Cops shut down Ga. Girl Scout cookie stand

VILLA RICA, Ga. — A Girl Scout leader says young members of her troop thought they were headed to jail when a Georgia police officer told them to quit selling cookies.

The girls had set up a stand at a strip mall in Villa Rica about 30 miles west of Atlanta on Wednesday when the officer asked them if they had a peddler's permit. They didn't.

Troop Leader Kathy Crook told WXIA-TV in Atlanta that she was stunned. She says the scouts were told to pack it up. And she says the younger members thought they would be taken to jail.

Source

Well, once again we have the utter absurdity of police. In this instance, the officer is not seeing Girl Scouts selling cookies, but a rouge group of peddlers undermining the community. -sarcasm- In all seriousness, what is wrong with the mentality and the system when girls scouts simply selling cookies are treated as peddlers simply because they do not have a license? Think about it: the cops sees the selling of the cookies--by the Scouts--but doesn't leave it at that--a harmless act--but rather seeks to insert himself into the situation as "enforcer" of a law that, even being "broken," is harming no one!

What is next, having a business license for them to go door to door, selling cookies? Simply a revenue scheme whereby the government must license and/or permit a person to do something that harms no one, one could argue that "if everyone did it..." That is not the point. He intimidated them. He didn't just let them sell cookies, he had to authoritatively insert himself as a figure of power simply because that is what his is "supposed" to do when a "law" is being broken. Always butting into situations that are nonthreatening, non-disruptive and silly.

Where is simple humanity? I mean, they're Girl Scouts, not street peddlers giving a bad name or image to the community...

*shakes head*

The absurdity.

ETA: If this is in the wrong forum, my apologies.

tghis is just pathetic... how can the officer sleep at night,

I always thought those girls were filthy, dirty, shifty gnomes.

That locale needs to get back to basics. Where would half the cops be if it weren't for the cub and boy scouts? I propose we as ATS members S&F this to bring it into the consciousness of the group - it should get you hot under the collar. It is the little things like these that are contributing to and exhibit the erosion of "Americana."

Now, if those cookies had aspartame in them, that's another issue.

reply to post by Liquesence

Cops shut down Ga. Girl Scout cookie stand

This is actually a shock... coming from Georgia, where such time-honored things are generally respected if not rigorously defended.

I have driven through Villa Rica many times and it is quite the sleepy little town, just now feeling the tentacles of sprawl reaching out from Atlanta.

I'll wager a six-pack of Killian's that it... harassing the girl sprouts, doesn't happen again.

This shows the robotic mentality of authorities today.. Sadly, it is getting worse and worse, almost as if people are completely losing their identities and becoming a part of the beast collective.. (so to speak)

yep the police state is growing bigger every day
poor girl scouts, lets see kids going to jail over
drawings and elementary kids getting committed
against the parents will,i am glad my kids are home
schooled . it is getting stupid out there, but yet we
still have jehova wittnesses at your door but the girl
next door cant have a lemonade stand or set up a
girlscout cookie stand what is this world coming to

How sad. I was just out (in the freezing cold, I might add!) yesterday helping my niece sell her Girl Scout cookies at the local grocery. Some things, Cops just need to stay out of...

ETA: I will add that both the Police Officers and Firefighters who came by, supported her sales yesterday! Yay...

What? You mean S.W.A.T, the FBI and Homeland Security were not called? What is wrong with this country?

Is it possible he didn't get his LEO discount, so he shut them down to prove a point?
I mean if there aren't donughts around, this could explain it.

reply to post by Liquesence


I wonder what's next..
Will the IRS jump in and stop cubs doing "bob a job"..??

Pathetic waste of tax payers money putting these clowns in uniform..

reply to post by Liquesence


There is nothing new about this. I sold them too, a long time ago, and we knew what to do and what not to do. For example, we knew not to set up a stand in the mall, because that required a permit. Walk around, yes; walk around in the parking lot, yes. Set up a stand, no.

Girl Scouts have to play by the rules like everybody else. Sorry. It's a learning experience, after all, so let them learn.

reply to post by ladyinwaiting


I wonder if the nice policeman explained that to them or just told them to pack it up??

The link's not working for me to see the whole story..

