Home Businesses…Beware!
Published by Bob Foster
Seventy percent—around 21.1 million—U.S. businesses have no employees, and many, many of these businesses are conducted out of the owner’s homes. This practice has been ongoing for generations, if not centuries. It is a time-honored and normal entrepreneurial endeavor.
However, that may be coming to an end, at least in part. I ran across a post in makezine.com, by Robert Bruce Thompson, a chemist with several books to his credit, among them, An Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry Experiments. Thompson’s post is a little scary, and should be soberly considered by all entrepreneurs who work in their homes. Excerpts would not do justice to Thompson’s post, so I will include it in its entirety below:
The Worcester Telegram & Gazette reports that Victor Deeb, a retired chemist who lives in Marlboro, has finally been allowed to return to his Fremont Street home, after Massachusetts authorities spent three days ransacking his basement lab and making off with its contents.
Deeb is not accused of making methamphetamine or other illegal drugs. He’s not accused of aiding terrorists, synthesizing explosives, nor even of making illegal fireworks. Deeb fell afoul of the Massachusetts authorities for … doing experiments.
Authorities concede that the chemicals found in Deeb’s basement lab were no more hazardous than typical household cleaning products. Despite that, authorities confiscated “all potentially hazardous chemicals” (which is to say the chemicals in Deeb’s lab) from his home, and called in a hazardous waste cleanup company to test the chemicals and clean up the lab.
Pamela Wilderman, the code enforcement officer for Marlboro, stated, “I think Mr. Deeb has crossed a line somewhere. This is not what we would consider to be a customary home occupation.”
Allow me to translate Ms. Wilderman’s words into plain English: “Mr. Deeb hasn’t actually violated any law or regulation that I can find, but I don’t like what he’s doing because I’m ignorant and irrationally afraid of chemicals, so I’ll abuse my power to steal his property and shut him down.”
In effect, the Massachusetts authorities have invaded Deeb’s lab, apparently without a warrant, and stolen his property. Deeb, presumably under at least the implied threat of further action, has not objected to the warrantless search and the confiscation of his property. Or perhaps he’s just biding his time. It appears that Deeb has grounds for a nice juicy lawsuit here.
There’s a lesson here for all of us who do science at home, whether we’re home schoolers or DIY science enthusiasts. The government is not our friend. Massachusetts is the prototypical nanny state, of course, but the other 49 aren’t far behind. Any of us could one day find the police at the door, demanding to search our home labs. If that day comes, I will demand a warrant and waste no time getting my attorney on the phone.
There’s a word for what just happened in Massachusetts. Tyranny. And it’s something none of us should tolerate.
Here is an interesting follow-up from Mr. Deeb’s daughter:
I am the daughter of Victor Deeb and what they did and took from my father is not only unfair but devastating to an old man whose life for the last 40 years has been chemistry. They not only took all of his chemicals (which he used in his research for non-toxic sealants for baby food jars) but 20 years of notes that were valuable only to him. Now his research notes have magically disappeared into thin air. Can someone tell me where the justice is in that?
-m deeb
What do you think—could anything like this happen in your town…in your neighborhood? Homeland Security and the Patriot Act have changed the landscape in the U.S., and it does make a person wonder…….
Comments
10 Responses to “Home Businesses…Beware!”
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This doesn’t surprise me in the least, unfortunately. This is no longer a free country as we’ve been lead to believe for generations and the past few decades have made George Orwell’s 1984 become closer to reality.
Heck, just by my response to this Blog post could render me suspect for anarchy and cause the authorities to come ransack my house and take my computers away for planning to take over the government. All in the name of “security”. I call it ignorance and fear-mongering. Since the increasing breakdown of puritanical religious mind-control throughout the US, they’ve had to find new ways to keep the citizens fearful and in-line. Uncle Sam still carries a big belt and he’s not afraid to use it.
Funny when I look back to the 70′s and how we then viewed Russia and how their government seemed to treat their people and taught them to live in fear… hmmm…
Jeff,
Thanks for your comment. I hope nothing like the Deeb’s experience ever happens to us, but you never know. I don’t believe in big conspiracies, but I do believe that politicians are primarily fulfilling their egoistic natures and exerting their “power” whenever they can—whether they are members of a Home Owners Association, or members of Congress.
Regarding the comparison with Russia in the 70’s; I have been sitting on an editorial from the Russian news service Pravda, wherein they present an interesting analysis of America and where our government and society are headed. It’s too long to post, and I don’t want to appear anti-government, because I’m not. I’m just pro-“good” government. Maybe I’ll pick out some key excerpts and post them sometime.
Thanks again for your participation.
This is an all too real fact of what big i.e. bigger government results in. As we move closer and closer to a Socialist government where we can all rest assured that all of our needs will be met by Big Brother, why is everyone so surprised when they realize our rights and freedoms have been eroding away for decades? I agree Bob that I too am PRO-GOOD GOVERNMENT but also realist enough to know that this is an oxy-moron and will never occur in my lifetime unless Thomas Jefferson rises from his grave.
Bob, I researched the Pravda editorial and was amazed at how “dead on” Mishkin was in this article. What bothers me most is not that it has happened, thats bad enough, but that most Americans welcome the change (read “hope and change” anyway you like). What will happen when the top lets say 5% income producers in this country decide they aren’t going to pay for all of this any more and leave the country? Like I said, “Good Government” died with our founding fathers.
Steve – The government getting involved in private business, especially small business, is like hunting mice with a cannon—the collateral damage is far worse than the initial problem. Unfortunately, that is probably what we have to look forward to, especially if you think Stanislav Mishkin is correct in his Pravda editorial.
OK Bob, I’m riled up now!! LOL!! Here’s a couple of quotes (last one from a well known source) to make my point:
“A people that values its privileges above its principles will soon lose both.”
‘Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow for those who do not.’
~ Thomas Jefferson
Steve – Ah yes, where is Thomas Jefferson when you need him?
ABSOLUTELY OUTRAGEOUS!!! So, how can we support Mr. Deeb and make sure that it doesn’t happen to anyone else? The frightening thing is that it indeed probably already happening to others. This is just terribly upsetting.
Judith – I have no doubt that something similar is happening even as we write here. I am thinking of Harvard Professor Henry Gates Jr. who was just arrested for trying to get into his own front door. I am sure Professor Gates was upset with the cop, as would I be if a policeman followed me into my home uninvited. I am sure we would all be appalled at the abuse of power everywhere, by those who ostensibly “work” for us–if we only knew.
Thanks for the comment.
Bob – Please don’t get me started on that one. That was another OUTRAGEOUS incident. I can only imagine what was going through Professor Gates’ mind at that time. Anybody would have been incensed. I know I would have been.