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Morning
Bell...
The Government
vs. YOU
By Josh Shepherd
June 14, 2013
Every day, more Americans get trapped by big government. In addition to
groups targeted by the IRS, upstanding citizens going about their
normal lives are suddenly targeted by law enforcement authorities and
charged as criminals. Just a few examples:
A young girl was fined $535… for rescuing a wounded woodpecker.
A businessman was jailed for years… for shipping lobsters in plastic
bags rather than cardboard boxes.
A Maryland father and building engineer faced a years-long legal
ordeal… after being unfairly targeted under the Clean Water Act.
These are only a few of the shocking incidents The Heritage Foundation
chronicles in our new project, USA vs. YOU. Experts at Heritage’s Edwin
Meese III Center for Legal and Judicial Studies reveal the stories of
22 people from all backgrounds, races, and income levels victimized by
carelessly written laws.
When criminal laws are created to “solve” every problem, punish every
mistake, and compel the “right” behaviors, this troubling trend is
known as overcriminalization. Ultimately, it leads to injustice for
honest, hard-working Americans at every level of society.
Public interest groups from across the political spectrum recognize how
this flood of criminal laws violates our basic liberties. Diverse
organizations including the American Civil Liberties Union, the
National Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys, the American Center
for Law and Justice, and Right on Crime, among others, have joined with
Heritage to reaffirm the true purpose of America’s justice system: to
ensure public safety and protect the innocent.
For the rest of this article, click here
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