To me, this is one of the most frightening things about the growth of Leviathan:
Statutory law in America has expanded to the point that government’s primary activity is no longer to protect, preserve and defend our lives, liberty and property, but rather to stalk and entrap normal American citizens doing everyday things.
After identifying three federal offenses in the U.S. Constitution — treason, piracy and counterfeiting — the federal government left most matters of law enforcement to the states. By the time President Obama took office in 2009, however, there were more than 4,500 federal criminal statutes on the books.
“Too many people in Washington seem to think that the more laws Congress enacts, the better the job performance of the policymakers,” Lynch notes. “That’s twisted.”
It is. It’s like the attitude at the State Department that their job is to get treaties ratified, good, bad or ugly.
We need quality laws, not quantities of terrible ones that criminalize us all.
There’s no way to rule innocent men. The only power any 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.
The bar exam should be:
“Here’s a box of things and mockups of things. If they were the actual items, how many felonies would you be prosecutable under? When you’ve made your choices, fill the box with the safe items and take it to the policeman out that door.”
Gun missing lower receiver.
Guitar with illegal ebony fretbord.
Bottle of bleach. And a bottle of ammonia.
Mattress without the tag.
An apple.
I’m sure it’s all going to be fine – http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2013/03/obama-dhs-purchases-2700-light-armored-tanks-to-go-with-their-1-6-billion-bullet-stockpile/