Mark Steyn tells about a dad who asked his 15-year-old son to hold his beer for a second so he could take a picture. Whereupon he got busted by the cops for giving alcohol to a minor. Mr. Steyn puts his finger on a problem in law enforcement that, I would add, is also a problem in politics, public discourse, and the culture in general: The lack of any sense of proportion.
From National Review:
Further to previous adventures of the undercover agents of Seal Team Sixpack comes this stirring tale from USA Today of the Arizona Department of Liquor Licenses and Control:
Just after the opening kickoff of the Arizona Cardinals’ preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday, Cardinals season ticket holder John Coulter wanted to take a picture. He says he asked his 15-year-old son to hold his beer cup while he did so.
Fortunately, two “undercover officers” from the crack ranks of the Department of Liquor Licenses, cunningly disguised as regular Cardinals fans in order to blend in, were on the scene:
Coulter says they told him that what he did was illegal and that he could be arrested for it. In the end, officers escorted the father and son out of the University of Phoenix Stadium.
Sgt Wesley Kuhl of the Brewski Stasi says it could have been a lot worse:
“The consequences could be up to, and this is a maximum, of two years in jail, $2,500 fine and three years probation.”
Because the best way to protect minors from being asked to hold Dad’s beer for 12 seconds is to bust up their family and leave them fatherless so there’s no one to take them to local sports events except the neighborhood drug dealer. As I’ve said before, too much “law enforcement” in this country is distinguished by its complete lack of any sense of proportion.
What would be some other examples of this?
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