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| Hey, didn't Charlestown used to have one of these? |
The Bible tells us
that the Garden of Eden was heaven on Earth — until Adam ate that apple. Then
all Hell broke loose.
Now, Arlington, Texas, has updated this tale.
Now, Arlington, Texas, has updated this tale.
At about 7:30 in the
morning of August 2, a SWAT
team of armed police agents,
code enforcement officers, and narcotics detectives stormed Shellie Smith’s
little organic farm — which she named “Garden of Eden.”
They burst through the
gate, handcuffed the terrified residents, and held them at gunpoint while the
agents executed the raid’s mission.
Which was what,
exactly? “The purpose was to improve the quality of life [and] to resolve life
safety issues within neighborhoods,” a spokeswoman for the city said.
It seems there had been complaints about marijuana being grown and about the place being unkempt.
It seems there had been complaints about marijuana being grown and about the place being unkempt.
So, what did the
derring-do raiders achieve? They captured 17 blackberry bushes, 15 okra plants,
14 tomatillo plants, some native grasses, and all the sunflowers.
Then they whacked down Shellie’s sweet potato patch with a Weed-Eater and seized the farm’s compost, along with some wooden pallets, old tires, and furniture.
Then they whacked down Shellie’s sweet potato patch with a Weed-Eater and seized the farm’s compost, along with some wooden pallets, old tires, and furniture.
Did you notice what
they didn't find? Marijuana plants. Nor any other illegal products.
Yes, based on a mere
rumor, autocratic police power was unleashed to “improve the quality of life”
in a Texan city by destroying an organic farm.
Why would police
resort to paramilitary force just for a fruitless search for marijuana plants?
Right-wing officials
and arms-industry lobbyists have been pushing ordinary law enforcement agencies
across America to switch from a peacekeeping approach to an aggressive,
militarized, SWAT mentality. Increasingly, our police departments are being
armed, trained, and psyched to treat common citizens as enemies. To learn more,
visit www.aclu.org/militarization
OtherWords columnist Jim Hightower is a radio
commentator, writer, and public speaker. He's also editor of the populist
newsletter, The Hightower Lowdown. OtherWords.org