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thefreeradicals-blog1 · 7 years

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#TaxationIsMurder

Ciaran Lovejoy discusses the tragic death of Eric Garner through a libertarian perspective, and asks what we can learn from this dark example of authoritarian government control.

On the 17th of July, 2014, a man named Eric Garner was killed by US law enforcement officers from the New York City Police Dept. Garner’s death was met with outrage, and protests and demonstrations resulted from the ensuing anger his death had stirred-up.

Many were quick to make the issue about his race, some understandably wanted to protest police violence and brutality, others spoke of the incompetence of the law enforcement officers involved, and of the incompetence of the medical staff called to the scene.

Whatever issues that caused the justifiable public outcry at the death of Eric Garner, there has been one in particular which continues to concern me, and seems to me the most important, and often most understated issue: The reasoning for the use of the force that ended his life by the police and their apologists.

Eric Garner’s cause of death according to the New York City Medical Examiner’s report was: “Compression of the neck (chokehold), compression of the chest and prone positioning during physical restraint by police.”

This means that Eric Garner was restrained by police in such a physically damaging way that he died as a result of his injuries. His death was ruled a homicide. Why was such force necessary? What danger did Mr. Garner pose to others? What was his crime?

Eric Garner was suspected of selling untaxed cigarettes.

Eric Garner was SUSPECTED of selling untaxed cigarettes.

ERIC GARNER WAS SUSPECTED OF SELLING UNTAXED CIGARETTES.

Let’s break that down, shall we?

Suspected: as in, not having been proven to have committed said crime.

Selling untaxed cigarettes: a ‘crime’ so-called, which has no victim, and actually prevents extortion in the form of taxation.

So a man who had not been proven to have committed a crime was suspected of potentially having committed a nonviolent act, that of selling something that he owned to someone who wanted to buy it, and doing so without paying the government a percentage.

This was a strong enough reason to kill a man? Not giving the government a cut of your profits?

The many apologists of Mr. Garner’s killers often brought up that Eric had previously been arrested for selling untaxed cigarettes, as well as assault, resisting arrest, and grand larceny among others. Of course, having a criminal record doesn’t mean that you should have to die at the hands of the police, and in fact, resisting arrest in this case would likely have saved his life. Although it is understandable that caution would be exercised when approaching someone with a criminal past, I’m not entirely sure why five officers were necessary to arrest him, or why it was so important to do so that him dying was preferable to him selling ‘loosies’.

Eric Garner was a father of six, with three grandchildren, who was ignored by the officers arresting him for the possibility of him committing a victimless crime as he cried out eleven times “I can’t breathe,” his face pressed into the ground by his killer. After losing consciousness, he was left lying in the street for seven minutes before an ambulance arrived, during which time the police took no action to aid the dying man. When the EMTs arrived, they, too, did not administer medical aid, but did eventually transport Mr Garner to Richmond University Medical Center, where he died.

You can call this what you will: A murder, police brutality, excessive force, justified action. No matter your perspective, the fact remains; Eric Garner died because someone thought that he might be selling cigarettes without paying the government their cut. I have often made the comparison of taxation to theft, or extortion, but in this case, like so many unfortunate cases, Taxation is murder.

#Murder #Eric Garner #Police Brutality #Libertarianism #Authoritarianism #TaxationIsTheft

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brandonviewpoint · 3 years

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You want to ignore our Constitution well this http://brandonviewpoint.com/2021/01/26/the-america-constitution-is-burning-in-hell #constitutional #constitution #socialismsucks #freedom #secondamendment #usconstitution #law #justice #liberty #a #maga #thelawisjustice #taxationistheft #is #ipitythefool #ronpaul #bastiatinstitute #mises #the #taxationisslavery #taxationismurder #biggovsucks #misesinstitue #covid #trump #biden #trumptrain #conservative #badgov (at Jefferson City, Missouri) https://www.instagram.com/p/CKhO3Erh_Fl/?igshid=zf0x6nfs9gp6

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