Will Grigg's Liberty Minute

September 25, 2007

Washington State residents Alan and Stephne Roos knew that their son Thomas had drug problem. They didn't know that he was using the family's automobiles ? a late-model Nissan and a refurbished 1970 Chevy ? to deal drugs.

When Thomas was arrested, police confiscated the cars under the civil forfeiture provision of a state narcotics law. This was done despite the fact that the cars belonged to Thomas's parents, who were not accused of a crime. Under state law, the burden was on Alan and Stephne to prove that they did not know about their son's drug trafficking.

A sheriff's department official ruled that because the parents should have known about their son's activity, it was proper to seize their cars even though the parents are legally and morally innocent.

There is a name for a system that denies property rights and practices collective punishment in this fashion: Communism. And it's much deadlier than drugs.

Let us take back the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free.