Why would they not advise us that the purchase of this particular item could be hazardous to your freedom?

[Senator John Blutarski]

Let’s be reasonable ladies and gentlemen. Before we go overboard about “over-criminalization”, we ought to keep in mind the time-honored precedent that

IGNORANCE OF THE LAW IS NO EXCUSE!

60,000+ pages of new and proposed laws and regulation are printed in the Federal Register each year for the convenience of the public, with updates on a nearly daily basis. Everything is placed at the public’s fingertips to keep abreast of our federal government’s continuing program to regulate America into a perfect social paradise. It is a simple matter of sitting down after dinner each night and reading through 150 odd pages to see if anything new might apply to you.

How hard can it be?

[thefactor]

well that's the thing. for every one of these bonehead plays, there are thousands of agents who simply show up and knock on a door for minor things such as this. they just don't write articles about those interactions.

someone made a bad call or there was some sort of red flag that perked someone's ears as to why they used the SWAT team.

and for this guy to ultimately have gone to jail tells me that he might have done something really wrong. there are just too many checks and balances in the system between prosecutors, judges, defense lawyers, appeals, plea bargains, etc...

i would like to hear the gov'ts argument.

[Tallguy]

Friend of mine came into her kitchen to find a Fish & Game agent holding a gun on her German Shepard. The dog caught him entering the house to search her freezer for dead wild turkeys. A neighbor had dropped a dime on her suggesting that she had been responsible for some poaching that was going on.

Naturally she was upset, but what really got her was that her prize import German Shepard came within an eyelash of getting shot.

[decimon]

i would like to hear the gov'ts argument.

"You don't need to know. You can't know."

But you're right. I would love to hear the argument.