Turning everyone into a criminal...

[Belmont31R]

This article is lengthy but I think its a subject that is severely over looked yet of grave importance. Basically in turning our society into security over liberty, and to make a point....our criminal code has been turned into such a thing that everyone commits felonies without even knowing it most of the time, and if you look closely enough at anyone's life you can convict them of a crime. Justice is no longer about correcting wrongs but trying to play hop scotch in a field of land mines.


I think this ties into many other things like the war on drugs where we have MORE people per capita convicted of crimes yet people are serving shorter sentences. To me this is more about getting convictions than justice and keeping society safe. If we look at the Petit murders both of the 'actors' had extensive criminal histories, and even though I am a libertarian they both should have never been released from prison even well into their criminal career.


I think part of going back to a nation of liberty and prosperity we need to examine our criminal laws, and I think they are just as destructive as any laws to our nation which prohibit business and free trade.


My personal opinion is that grievous crimes should be punishable by death, and they should be state issues. No Federal appeals. I classify grievous offences as things such as rape, murder, robbery with injury, and such other manner of offense. Life without parole should be for robbery without injury, burglary, grand theft, and other such crimes.



Bottom line is our net has become so expansive we cannot even imprison the REAL criminal element because we have to make room for those convicted of crimes with no victim or infringement of rights on another. Just convicting people because a small group of people said you can't do it.


http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...LEFTTopStories

[SteyrAUG]

My favorite...constructive possession.

IF you have all the parts necessary to assemble an NFA weapon, ATF has stated you are in violation even IF the weapon is not assembled.

ATF also specifically lists Molotov cocktails as a regulated "destructive device."

So putting the two together...IF you have a bottle, an accelerant and some kind of cloth or rag you are guilt of being in constructive possession of an unregistered destructive device which is a felony.

And before somebody starts talking about common sense enforcement, people used to feel that way about other gun laws and ATF regulations that are now taken "very seriously."

Once upon a time if you suggested an unassembled machine gun was in fact an NFA weapon, a bare receiver was a firearm or a simple wipe was a suppressor by itself, people would have looked at you like you were arresting somebody for having a bottle of alcohol and a dish rag in their kitchen.

[Belmont31R]

Most families would have enough 'stuff' in their house or garage you could make them out to be bomb or drug makers with the right spin.

[Moose-Knuckle]

Step one. . .criminalize something.

Step two. . .well you know where this leads us.

[Irish]

"There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws." - Ayn Rand

[chadbag]

Good find. This article was also on my "to post" list when I had a moment.

This is a very big problem in this country. Tons of stuff has been criminalized, and the concept of intent weakened. There is intent to this (as well as just laziness or ineptitude).

[Abraxas]

Originally Posted by Irish

"There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws." - Ayn Rand

Good quote

[hatt]

Funny how the voice of freedom party is leading the charge in this area.

[Doc Glockster]

When I opened this thread, I thought it was about a new ATF ruling I heard about that you will now be denied a firearms purchase if you admit to being a legal user of "medical marijuana" with a doctor's prescription.

I'm not going to defend marijuana use, legal or otherwise, but that seems like a slippery slope to asking you if you drink beer and denying you a firearm because of it. Or how about if you are taking certain prescription drugs?

The problem with the modern era is that unelected regulators get to write laws without having to answer to anyone.

[Nathan_Bell]

Originally Posted by Irish

"There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws." - Ayn Rand

Yup, that is one quote that has stuck with me since the first time I read that book. Personally I find it to be the most powerful of the book, as it truly nails the collectivists' mindset.

[SteyrAUG]

Originally Posted by Irish

"There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws." - Ayn Rand

First thing that came to mind when I read the title of this thread.

[armakraut]

Kill all commissars.

[Irish]

Whether it's fair or not I think a lot of people get their resentment for the police from all the bullshit, un-American laws that they enforce. We are supposed to be the "freest country in the world" and this is one of the biggest lies the American people swallow. I've spent a lot of time in foreign countries, as have many others here, and can tell you that we are the furthest thing from the freest. Would I want to live anywhere else? Hell no and I love my country but I'm not so naive as to think we're a role model for the world.

Who has the highest percentage of people in prison in the world for victimless crimes?

I could go on but I'm starving and I'm sure you know the rest of the story...

[Littlelebowski]

Sounds more like prosecutors gone wild than cops.

[TRIDENT82]

Religious zealots breaking into politics over the last 30yrs ??? Thankfully the zealots lost the War against Playboy as I love reading the articles and comics in it

Alabama's AG was against sex toys due to his apparent moral code...now nobody in Alabama can buy a sex toy online. Thanks AG for protecting us from ourselves and those evil sexual devices sold by the Devil

Alcohol is legal, and marijuana is illegal...gotta love that shit, Alcohol is killing someone as I type, marijuana never killed a single person yet our prisons and jails are slap full of marijuana users.

The last thing in the world America enjoys is freedom!!! As mentioned above, American freedom is a manufactured pipe dream!

Until the libertarians overthrow the puritans, this country will not enjoy true freedom.

[Honu]

reminds me of the border agents who shot the drug dealer !
and yet let the drug dealer testify against them ?


we are living in some insane times and its going to get worse sadly

[Spiffums]

If you listen to some of these "experts" on Dr Drew or Court TV or Nancy Grace, they will have you thinking having a penis is a "rape tool" or if a man thinks a little girl looks cute in her Pooh PJs that he is a close Pedo. And people are starting to listen to this freaks.

[Irish]

Originally Posted by Littlelebowski

Sounds more like prosecutors gone wild than cops.

Maybe I wasn't being clear... My issue isn't with the vast majority of police or their actions. What I meant was things like SWAT teams raiding non-pasteurized milk vendors with guns drawn for milk peddling hippies.

I could provide a long list of other unconstitutional laws that are enforced every day but I don't think it serves a purpose and I'm pretty sure you know where I'm coming from. I also realize the police don't make the laws and are simply "doing their job" but when they're putting the cuffs on people for victimless, unconstitutional crimes it doesn't jive with me.

The police are the ones who choose to enforce those laws or not and it's up to their discretion. That's the reason I said people resent them is when they enforce laws, assault people and arrest them for stupid shit that some dickhead politician dreamed up it doesn't sit well with the public. No agenda, not being anti-cop but read that article and tell me who's putting the cuffs on people for stupid shit.

Overall, more than 40% of nonviolent offenses created or amended during two recent Congresses—the 109th and the 111th, the latter of which ran through last year—had "weak" mens rea requirements at best, according to a study conducted by the conservative Heritage Foundation and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.

[Abraxas]

Originally Posted by Littlelebowski

Sounds more like prosecutors gone wild than cops.

It is my experience that this is the case.

[Irish]

Stupid shit like this is what this thread is about in my opinion. http://biggovernment.com/bmccarty/20...lling-bunnies/

Almost nine months after a Missouri dairy was ordered to stop selling cheese made from raw milk, I share details of another hare-raising story from the Show-Me State: John Dollarhite and his wife Judy of tiny Nixa, Mo., have been told by the USDA that, by Monday, they must pay a fine exceeding $90,000. If they don’t pay that fine, they could face additional fines of almost $4 million. Why? Because they sold more than $500 worth of bunnies — $4,600 worth to be exact — in a single calendar year.

Shutting down little kid's lemonade stands and fining them all over the country due to not having business licenses comes to mind as well... I could think of a hundred more examples.

How about the Gibson guitar debacle?