Terrorist Attack in East Hampton, NY

I saw this story, also cited in many other locations. The story is about a woman who was arrested in East Hampton, NY for serving liquor without a license. It was at an art gallery for a celebrity photo exhibit, catering to wealthy customers. Normally, a story like this would not be news, but because the victim was someone influential, the story is newsworthy.

The woman was not charging her customers for the alcohol. She was serving it as part of the exhibit. Apparently, she had been doing this without a liquor license for many years.

The police ordered her to stop serving alcohol. She refused and said "Why do I need permission from you to serve alcohol?" The police arrested her. A large number of policemen were dispatched to arrest her and shut down the art exhibit. The alcohol was seized by the police, and some of it was expensive. According to some sources I read, a SWAT team or military-style police were dispatched as part of the raid.

The news coverage I read was mixed. Some people said that the police used excessive force and overreacted. However, the news coverage said that the liquor license requirement was a legitimate law and should not be questioned. No news source said that requiring a liquor license is an unreasonable restriction of people's rights. No mainstream news source will ever suggest that a law might be illegitimate.

Ultimately, the key issue in this incident is taxes. When applying for a liquor license, a substantial fee must be paid. The art gallery owner refused to pay the tax/tribute, and an example must be made of her.

Suppose you owned a business and actually paid for your liquor license. If one of your competitors is not paying for their liquor license, you are at a competitive disadvantage. It is in your self-interest to complain to the State, ensuring that your competitor is punished. How did the State find out that this woman did not have a liquor license and was serving alcohol? One of her competitors or a disgruntled customer or employee complained.

Anyone who refuses to obey the State's arbitrary laws must be punished. Anyone who refuses to pay taxes *DEFINITELY* must be punished. Such behavior by police is, literally, terrorism.