The lesson here is that the US has well and truly become a police state.
And it has been a police state for quite some time. It didn’t start in 2009. It didn’t start in 2001. I’ve been lurking on FR since the late 90s, and the sort of comments on this story remind me of pre-911 FR.
Commenters above refer to Ruby Ridge, Waco, and Richard Jewell. Check out Radley Balko’s website, and you’ll discover that these are just the tip of the iceberg. Also, consider the fact that the police state steals more via civil asset forfeiture than private criminals steal in burglaries, robberies, and other thievery. (And, who knows how much the police states steals outside its “legal” means.)
As a Christian, my lesson is to follow the Apostle Paul’s guidance for coping with the infamous, anti-Christian regime of the Emperor Nero: “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.” Later on, he basically exhorts Christians to minimize adverse contact with civil authorities by submitting to their will and paying taxes. (The authenticity of Romans 13:1-7, however, is disputed.) It’s still good practical advice for living in a police state.