7 Year Old Girl Required To Show Papers
Meet Julie Murphy. She's 7 years old, has an entrepreneurial spirit and a good supply of lemonade. With her mom's permission and help, she set up a lemonade stand at last week's art fair in Northeast Portland, OR. According to The Oregonian, Julie had even drawn a poster of someone saying "Yummy" to display next to her little stand.
In short order, a clipboard-wielding lady walked up asking for the 7 year-old's temporary restaurant license (cost: $120). When Julie couldn't produce it, the lady told the child to close up shop or face a $500 fine. Neighboring vendors stepped in and a large argument ensued, but Julie, in tears, was sent packing. Says the county:
When you go to a public event and set up shop, suddenly you're engaging in commerce. The fact that you're small-scale I don't think is relevant.
So a 7 year-old girl running a lemonade stand is required to show her papers, but an illegal alien trespassing in this country is not required to show any papers at all. On what planet does any of this make sense?
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Jun '10
Re: 7 Year Old Girl Required To Show Papers
If only seven-year-olds could pull off voting fraud, they might get the respect that illegal aliens get from our urban lawmakers. Their height and the doll under the arm are a dead giveaway.
Jul '10
Re: 7 Year Old Girl Required To Show Papers
Dave, as one of the true pragmatists on this site it is always a pleasure to read your blog entries. As for the little girl, as Thomas Sowell stated in his writings on 'Cosmic Justice"- 'If rules cannot produce cosmic justice, only raw power is left as the way to produce the kinds of results being sought. In a democracy, where power must gain public acquiescence, not only must the rule of law be violated or circumvented, so must the rule of truth.' So I guess to protect everyone we end up protecting no one and we somehow are being told this is 'Justice'. To accept this from the state it seems is part of the movement to inure us to the state being the unquestioned 'right' and we the children to keep quiet... or else. And lets kill the enterprising spirit of our children, and our future.
May '10
Re: 7 Year Old Girl Required To Show Papers
I think we know the answer to that. The same planet where,,,
"gender (was) never part of the historical core of the institution of marriage."
..or any planet where the truth is whatever the people in power say it is.
Re: 7 Year Old Girl Required To Show Papers
Robb, thanks very much. You've managed to express in a single paragraph what it would take me pages and pages to say. I do confess that on occasion I feel that the average bar bouncer has a higher developed sense of justice than the best legal minds out there.
Aug '10
Re: 7 Year Old Girl Required To Show Papers
"On what planet does any of this make sense?"
Earth, unfortunately. Violating the traditional contract of citizenship is obviously nothing compared to trying to start a business!
What's particularly sad is that existing business owners often put their short-term fears of competition before the long-term benefits of innovation, and support these absurd licensing laws themselves.
My dad, who's been losing money at the same small-business venture for decades (he stays afloat only because he's also an excellent engineer), feels wrath any time another local business escape a fee he has to pay. For example, my dad hates temporary stands and pushcart vendors because "they escape our property tax" and so have "an unfair advantage".
I tried telling him this hatred makes no sense. They have no land -- what's to tax? Besides not paying a tax on land they don't have, they also don't have shelter from the weather, a guaranteed location, or even a guaranteed bathroom. What's their mysterious "unfair advantage"?
But my dad is adamant, and alas not atypical. Members of local landowning businesses have successfully banded together to slap as many fees on the pushcart vendors as possible.
Jul '10
Re: 7 Year Old Girl Required To Show Papers
Dave, I wish I could take any credit but with such brilliant people like Thomas Sowell and Richard Epstein, to name a couple, and people like you who have actually put yourself on the line, I'm just one of the fortunate people who lives here and is rewarded for all the efforts you people expend. Thanks.
Jul '10
Re: 7 Year Old Girl Required To Show Papers
BTW- hope the rib is feeling better...