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Home Science Under Attack In Massachusetts
Slashdot News ^ | 12 August 2008

Posted on 08/13/2008 7:13:32 AM PDT by yankeedame

Home Science Under Attack In Massachusetts

An anonymous reader tips a guest posting up on the MAKE Magazine blog by the author of the Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry Experiments. It seems that authorities in Massachusetts have raided a home chemistry lab, apparently without a warrant, and made off with all of its contents. Here's the local article from the Worcester Telegram & Gazette.

"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...

"Pamela Wilderman, the code enforcement officer for [the Massachusetts town of] 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.'"


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: Massachusetts
KEYWORDS: banglist; chemistry; deeb; fourthamendment; govwatch; leo; lp; makemagazine; makers; makezine; massachusetts; propertyrights; science; wod
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1 posted on 08/13/2008 7:13:32 AM PDT by yankeedame
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To: yankeedame

Before any conclusion can be made about what happened we would have to know what kind of experiments were going on.


2 posted on 08/13/2008 7:15:53 AM PDT by Bob J (For every 1000 hacking at the branches of evil, one strikes at it's root.)
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To: yankeedame
...Pamela Wilderman, the code enforcement officer for [the Massachusetts town of] Marlboro stated, 'I think Mr. Deeb has crossed a line somewhere...

Unbelievable. Mr.Deeb should sue the crap out of the city and Ms. Wilderman.

3 posted on 08/13/2008 7:16:36 AM PDT by FReepaholic (Me no bottom man. Me top man.)
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To: yankeedame

Everyone knows you must have papers from the State to insure you are only conducting state approved experiments. Zhere ar places for zees peeple where they must be re-educated !!! Wha.... Oh I lost my head for a second.


4 posted on 08/13/2008 7:21:05 AM PDT by ladtx ( "Never miss a good chance to shut up." - - Will Rogers)
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To: Bob J
He could have been making crystal meth by the barrel, but if the "apparently without a warrant" is true then it will get tossed by the first sane judge it comes in front of.

What's next, raiding someone's garage metalworking shop because it could be used to make guns?

5 posted on 08/13/2008 7:22:01 AM PDT by KarlInOhio (Whale oil: the renewable biofuel for the 21st century.)
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To: yankeedame
One of my childhood favorites:

The Golden Book of Chemistry Experiments

6 posted on 08/13/2008 7:30:07 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (Public policy should never become the captive of a scientific-technological elite. -- Ike Eisenhower)
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To: yankeedame
"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.'"

I wonder what the code enforcement Nazis would think about teaching kids all about evil chemicals and other scary science stuff.


7 posted on 08/13/2008 7:31:49 AM PDT by Ditto (Global Warming: The 21st Century's Snake Oil)
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To: KarlInOhio

Or anyone’s kitchen. My fridge has the occasional “biology experiment” and my stove top has daily demonstrations of liquid to gas when I make tea.


8 posted on 08/13/2008 7:31:57 AM PDT by PrincessB ("I am an expert on my own opinion." - Dave Ramsey)
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To: yankeedame

Shouldn’t Marlboro be more concerned with deporting it’s large illegal immigrant population?


9 posted on 08/13/2008 7:35:09 AM PDT by Andy'smom
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To: KarlInOhio
What's next, raiding someone's garage metalworking shop because it could be used to make guns?

Already being done. If you get raided by the Feebies looking for "silencer parts" or "conversion devices", better make sure you don't have fender washers, scrap lengths of iron pipe, or fiberglass matting laying around.

10 posted on 08/13/2008 7:35:34 AM PDT by Dead Corpse (What would a free man do?)
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To: PrincessB

What is “customary home occupation”. A Man and a Woman living together in Marriage perhaps?


11 posted on 08/13/2008 7:39:30 AM PDT by massgopguy (I owe everything to George Bailey)
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To: Andy'smom
Shouldn’t Marlboro be more concerned with deporting it’s large illegal immigrant population?

Are you saying the Marlboro FD shouldn't have come to his home to put out the fire?

12 posted on 08/13/2008 7:40:05 AM PDT by ColdWater
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To: Bob J

Read the linked article to see that nothing more serious or generally considered hazardous than kitchen chemicals were found; the city just felt that such an enterprise ran afoul of the local zoning rules concerning home-based businesses - even though they agreed there was no evidence of a profit making nature.

Couldn’t such a decision be made and the same actions taken against home-brewed biofuels, as well?

Or perhaps a small wine or beer making project; the imagination soars.


13 posted on 08/13/2008 7:40:48 AM PDT by Old Professer (The critic writes with rapier pen, dips it twice, and writes again.)
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To: Bob J

Maybe he was making a nuclear reactor. Been done before ...

http://www.dangerouslaboratories.org/radscout.html


14 posted on 08/13/2008 7:42:06 AM PDT by MeanWestTexan ("Jesse Jackson was an important figure; paving the way for Osama bin Laden to appear" -- Dan Rather)
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To: yankeedame
What this is, is a war between intellectualy accomplished professionals and social workers with bachelors degrees who could never have made it in private industries or academia because they are essentially complete idiots with a badge.

I am a firm supporter of the notion that we are a de-evolving culture. An Idiocracy.

15 posted on 08/13/2008 7:42:32 AM PDT by blackdog
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To: KarlInOhio

It’s bulletproof, no charges filed, ergo, no court case.

Maybe a civil suit for an illegal taking.


16 posted on 08/13/2008 7:42:47 AM PDT by Old Professer (The critic writes with rapier pen, dips it twice, and writes again.)
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To: ColdWater

What did the fire have to do with the chemicals?

A window air-conditioner smoking will burn very little and self-extinguish when the power cord is pulled; the smoke was two floors above the lab.


17 posted on 08/13/2008 7:49:04 AM PDT by Old Professer (The critic writes with rapier pen, dips it twice, and writes again.)
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To: yankeedame

Freedom under attack in Massachusetts. When ARE the American people going to WAKE UP?


18 posted on 08/13/2008 7:52:47 AM PDT by hedgetrimmer
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To: Old Professer

Interesting how the “fire” in the article became “smoke” in your post ...


19 posted on 08/13/2008 7:54:11 AM PDT by ColdWater
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To: Old Professer
I know it's fiction, but do you remember the scene in Ghostbusters where the municipal inspector decides to get awnry over tose things of which he knows nothing about?

A very true and typical reaction of most agencies both local and federal.

20 posted on 08/13/2008 7:55:40 AM PDT by blackdog
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