This was a step in their indoctrination into the world of becoming good little sheeple. First, make them fear you. The cop should be fired, he obviously does not care one bit for the community he supposed to serve. Common sense isn't so common is it?

Originally posted by tokzik
tghis is just pathetic... how can the officer sleep at night,

He probably sleeps pretty well, considering he was doing his job, which is making the city/county some money.

Originally posted by adifferentbreed
Is it possible he didn't get his LEO discount, so he shut them down to prove a point?
I mean if there aren't donughts around, this could explain it.

I see your sarcasm, and not the discount part but the general confrontation. Although the details are few, i would wager that he didn't walk up, talk nicely and ask to buy anything. He more than likely swagger over, saying, "You got a peddler's permit?" A Peddler's permit?!? Girl Scouts?!?

Originally posted by backinblack
reply to post by Liquesence

 

I wonder what's next..
Will the IRS jump in and stop cubs doing "bob a job"..??

Pathetic waste of tax payers money putting these clowns in uniform..

It would not surprise me. Also here in Georgia the state legislature is trying to make day laboring against the law to crack down on illegal immigrant labor; what they fail to account for is the large number of lawn cutters, window washers, etc who would technically be affected by this. They seem to jump so quickly to prevent one thing, while undermining another that is affected by it. It makes very little sense.

*shakes head*

Originally posted by ladyinwaiting
reply to post by Liquesence

 

There is nothing new about this. I sold them too, a long time ago, and we knew what to do and what not to do. For example, we knew not to set up a stand in the mall, because that required a permit. Walk around, yes; walk around in the parking lot, yes. Set up a stand, no.

Girl Scouts have to play by the rules like everybody else. Sorry. It's a learning experience, after all, so let them learn.

To me, that's not the point. The point is not "following the rules/law" because they are rules/law, even though they might be bad rules/law, but about the justness of the law and the "illegal actions." It's BS. An apologist for the "rules" is destined to condone the rules simply because they are rules. As the saying goes, "Well, that's the law" (good or bad). One has a duty to not abide by unjust and absurd laws. "An unjust law is no law." This one us simply about added revenue.

reply to post by Liquesence


As you wish. Why not see if you can make girl scouts exempt from this particular law in your hometown?
They might quite possibly pass something........Particularly as it becomes more dangerous to go from door to door, as we used to do.

Thats crazy,

It goes to show you how narrow headed and dull minded cops there are.

There are plenty of goods police officers but this is just pathetic to arrest some girl scouts, they were hardly a immiadte threat.

I can agree with a "move along" or a verbal warning stating they need a licence to sell in a public place,
arresting is just way overboard.

Think of it on the bright side, they may get a badge for visiting a police station or something!

The city's police chief and mayor spoke with the officer. They say he did nothing wrong and that it was a misunderstanding. The troop now has a permit to sell. And to smooth things over, the city is offering the scouts a pizza party.

Legally. The cop did his job, I suppose. How commendable. But if he was any kind of human at all, he would have helped them understand the situation, and nicely told them what they could do. I'm surprised the TSA didn't get called in to search the little vermin.

But they made it up to them in the end, right? So its all ok now. And the cop gets a pat on the back for being such a good boy. Now he can go harrass the cub scouts.

Originally posted by ladyinwaiting
reply to post by Liquesence

 

As you wish. Why not see if you can make girl scouts exempt from this particular law in your hometown?
They might quite possible pass something........

Said incident did not occur in my town, but i am sure the cops here would be right there buying some cookies.

The reason for the post is awareness, and change begins with awareness, especially in such silliness as this. Perhaps other people, seeing the absurdity, will then be vigilant to start the process of changing some of these laws and local ordinances, and perhaps awaken to public to how these things are handled by the LEO and their attitudes to them.

I wish all cops, before using their authority, would just ask themselves "What would Sheriff Andy Taylor do?" And then proceed accordingly. There are times to enforce the "law" and times when it is better for the community to bend it a little. Too many times "Standard Operating Procedure" doesn't produce the best outcome.

reply to post by Liquesence


My friggin hero. Thank God there are men like this protecting us from those frightening and vicious girlscouts. The idiot must feel real big and bad harassing girlscouts.

Edit: if that cop had nothing better to do than frighten some girlscouts, then I submit that is one less cop the taxpayers need to pay for.