Federal Agent Comandeers Local Law Enforcement

[kcdodd]

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2013/03/ ... t=hts&or=4

This is the kind of thing I was talking about. Do you think for one second the federal government would permit this if it passed?

[MSimon]

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2013/03/ ... t=hts&or=4

This is the kind of thing I was talking about. Do you think for one second the federal government would permit this if it passed?

How will the Feds enforce it without the help of the locals? How would a jury convict?

And there is precedent. Alcohol Prohibition is one - the states stopped enforcing Federal law. And now Marijuana Prohibition.

I don't know how you feel about pot prohibition but Colorado and Washington are protecting ALL our liberties.

[kcdodd]

The point is what the federal response would be, per your original article.

[hanelyp]

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2013/03/ ... t=hts&or=4

This is the kind of thing I was talking about. Do you think for one second the federal government would permit this if it passed?

What would they do about it, go to war with Texas?

[kcdodd]

What do you think they would do?

[MSimon]

What do you think they would do?

Eventually what was done with alcohol prohibition when states stopped enforcing it: repeal the laws.

[kcdodd]

I think there is a limit to what you can draw from alcohol prohibition. Anyone that wants to ban anything federally must look at that and say to themselves, "that was just way too much work". Why has there never been an amendment banning marijuana or other drugs? Why no amendment specifically banning assault weapons? There really is no constitutional power to do so. Noone bothers with the constitution if they can get away with it. It takes too long and it generates too much public discussion, which could build a larger opposition than if they just did it. Ever since they figured out that they can simply say "everything affects everything else" falls under the interstate commerce clause, and the courts believe that BS, they can do whatever they want. If the federal government can assume enough powers, they can pretty much get away with anything. Ever watched star wars? The whole idea of the death star is not to destroy every planet. It's just to scare the locals enough to follow orders. Of course, they do have to use it a couple times first for it to work. And clearly the federal government is a little more powerful now than in 1933. I'm not saying a whole state would get blown up. But like your post, they simple have to come in and kick out the locals a few times for the others to stop defying them. Don't like that idea? Just pass the "federal law compliance act" granting them the power, again under interstate commerce clause. Or, if passing a new law is too much trouble, just argue that the federal government already has that power under the interstate commerce clause. They do it already. Because a state defying federal law affects interstate commerce.

[MSimon]

OK. Let us take Colorado as an instance. Pot is legal.

Stores start selling it. The Feds will bust the stores. End of store sales.

What the Feds cannot do is make the locals bust people for pot possession. The Feds would have to do that. And their manpower is limited. The Feds would go after importers. Interstate commerce and all.

What would happen is a burst of "orchid" growing. My town of 150,000 supports two "orchid growing" stores. Every tobacco store has those "funny" tobacco pipes. And every tobacco store has an incense rack.

The same sort of thing would happen with guns. Outlaw Gunsmithing 2 – Going Mobile [guest post by outlaw gunsmith]