The shocking stories of government harassment of ordinary citizens doing ordinary things just keep coming. Last week, I wrote about the persecution of Jill Bass in Oak Park, Michigan for planting a well maintained, community tended, organic garden in her front yard.
Now comes a story out of Midway, Georgia of police shutting down a girls’ lemonade stand for lack of a business license, peddler’s permit, and a food permit.
The permits cost $50 per day (or $180 per year), making selling lemonade a money losing proposition for the children who were only trying to raise money to go to a water park.
The lemonade stand was in operation for one day before police had the gall to shut the poor children down, whom I have no doubt were traumatized by the event. Midway Police Chief Kelly Morningstar said police were concerned with how the lemonade was made, what was in it, and who made it.
For heaven’s sake. These girls weren’t selling hash brownies! This was lemonade. Water, sugar, lemon juice.
Is this too difficult for government officials to comprehend?
I guess this explains why the government prefers children to go to fast food restaurants serving government approved franken fare made in factories that barely qualifies as food in most cases.
But hey, fast food establishments have all their permits in order so they are a-ok.
I myself operated a lemonade stand when I was a child to raise money for various summer activities. I can’t even imagine a police officer telling me I was breaking the law and that I had to stop. My neighbors certainly would have protested against such idiocy since they always enjoyed and supported children in the neighborhood taking on such projects over the summer that brought the community together.
It seems that in Georgia, which not so coincidentally suffers from a high obesity rate, children should be inside during the summer watching TV or playing video games instead of outside, interacting with the community, learning simple business skills and putting their arithmetic to practical use with a simple lemonade stand!
High Time for the Return of Civil Disobedience?
This government harassment of normal, everyday activities by citizens has simply got to stop. I hope the people of Midway, Georgia express their outrage to the local authorities.
Perhaps the cutting of local and state government budgets across the country will have a silver lining over time .. fewer government workers and increasingly cash strapped budgets may mean less – or even a cessation of this stupid type of government behavior.
In the meantime, it could be high time for some well placed Civil Disobedience. Citizens need to stop rolling over on this stuff. Would the police dare to cuff a Mom or Dad who told them to get lost or come back with a warrant if they tried to shut down their children’s lemonade stand?
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist.com
Source: Police in Ga. Shut Down Girls’ Lemonade Stand
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{ 64 comments… read them below or add one }
Wow, America really is starting to become a police state.
“Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God. Every generation needs a new revolution. God forbid we should ever be 20 years without such a rebellion. The spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions that I wish it to be always kept alive. It is a medicine necessary for the sound health of government,” Thomas Jefferson.
guess they would rather see our kids selling or using drugs..They already took
God from them and anywhere God’s not permitted Satin runs the halls. That’s
the reasom for so many shooting at school. Want t take something from them. take the na tendo, x-box and the like shoot em up games from them Out law those games
It’s not going to get any better,sadly
Hmm. How do you find out about these stories Sara? Thanks for bringing it to my attention…
this just sucks, don’t they have better things to do then to harass little kids….
I would buy a glowing, smoking, green mystery cocktail from an out of town street corner vendor before I would trust anything the government says.
Yes, but if you noticed the government control on all aspects of our lives and we allow it to go on because they aren’t bothering “me”. We only knew it was a matter of time before things like this start happening.
This is a problem of local and state government, who are obviously power hungry. And it’s the same as the case in Michigan. If you’ve ever tried to open a local business, trying to get all the proper permits can be a horror show if you’re in the wrong town. People complain about the federal government? It doesn’t get any better at the local level, either.
These people should be ashamed of themselves.
No wonder the unemployment rate is so high .. its too difficult for people to be creative and start small businesses.
sadly this has happend more than once in our state in recent yrs
what a sad, twisted world our children are growing up in today… when they are just trying to figure out what this world is all about and there is SO MUCH negativity…
This is insane !
