3 ms·

The headline of the article (not the title of this post) is a clear representation of how bad ad-driven news has gotten. Civil asset forfeiture is an issue so

by wwalser 10y ago

The headline of the article (not the title of this post) is a clear representation of how bad ad-driven news has gotten. Civil asset forfeiture is an issue so transparently incompatible with our society that everyone, no matter what side of the isle they are on, should be able to support any other person who is against it. You don't have to support their other ideas, policy objectives, rulings or whatever. Just listen to them say "civil asset forfeiture is awful" and respond "yup". Yet the article goes out of it's way to portend (in sometimes subtle ways) that it's a partisan issue. If politicians, with media backing, twist this issue into a divisive one I won't even be mad. I'll be impressed. If Democrats or Republicans start standing up en-mass and proclaiming "police should be able to just take your shit", because that's the party line, we will all have truly lost.

the_cat_kittles 10y ago
im reading what your saying, nodding, then i think to myself... climate change is a partisan issue, gun control is a partisan issue, voter registration / suppression is a partisan issue... so i guess its very easy to believe that civil asset forfeiture will become one too, if some police forces decide its worth lobbying for.
clumsysmurf 10y ago
> Yet the article goes out of it's way to portend (in sometimes subtle ways) that it's a partisan issue. One thing perhaps they forgot to mention, is that attorney general Jeff Sessions really likes civil asset forfeiture. And since his support / opposition was down party lines, maybe it is somewhat partisan.
jaredklewis 10y ago
While not as partisan as something like abortion, it isn't totally unpartisan. Usage of civil asset forfeiture has substantially increased since the 1980s and the explicit justification for this has always been the war on drugs. Democrats, on the whole, are increasing disillusioned with the war on drugs. Republicans, Sessions being a great example, much less so. Further there is an increasing "law and order" divide between democrats and republicans. Democrats, on the whole, are much more willing than Republicans to label police behavior as abuse. So, should it be a partisan issue? No. Is it? I'll put it this way: if congress ever starts working on a civil asset forfeiture reform legislation, my money is on a largely Republican opposition.
- wwalser 10y ago
  I can imagine that as well. However, my hope is that I only feel this way because I personally sway slightly left and therefore assign my own preferences to the left. I'm hopeful that's just my bias showing and that instead we're all on the same side with this one. I get that Sessions is for forfeiture, I'm just hoping he's only capable of holding that opinion so long as no one asks too many questions about it. I could obviously be wrong and that'd be crappy.

by wwalser 10y ago

the_cat_kittles 10y ago

im reading what your saying, nodding, then i think to myself... climate change is a partisan issue, gun control is a partisan issue, voter registration / suppression is a partisan issue... so i guess its very easy to believe that civil asset forfeiture will become one too, if some police forces decide its worth lobbying for.

clumsysmurf 10y ago

> Yet the article goes out of it's way to portend (in sometimes subtle ways) that it's a partisan issue. One thing perhaps they forgot to mention, is that attorney general Jeff Sessions really likes civil asset forfeiture. And since his support / opposition was down party lines, maybe it is somewhat partisan.

jaredklewis 10y ago

While not as partisan as something like abortion, it isn't totally unpartisan. Usage of civil asset forfeiture has substantially increased since the 1980s and the explicit justification for this has always been the war on drugs. Democrats, on the whole, are increasing disillusioned with the war on drugs. Republicans, Sessions being a great example, much less so. Further there is an increasing "law and order" divide between democrats and republicans. Democrats, on the whole, are much more willing than Republicans to label police behavior as abuse. So, should it be a partisan issue? No. Is it? I'll put it this way: if congress ever starts working on a civil asset forfeiture reform legislation, my money is on a largely Republican opposition.

wwalser 10y ago
I can imagine that as well. However, my hope is that I only feel this way because I personally sway slightly left and therefore assign my own preferences to the left. I'm hopeful that's just my bias showing and that instead we're all on the same side with this one. I get that Sessions is for forfeiture, I'm just hoping he's only capable of holding that opinion so long as no one asks too many questions about it. I could obviously be wrong and that'd be crappy.