You don’t need to know. You can’t know.
Federal agents decked out in Ninja gear and SWAT weapons ransack a 60 year old grandmother’s house. They don’t answer her questions and emptied file cabinets, pulled books off shelves, rifled through drawers and closets, and threw the contents on the floor. Prior to this raid, she and her husband were under investigation for six months. The reason for the resources, SWAT teams, body armor, and all manner of anti-terror, ninja suits? Orchids.
Yes, these domestic terrorist were guilty of cultivating, importing and selling orchids. Kevin addressed the case a few years back.
The linked article has more heavy-handed buffoonery:
Krister Evertson, another victim of overcriminalization, told Congress, “What I have experienced in these past years is something that should scare you and all Americans.” He’s right. Evertson, a small-time entrepreneur and inventor, faced two separate federal prosecutions stemming from his work trying to develop clean-energy fuel cells.
The feds prosecuted Mr. Evertson the first time for failing to put a federally mandated sticker on an otherwise lawful UPS package in which he shipped some of his supplies.
I’m glad to see these incidents getting more coverage to show the stupidity involved here.
October 5th, 2009 at 10:20 am
Thanks for the link. The more direct one would be:
http://smallestminority.blogspot.com/2003/11/theres-no-way-to-rule-innocent-men.html
Thought you might want to change it.
October 5th, 2009 at 10:24 am
Oh, and I’ve posted on this same topic back in August, too. More links there.
October 5th, 2009 at 12:15 pm
As long as the federal government can regulate economics and business, this type of behavior will be commonplace.
October 5th, 2009 at 2:09 pm
I used to hear people say “it’s a free country” all the time. I haven’t heard anyone say it in years now. If somebody did say it, half the people in the room would probably disagree.
October 5th, 2009 at 3:49 pm
Shipping — The laws about shipping various items are so convoluted and arcane that even the shipping companies themselves don’t know much about them. If you’re going to ship any thing which some ignorant bureaucrat might object to or think is “dangerous,” you better know the laws pretty well yourself before hand. Don’t expect any help from the shipper. And even if they tell you it’s “legal” that won’t be a defense if you get caught.
October 5th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
Kill all the bureaucrats. It’s the only way to stop it.
October 5th, 2009 at 6:46 pm
Wonder how long it will be before armed neighborhood watches are set up to take down the ninja raiders?
I think it’s coming. Don’t want it to happen, but the other side won’t allow it not to.
October 7th, 2009 at 12:25 am
What’s next? DEA raids on people mowing lawns because they’re growing grass.