When selling lemonade, my kids would yell out, “Fresh Squeezed, Pink Lemonade.” Not sure where they got the pink lemons. heheh…
Oh Sarah…this story just pushed me over the edge. I thought the gardening story was bad but this is worse. I see so many kids in my town with little lemonade stands and am glad to see that they are outside in the fresh air and sunshine! In this economy there are a lot of folks who can’t afford to send their kids to camp…so how wonderful it is to see kids learning how to entertain themselves and be entrepreneurial at the same time. They are also usually running around as well, while waiting for “customers”. We should all be happy they are not sitting in front of the TV…both for it’s association with obesity as well as the simple fact that the content of kids programs today has a lot left to be desired.
I don’t blame the police. I suspect they were being pressured by some very foolish town fathers…who have way too much time on their hands. You are right…slashed budgets and staff does have a silver lining.
Thanks for bringing these issues to our attention.
Love,
Mary
I do think some Civil Disobedience is called for in these situations. We citizens cannot simply roll over when the government tells us to jump.
Yes, insane.
#BigGovernment insanity – Shutting down lemonade stands. http://t.co/xfDIFiD @HealthyHomeEcon
People better start waking up. Obeyme just signed many new executive orders putting 25 agencies in charge of harassing rural life. Hidding in the so called “healthcare bill” were plenty of things to wipe out our freedoms on our own land. Govt intervention, FEDERAL intervention is NEVER about safety or our own good..it is about CONTROL! For when they cry peace and safety..destruction will come upon this swiftly..I Thes 5:3…STOP ASKING THE GOVT TO PROTECT US PEOPLE….They can’t!
Well said, Amber.
we can whine all we want. but what CAN we DO about it?
that is what I want to know… ACTION is what is needed not just whiny words..
tell me what I can do this is an OUTRAGE!!
As long as career politicians are making policy, nothing will change. Regular people, who understand the Constitutional limits of government, and can’t be bought, need to be in office.
I’m sorry, that was a little incorrect. Things WILL change, for the worse…
Good question, John. As I mentioned above, citizens need to stop rolling over on this stuff. If my kids had a lemonade stand and the police tried to shut them down, I would tell them to get lost. I seriously doubt the police would cuff a Mom or Dad of kids running a simple neighborhood lemonade stand. And, if they did, the publicity would be so embarrassing that they wouldn’t be able to get out their front door of their house for fear of all the cameras and microphones shoved in their face for comment.
That’s called Nullification. When the federal gov’t runs roughshod over the States, they need to “nullify.” When the State runs roughshod over the city, they need to “nullify.” When any of them run roughshod over the people, we need to “nullify.” See: http://www.lewrockwell.com/blog/lewrw/archives/64865.html
Hi John,
I believe if millions of people did a long march to Washington D.C. demanding to preserve our rights according to the original constitution, we the people would win. I think it is about time we do something like this, or very similar. We honestly can’t wait until most, if not all, of our freedoms have been taken away from us.
“Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God. Every generation needs a new revolution. God forbid we should ever be 20 years without such a rebellion. The spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions that I wish it to be always kept alive. It is a medicine necessary for the sound health of government,” Thomas Jefferson.
It is outrageous. It’s time to tell the government that we don’t want their so called protection anymore.
Google the Food Safety Modernization Act which passed the House & Senate & was signed into law this year. Talk about govt intrusion/micro-managing.
I read about another incident like this weeks ago, during some professional golf thing. This kind of thing is going to become more common and we are in a police state more than ever in our country’s history.
Do people who have garage sales or patio sales need a license? Some of them sell food and drinks on hot days in my area, so does that make them criminals? What if someone gets a drink from your garden hose?? I mean, this has two open ends and can be made to apply to almost any situation the police decide to pursue.
I’m sorry to say it, but it’s going to take a revolution in the streets to stop this sort of thing. People will have to fight for the rights we already thought we had. How sad.
Ridiculous. Back of Gov’t. At some point the gov’t has got to stop taking away the responsibility of it’s citizens… if I want to buy lemonade from kids that live down the street from me then I should be able to take the “risk” on “how the lemonade was made, what was in it, and who made it.” I’m going to guess it was made by stirring water, lemon juice and sugar together by the kids (and their parents.) Like you said… a heck of a lot better then any of that processed crap you can get at the local drive through!!!
