Wednesday, July 10, 2013

US Priority Number 1: Hassle Young Adults For Something Legal in Civilized Countries

So, a young woman buys some ice cream and some flavored sparkling water. Outside the store, two guys try to hassle her.  She takes off in her car.

Turns out they were cops, or at least they were Alcohol Bev Control wanna-be cops.  Of course, she had no way of knowing that, since their car was not marked, they were in street clothes, and they did not identify themselves.  The story is here.  Maybe it's not the cops' fault; there are too many laws.

Problem:  it IS the cops' fault.  They are using money from forfeitures and seizures to buy SWAT equipment, and this new command postRemember, these are NOT REAL COPS, not even the ones buying SWAT equipment.  They are just the guys who are still trying to enforce the 18th Amendment.  Does anyone think this is actually worth all the money we spend on it?  (You gotta like the part where it says "no taxpayer money, all from seizures."  Nice.  Police are self-financing now, from assets they steal from people who may, or may not have committed a crime.  Interesting reading:  Those right-wing nuts at ACLU have some good documentation.)

All you lefties, why don't you mention Europe now?  You love Germany and France, etc for all those policies you admire.  What about their drinking age?  Europeans think we are a crazy, repressive, prudish society. And they are right.

Nod to Radley Balko...and thanks to Tommy the Infuriated Brit.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

And, one of them pulled a gun on her. And, she spent a night in jail. And, she was charged with assault. And... And... And...

Absolutely terrifying what these boneheads are up to.

Anonymous said...

Similar thing happened to my 20 y.o. niece here in Charlotte. She and three friends parked to go to a concert at Coyote Joes and 3 ABC cops swooped in demanding they take a breathalyzer. (Don't need no steenking probably cause). The driver was clear but the others blew something UNDER the legal limit, but all were charged with underage drinking. Sad and silly use of time and $.

Anonymous said...

aargh, "probable" cause not probably.