Land of the Free!

June 28, 11:28 PMLibertarian ExaminerTrevor Bothwell

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Home of the knave!

After almost dying of heat stroke while doing yardwork today, I don't quite have the energy to elaborate about this story at the moment, but I'm sure there'll be more coming shortly.

The family and I went to our friends' annual July 4th-ish party tonight, where said friends always shoot off fireworks in the middle of the Patuxent River to close the party. (Yes, a river, which generally is understood to comprise a good deal of water, which itself is generally viewed as non-flammable).

As good fortune would have it here in the "Free State" of Maryland, DNR police hawked the party by boat from about 7:00 to 9:00, harassing jet skiiers and boaters needlessly, and ultimately shutting down the planned fireworks display -- confiscating the "contraband" and the barge another friend had lent the hosts from which to shoot off the fireworks.

Apparently barges are also illegal in this great state of Fascistland (forfeiture laws rock, don'tcha know?).

Admittedly, the hosts didn't procure one of those almighty "permits" in order to discharge fireworks more entertaining than sparklers and bottle rockets. (Remember, only the government is allowed to shoot off fireworks it's ruled illegal for everyone else.)

I've always thought the entire concept of democratic governance held that civilian authority actually superceded that of the state. (I almost typed that entire sentence without laughing). The state is supposed to answer to us, not the other way around. The funny thing is, the police would have had every right to monitor the private fireworks display given that it would have taken place on public waters. And if the host would have caused property damage as a result of his actions, he could then have been held accountable for any malfeasance.

The only reason the state can lay claim to Maryland's waterways in the first place is that it confiscates taxpayer money to enforce its domain, so you'd think our Great Protectors might let us shirk the regs on or around the one weekend a year that we light up the skies to celebrate our supposed "freedom."