They are going to bleed us all dry with permit fees, insurance, registration, taxes, etc…we are all supporting the government, even when it’s hard to support our own families!
What ever happened to personal responsibility? Yes, maybe one case out of 100 there might be something in lemonade-stand lemonade that might make you sick. How is that the government’s concern? If you choose to buy the lemonade, you are accepting the fact and the risk involved. Personal responsibility! Probably most people buying lemonade from kids know the kids and their parents and therefore trust them.
The horrible irony is that many food companies are so powerful that they are able to block the FDA inspecting them or telling them what to do, so they are able to get away with anything and put all sorts of horrifying things in our food, with little to no regulation. So instead I guess the government decided to pick on little kids…
Our out of control government shuts down a lemonade stand for not having a permit. Let’s stop this nonsense now! http://t.co/RrYnb7k
I feel like I must be the only person who agrees with the police, to a certain extent. We had an unfortunate incident up here in Boston over the winter where a bunch of homeless people turned up sick at the hospital from food poisoning. The source turned out to be soup that was handed out on the street by a well-meaning church group. There was subsequent legislation passed that required all food to be handed out through shelters and soup kitchens so that it could be properly handled.
What if the next group of kids wants to hand out baked goods? Hot dogs or sandwiches? I think reasonable people would agree that the line needs to be drawn somewhere; we just can’t have unlicensed food vendors all over the place, no matter how adorable.
There is risk inherent in every activity. Should there be a law against walking down the street because some people get hit by cars?
The odds of someone getting sick from lemonade are slim to none. Therefore, common sense should prevail in this situation .. let the kids be and operate their temporary lemonade stand!
Agreed, Sarah. Lemonade is probably about as safe as any food can be with the amount of acid and sugar in it, and common sense dictates that the children should be allowed to run their stand. But I also understand that puts the police or the board of health in a tough spot – to enforce the rules on the books (do their jobs) or not? They could have easily looked the other way in this situation, though.
This is exactly why more laws always leads to less freedom. In a nation governed by the rule of law, a “well intentioned” law usually overrules common sense. Thus, the notion that our lawmakers should be constantly passing laws to be effective is a flawed one. The more laws on the books and the larger the government is, the less freedom we have. This story demonstrates this all to well.
I don’t know. I have to say that I can’t agree with you at all, Sarah C. You can just as likely/unlikely get food poisoning from a licensed restaurant, or worse e coli from eating contaminated meat produced by big shot meat industries. Eating is a risk we have to take, I guess. However, when does it stop?
You mention food that was handed out to homeless people as an example (not selling). So, am I not allowed to serve food to guests in my home either? After all, I am not a licensed professional, and therefore can not be trusted to feed people! What IS the line? It is a dangerous to allow the gov to draw that line. An individual has the right to make certain decisions concerning the food they eat. We know there is a risk consuming food we ourselves don’t prepare (or know the source of). Let the people take that responsibility not the gov.
It’s just ridiculous. There is no justification.
Btw, all I can see is red flags here. The day could come where we could not servesthings like nutritious butter, lard, and other animal fats to our children without facing “child abuse” charges because the government deems it unhealthy. I was just reading a discussion on whether or not obese children should be taken away from parents (and parents charged with child abuse).
http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/health/should-parents-lose-custody-of-super-obese-kids-2510149/
The problem with this, is that it could turn into something worse (give them and inch and they will take a mile). All that needs to happen is for someone to have the OPINION that these good foods are hurting children and *bam!*…child abuse. Slippery slope!
Unfortunately, the kids did learn what entrepreneurship in America is like today. People don’t care what laws are in place until it personally affects them. They don’t care how many permits/licenses are required to build houses or run a restaurant because the costs are all hidden. But, when it gets to the point that you have to have a permit to plant a tree in your front yard or some innocent kids are made to comply with the laws, they get all worked up. Our local volunteer fire department cannot do chili cook-offs or bake sales any longer because we don’t have a three-basin sink or a commercial kitchen where these items can be assembled. The laws are to benefit corporations, people, and corporations are now on the same basis as people in law though they never die, have no conscience and are only beholden to their shareholders.
