Headline: Organic food co-op raid sparks court case against health department, ODA "Legal action has been taken on behalf of a Lorain County farm family that says a raid on their property earlier this month violated their constitutional rights."
Some may see this as a blip on the radar screen and wonder what all the fuss is about. Most of these government abuses occur with no media fanfare or attention, but each one is a supreme violation of the RIGHT to life, liberty and property. Our Forefather's founded an entire nation on these rights. Those who simply shrug when their neighbors are violated in the way the Stowers have been are part of the problem. Silence is tantamount to consent. History teaches us that eventually bureaucratic thugs will come for you as well -- precisely because you failed to speak out when it was your neighbor and not you.
"Why should I care? They eat organic food and I do not."
The government counts on this attitude from the general population. It's precisely what makes tyranny possible. This is also why democracy is a dangerous form of government, as it affords little protection for those in the minority. The vast majority of Americans do not lead lives like John and Jacqueline Stowers of LaGrange, Ohio. In a constitutional republic, as long as you violate no one else's rights, you remain secure against unreasonable search and seizure. How reasonable was the DOA armed raid on the Stowers family home? Well,
"The county says the Stowers need proper licenses to operate their retail store in accordance with state food safety rules."
The problem is that the Stowers do not run a retail store. Their "real crime" may not be a statutory violation at all, but a simple statement of fact -- a fact that may have upset a low level Ohio Department of Agriculture bureaucrat. The Stowers had the "audacity" to ask for clarification as to DOA's contention that they needed a license. Even worse,
“They brag on the Internet they don’t have anything to do with the government, but they’re selling perishable products to people, and that means they need a license,” said Scott Serazin, an assistant county prosecutor.
I was not aware that any state in the nation had codified a statute against making public the fact that you do not need government permission to engage in some activity or another. I have said and written many times that the worst thing you can tell a welfare recipient (i.e. government worker) is that "their permission is neither requested nor required." That burns 'em up bad.
Although excessive pride may be a sin, being proud that you operate outside the purview of government is not a crime. So why were the Stowers facing down the barrel of a bureaucratic gun?
Government has a monopoly on the use of force, so if you piss off a bureaucrat, his corrupted mind utilizes the corruption inherent in government to get even with you. It matters not how much you dislike big box retailers, they cannot send armed SWAT teams in to make you do business with them. However, government -- local, state or federal -- controlled by Democrats or Republicans -- tends to send out the big guns to keep you a "loyal customer," whether it is lawful or not.
Licensure is a tool used by artificial creations of the state (corporations) to limit or eliminate competition while currying special favors from politicians purchased through lobbying and campaign contributions. Will you allow the Stowers family to be victimized in this way? Will you be next? Or will you lead the path back to freedom?
Stumble It!