TheAgitator.com
“Always Think Forfeiture”
Monday, June 9th, 2008Earlier this year, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives put out a request for bids to produce a bunch of Leathermans for ATF trainees. Part of the request was that the Leathermans be inscribed with the phrase "Always Think Forfeiture," a reminder to the agents-in-training of what the agency apparently sees as its most important task.
The plan was halted after objections from Idaho Rep. William Sali. Sali is now introducing legislation preventing any federal agency from pushing a forfeiture-first mentality on its agents.
Well, at least overtly.
Have our tax collectors always been a police agency or was that just started sometime in the 20th century?
These are not “training aids”! They’re advertising specialty items. They are nothing but propaganda meant to increase revenue through increased theft, I mean asset forfeiture.
LOL, at least ATF was being honest for change. I’m not certain punishing this sort of straightforwardness on the part of the government is a good idea, perhaps if everyone realized what these cash raids are about things might change.
“I support municipal governments maximizing their profits so they can afford to protect us properly.”
I routinely run across statements like this in response to threads I start about the government’s particularly underhanded fundraising tactics (the quote is in response to shortened yellows at intersections with red light cameras). This naive mindframe, that the government is our unabated protector and exempt from sleaze, is so pervasive, I’m honestly surprised when a representative acts in our best interest.
Three cheers for Rep. Sali.
These revenue agents have been off their leash and acting like police since prohibition. After prohibition ended these revenue agents had little to do. The National Firearms Act of 1934 (the first Federal gun law) enacted a heavy tax of $200 on very common (until the tax) machine guns and shorter long guns, itentionally creating immediate massive non-compliance, giving these imbeciles something to enforce.
They’ve been attacking Americans over $200 tax-stamps ever since.
From the ATF email to Sali:
“These training aids were designed to increase awareness of the asset forfeiture concept so that persons who do not regularly employ the strategy as part of a criminal investigation might be reminded to consider it.”
I had supposed asset forfeiture was a punishment for criminals — a seizure of ill-gotten gains. I hadn’t thought of it as a “strategy” to be used as part of an investigation.
Of course, I didn’t even know that you don’t have to be guilty of a crime to have your property carried off. And it’s up to you to prove to the government that they shouldn’t take it away.
Learn something new everyday.
I bet if they included property seizures, crime statistics wouldn’t be showing a decrease in robberies.
The federal government has forfeited it’s control over me. A country has the morals it can afford. When the money’s run out….