Everything is now Illegal:

[BobOblak]

Go directly to Prison:

http://www.overcriminalized.com/

See the john stossel item on the left of the screen.

 

[Drew Zaun]

While that certainly looks scarey, I might point out that cable shows such as this one are notorious for cherry picking cases, information, verbiage, and as often as not just plain making things up in order to make their case.

I would need to see the actual files in order to believe a word Stossel says, about anything. 24 hour news channels are about the worst thing to have happened to this country, very little fact, a whole lot of rhetoric.

 

[Drew Zaun]

A quick Google brought me to this link:
http://www.popehat.com/2009/10/08/l...-rampant-criminalization-of-innocent-conduct/

Where a lawyer was also skeptical of this story, though his source was a Washington Times article. Anyway, he did a little digging and found among other things about our poor paperwork challenged orchid importer: (emphasis mine)

1. The Washington Times piece would have you believe that Norris was prosecuted for bewilderment at bureaucratic red tape — because he “didn’t have the proper paperwork” and “failed to properly navigate the many, often irrational, paperwork requirements.” The indictment shows that Norris was charged with conspiracy to violate federal law in violation of 18 USC 371 and with smuggling in violation of 18 USC 545, and with making false statements to the government in violation of 18 USC 1001. The Times story is correct to this extent — all of that was in connection with the importation of orchids.

As for Krister Evertson? The story makes it sound like he was jailed for putting an improper label on his shipment of a reactive substance. He maintains in quotes to the Times and other sources that he was guilty because he was supposed to ship via ground, but in Alaska ground still means air travel. In actuality he was charged because there are stringent requirements when shipping explosive materials (duh), and he was shipping a small amount. From the EPA: ( http://www.epa.gov/compliance/resources/reports/endofyear/eoy2008/2008enflandhighlights.html )

Krister Evertson, the former owner and president of the now defunct SBH Corporation was sentenced to 21 months imprisonment and ordered to pay $421,049 in restitution for superfund cleanup. He was convicted by a federal jury of violating the Hazardous Materials Transportation Safety Act, illegally storing and disposing of hazardous waste and violations of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Evertson transported 10 metric tons of sodium metal from its port of entry at the Seattle-Tacoma Port Complex to Salmon, Idaho, where he used some of the sodium in an effort to manufacture sodium borohydride. Everston arranged for the transportation of the sodium metal not used in the manufacturing process and he failed to take protective measures to reduce the risk that the transported material would react and damage persons or property.

Evertson was not some poor uninformed science geek working on a garage project. He was the owner of a company who was guilty of cutting corners to save a buck or two, and in the process put an untold number of lives at risk by not properly shipping a non reactive and explosive material.

I am fairly libertarian, and becoming more so every day, but these cases are not being presented fairly by the Times or Stossel. I might be inclined to argue that Norris should not have gone to prison, although smuggling and making false statements certainly should consider jail time. Everetson though...he probably got off light...

 

[crotalusadamanteus]

I agree that news rarely gets down to the actual facts of the matter, or chooses which facts they want to share with the public, but you can't deny our country's law makers have gone rampant with the creation of asinine laws. They create new laws all the time just to look like they are earning their ridiculous government salary.

 

[WebSlave]

24 hour news channels are about the worst thing to have happened to this country, very little fact, a whole lot of rhetoric.

Actually, I believe the WORST thing to happen to this country is when we got a permanently seated, year long legislative session in Washington D.C. Since their only job seems to be to MAKE new laws, well, what else are they going to be doing? I doubt there is any instance in recorded history that has proven that more laws are better for the people of a country. And paradoxically enough, even having this as a full time job for them, our legislators will STILL pass laws that they have never fully read as bills presented to them.

 

[crotalusadamanteus]

Exactly.

 

[Drew Zaun]

Actually, I believe the WORST thing to happen to this country is when we got a permanently seated, year long legislative session in Washington D.C. Since their only job seems to be to MAKE new laws, well, what else are they going to be doing? I doubt there is any instance in recorded history that has proven that more laws are better for the people of a country. And paradoxically enough, even having this as a full time job for them, our legislators will STILL pass laws that they have never fully read as bills presented to them.

Yeah, full time government and career politicians are pretty bad.

 

[NewBee]

Yeah, crazy stuff.