IT GETS WEIRDER: 400lb. Eric Garner’s Arrest and Death Is More Than a Chokehold

Is there more to be concerned about in the case of Eric Garner’s arrest and death than a chokehold? According to Reason.com, what he was being arrested for seems to also be a problem, because of a messed up tax system. See below…

We should be concerned that the reason why the police swarmed Garner in the first place is getting lost. He allegedly possessed “untaxed cigarettes.” That is it. There is this press focus on how the police took Garner down, and the problem with that focus is the question, “Well, what do you do when a 400-pound man refuses to cooperate when you try to arrest him?” Or to put it another way: Would there be an objection to police using a chokehold to take down and subdue man who was engaged in violent activity harming others? Because you know that’s going to be part of the defense of this behavior.

There needs to be more attention on the absurd reason that a pack of police officers was on top of Garner in the first place: black market cigarettes. It’s a crime that only takes place because of the city’s own oppressive taxation system. It’s a crime that happens when the city makes it too hard for people (especially poor people, of course) to get what they want legally.

Read more: Reason