If my kids were old enough I’d take them outside to set up a lemonade stand right now. Sadly, they’re not. Although when they ARE older this is certainly the sort of thing we’d encourage them to do — selling lemonade, baked goods, and eggs or produce from our farm (which we hope to buy next year!).
We engage in civil disobedience constantly. Raw milk is illegal in my state. I not only buy it, I organize a buying club, store it, and distribute it. People have been arrested for this before and I am fully aware of that. I choose to do it anyway. I’m planning to have my baby at home when s/he arrives in the next few weeks, even though that, too, is illegal.
STOP following laws that don’t make any sense. Just don’t. Do what is right and take back our freedoms! TAKE them, because arguing or getting upset isn’t going to do any good. Just take, they are your right to have.
hey i posted right under you.. read yours right after i posted.. i totally agree with you.. we have strength in numbers.. the government knows that if the public wises up they are up sh*t creek.. that is why they are making examples out of children like this.. they are trying to put fear in to all of the people and create the image of them being all powerful.. stories like this one happen every day across this country but you rarely, if ever, see this on mainstream media.. the public is forcefed more “important” news like the wherabouts of lindsey lohen.. or omg, did you see what paris hilton was wearing last night?? they know that if the people ever wake up, we have our strength in numbers so we have to be controlled just a little longer until the day comes when we are UNABLE to take back our country.. ill say the same to you that i say to sarah….keep up the fight…. we share the same spirit….a spirit that is uniquely american -you may take me out, but i’ll be damned if im going without a fight-
-jason and lisa-
Bravo, Kate!!! Your courage has inspired me.
I am horrified, though, to learn that home births can be ILLEGAL?! I honestly have no words…
Well said, Kate.
Oh my goodness…the double standards! Hah, abortion is legal but home birth is not? What is wrong with our country? They are so two faced with their talk of “the rights of a woman over her body” so they allow her to murder a poor innocent child, but those rights go out the window when she wants to have her baby at home?? Oh yes, because the baby at a home birth is in MUCH more danger than the aborted baby….? I sense a disconnect there…
totally off topic here but did anyone hear about the school in switzerland where the school has special training for all staff to learn to use non gender-specific words?? all of the books and toys in the school have been carefully selected to be non gender-specific. no toy cars or little dolls.. just a universal mix of toys and books… all of the students are reffered to as “friends” instead of boys and girls.. makes me wonder what on Gods green earth is the problem with little boys being boys and little girls being girls.. why is this such a problem.. i bring this up because i believe it will be just a matter of time before something like this happens here in america.. i totally totally agree with sarah.. i have been saying for years now that this country has one of two things in its future…..either total government takover and full police state, or another revolution.. and like it or not, believe it or not, the government is gearing up for the takeover.. sad part here is that with all of the GMO, soy and processed crap that all the “men of the country eat now, “men” arent “men” like the old days.. same with women.. we will just “sheeply” sit by while our childrens country rots down the drain.. we would rather keep a smug smile on our face and look down on other countries where the public rises up and takes to the streets when governments run wild.. i guess we are better than they are.. but give it time is all i say.. mark my words, one of two things.. the only possible outcome… again sarah, keep up the fight..
-jason and lisa-
Thumbs Up for this post…
We homeschool our four children, and I think it’s important to teach REAL history so that our children can stand for the freedoms that our forefathers fought and died for: Smaller government, respect for God, individual liberty, personal responsibility, personal education, concern for one’s neighbor, etc. One person asked, “What can we do?”. We can begin with being responsible for ourselves and teaching our children the same, which means not depending upon the government (buying raw milk, checking sources for food, using water filters instead of trusting the EPA reports, consider vaccination carefully instead of believing it’s all “SAFE”, voting at every election, writing congressmen, teach our children from real living books about real events instead of letting them waste their brains on media, etc). One family at a time can make a difference by setting an example & inspiring those around them.
