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Date:
Friday, July 17, 2020
Reactions:
1 339 reactions
Body:
Six years ago today, #EricGarner died in a #PoliceChokehold after he resisted an attempt to arrest him for selling individual cigarettes — “loosies” — on the street.
Garner had previously been arrested more than 30 times, most often for selling cigarettes on the street.
Why do people sell cigarettes on the street? Because New York has the country’s highest cigarette #taxes, and cigarettes smuggled in from low-tax states such as Virginia can be sold much more cheaply.
Eric Garner’s tragic death at the hands of #police reminds us that, as #libertarians often argue, we have far too many #laws.
#FederalLaw now includes more than 3,000 crimes, and there may be 300,000 or more federal #regulations enforceable through #criminal punishment at the discretion of an administrative agency.
“The more laws we pass, the more chances there are for people to run afoul of the police. Especially when we outlaw peaceful activities, such as smoking #marijuana, selling untaxed cigarettes or feeding the #homeless,” writes @CatoInstitute Executive Vice President David Boaz.
Custom Description:
@CatoInstitute (Instagram) authored a viral Instagram post which received 1,339 reactions: "Six years ago today, #EricGarner died in a #PoliceChokehold after he resisted an attempt to arrest him for selling individual cigarettes — “loosies” — on the street. Garner had previously been arrested more than 30 times, most often for selling cigarettes on the street. Why do people sell cigarettes on the street? Because New York has the country’s highest cigarette #taxes, and cigarettes smuggled in from low-tax states such as Virginia can be sold much more cheaply. Eric Garner’s tragic death at the hands of #police reminds us that, as #libertarians often argue, we have far too many #laws. #FederalLaw now includes more than 3,000 crimes, and there may be 300,000 or more federal #regulations enforceable through #criminal punishment at the discretion of an administrative agency. “The more laws we pass, the more chances there are for people to run afoul of the police. Especially when we outlaw peaceful activities, such as smoking #marijuana, selling untaxed cigarettes or feeding the #homeless,” writes @CatoInstitute Executive Vice President David Boaz."