Civil Forfeiture: The Government’s Way of Stealing Private Property

The great nation of the United States of America has been a major symbol of power for a long time. Most people dream of living in the U.S. as it offers excellent lifestyle, a free and democratic government. But despite of its status as a leading icon for excellence, there are also various issues faced by the government that most people are not aware of. The government should be responsible in upholding the rights of every citizen. What is happening now is a culture shift where abuses have dominated and overshadowed service.

Not many people may be aware of it, but there have been many instances where government officials or workers are abusing the power of the government to confiscate or literally steal the property of an ordinary citizen. In the United States, there is a basic principle which tells everyone that a citizen is assumed innocent until he/she is proven guilty. But in today’s situation, that basic principle has been turned upside down.

It is very shocking to hear the existence of civil forfeiture which has dealt a significant degree of damage to citizens of the nation. With civil forfeiture, a property is confiscated and assumed guilty until you prove it to be innocent. For example, Margaret Davis is a 77 year old woman living alone who leaves her home open so that her neighbors may freely check on her anytime. One day, drug dealers who were chased by policemen entered her house and left some of their illegal belongings. The government then confiscated her house without any reasonable and legal reason. The federal government gets to keep it until she is able to prove its innocence. Now can Margaret, an old and sick woman, still have the capability to defend her house?

In Louisiana, there were several policemen who planted several crimes on private properties of innocent people. Those crimes never really happened and. The proceeds they gained were reportedly used to fund their ski trip to Aspen. Even though they were caught, it is still alarming to hear that U.S. public servants are the ones who steal people’s property and commit these unacceptable crimes. It is reported that the federal government is now holding billions of dollars in assets and properties seized through civil forfeiture.

The above examples are a testament to the growing number of abuses from government workers. The existence of civil forfeiture is plaguing the lives of thousands or even millions of innocent American citizens who are being tricked by supposed to be public servants. Because of this, U.S. citizens are now even more confused on who really to trust. The government should protect the properties of its citizen and not plunder it. Government abuses and corruption is really very rampant. But if people are really determined to erase this unacceptable behavior in the government, they should start during the electoral process.