Is it a coincidence that the ad I see right under this comment box is one asking me if I would like an exciting career as a police officer??!! It is for policefoundations.org, a Canadian organization (I’m in Ontario). Funny.
No, it’s not a coincidence. Ads are generated specifically to you the user based on lots of things like subject matter within the page itself, cookies on your computer, etc. While searching for a nice ukulele case on-line, a banner ad appeared, the very next day, on a site I was visiting (which BTW had nothing to do with ukulele’s) offering the very case I had been researching the day before from the very same site.
Crazy stuff…
Georgia is also where a city (an Atlanta suburb) outlawed the nursing (breastfeeding) of children over the age of 24 months. Codifying their preference for frankenfoods and obese children again! Getting them on pasteurized dairy, rancid vegetable oils, and corn syrup right from the start! And better yet, making real food illegal so as not to provide competition for the cancer industry!
Let’s have victory gardens and lemonade stands flourishing throughout the United States!
The future of our "great nation," folks — police shut down little girls’ lemonade stand… http://t.co/VeFZkfT (via @HealthyHomeEcon)
We don’t need the government to nanny us. Let the buyer beware. If I want to buy a child’s lemonade, I should be able to and they should be able to sell it to me. If I am allowed to vote, to serve in the military, to drive a one ton van why can I not decide what I am going to eat?!
This is almost laughable — if it weren’t so scary, that is.
I don’t know why government cannot tell that it is pushing people to their limits. Every time I think I’ve seen the final straw, Americans continue to not rebel. With mean, thoughtless, cruel, greedy, stupid people running everything these days, it is certainly time for civil disobedience.
So let me start by saying that No this shouldnt have happened however I would like to give you a view point from a citizen of Midway. What I dont see in any of the stories is the fact that the neighborhood where the children were STANDING IN THE STREET with signs is drug infested and also has several REGISTERED sex offenders in close proximity. This is all nothing more than a character assasination on the Chief of Police Kelli Morningstar. Its a well known fact that most residents in Midway do not like the Police Department because they have been engaging in “Civil Disobedience” for as long as they can remember because up until 4 years ago Midway didnt have a Police Department. I wish that people would get the ENTIRE story before jumping to conclusion and dragging a good person through the mud. This was all done for nothing more than personal satisfaction and self promotion……..
**IF** that’s true- this is a bad neighborhood – it still doesn’t change the police shutting down children over “what was in” the lemonade. Hopefully it’s still the parents’ responsibility in Midway to determine whether it is safe for THREE girls (from the photo, at least) to be out in broad daylight? Also, perhaps the police should instead be focusing on said druggies and sex offenders. A better use of their time, to my way of thinking. If they did it because they were concerned for the girls’ safety, they could have patrolled the neighborhood. HEY, isn’t that what cops are supposed to do?
You comment looks more like somebody from the police dept trying to get a little spin in, though, rather than the ENTIRE story.
So, if this was a “nice” neighborhood, the children should have been allowed to sell lemonade but not in a “bad” neighborhood? Sounds pretty elitist to me. Why should children from only good neighborhoods be allowed to learn simple business skills and run a lemonade stand? Kids from “bad” neighborhoods should stay inside and get fat watching TV?
If they were standing in the street with signs, the police officer should have simply told them to get out of the street – not shut the lemonade stand down.
The police went way overboard on this one .. saying this was a bad neighborhood doesn’t change a thing.
What’s next? Knocking on people’s doors to see if there’s a babysitter without a business license? Stopping kids mowing the lawn? Shutting down bake sales at schools and churches?
Looks like they apologized. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-police-apologize-for-shutting-down-girls-lemonade-stand-20110720,0,195424.story
Great news! Thank you for posting. I had not heard this.
Oh, that was a different story. Oops. This one is in Wisconsin…
I guess they just don’t have enough to do with their time. Oh..I don’t know….catching real criminals??? Giv me a break! This is from a past “lemonade stand owner at 12!”
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