State police raid of Narragansett smoke shop turns violent! (Jack-Booted Thug Alert!)

The Providence Journal Online ^ | 07/14/2003 | Associated Press

[ItsOurTimeNow]

100% agreement, Dr. Warmoose

[general_re]

Last I checked the Narragansetts were listed as a sovereign nation...I thought that meant the State had no jurisdiction, only the Feds?

Tribal sovereignty is an absurdly complex area of the law, but the long and the short of it is that the exact extent of the Narragansetts' sovereignty depends on how their treaties and agreements with the Federal government are worded. There are more than 500 federally recognized Indian tribes in this country, and it's not at all an exaggeration to say that no two of them have exactly the same set of rights and powers when dealing with federal, state, and local governments - there are very few rules of thumb in this area, so the only way to know for sure who has jurisdiction over what is to go back to the treaties...

[ItsOurTimeNow]

Excellent! I was hoping someone would put this on the puff list.

I didn't know who to turn to.

[ItsOurTimeNow]

Thanks for the explnanation. I agree.

Here's to hoping the indians are better armed next time.

[Chancellor Palpatine]

A single pack is over 3 bucks now.

[Just another Joe]

Anytime you need a thread bunped to the Puff List you can contact myself, (and I'll speak for others) Gabz, or SheLion.

[ItsOurTimeNow]

Thanks! Will do!

Hopefully, the Narragansetts will see to it that this story gets loads of press.

[Joe Boucher]

Just think, while these dumbass cops are screwing the indians again, normal citizens are getting killed, robbed, raped and carjacked as well as many many other serious law infractions.
Hope they go home and are proud of their gestappo work.
What? Did the local 7-11 complain that the indians werre steeling customers? Did the govt. types think they were losing some revenue?
Govt. is in business to make money to further govt.

[ItsOurTimeNow]

For those of you interested in voicing your opinion/support to the tribe, you can contact them through their site:

http://www.narragansett-tribe.org

You can contact the Governor (Donald Carcieri - Republican) here:

http://www.governor.state.ri.us/

And the Attorney General (Patrick Lynch - Democrat) here:

http://www.state.ri.us/manual/data/queries/gen_.idc?EmployeeID=10

[TankerKC]

Quit when you finish those cartons and they'll never get another cent from you. </easier said than done>

[theDentist]

It sounds like they announced what they were planning to do (sell tax-free cigs) in hopes of some confrontation. If so, they got what they wanted. But this brings something else to mind... the gov't wants their tax monies from the sale of these cigarettes. If they are making money from selling cancer-causing agents, can't they, too, be sued?

[ItsOurTimeNow]

Did the govt. types think they were losing some revenue? Govt. is in business to make money to further govt.

Exactly my point in all of this.

It's my opinion that the only reason the state government fought them is because they were afraid of losing their cash cow.

[Conspiracy Guy]

Fair is not the issue. The Indians are exempt by Federal Law. Local gummit's got no bidness. Cigarette taxes are riddangdiculus and the local merchant should be fighting that.

[Conspiracy Guy]

That is true.

[ItsOurTimeNow]

My state tax dollars hard at work

[Conspiracy Guy]

Redangdiculus.

[kaktuskid]

But are they REAL Indians??

[tphil913]

Look at how all those tax evaders are resisting arrest! I'm surprised these dangerous thugs weren't shot on sight.

[sarcasm off]

[Joe Boucher]

You know what, Anyone that gets out of paying taxes is ok with me as govt. takes way too much of earned income to begin with. Don't care if it is for cigs. liquor or FICA.
About time for another real tea party.
Also about time for govt. thugs to quit being lackies for the collection of revenue.

[SheLion]

I found the following out, from another gentleman about this happening:

I see that the tribe agreed to a settlement in 1978 wherein they got land from the state and agreed that their land would be subject to state civil and criminal law. So it looks like the Indians screwed up, but I don't know if storming the place (which only opened on Saturday) is justified.