It’s a joke, but that shit was serious. Imagine a squad of heavily armed men showing up and demanding to sleep in your house, eat your food, and potentially steal your things and sexually assault you or your family members. And if you refuse or resist, they will still do all of those things but assault or kill you.
That’s how this worked in Europe for much of history and for America.
I dream of the day when someone tries to challenge the evidence of a police search based on the Third Amendment:
“Your honor, I move to dismiss the mountain of evidence obtained from my client’s alleged “drug lab of the gods” based on the local PD’s violation of my client’s Third Amendment rights! As you know, the alleged drug lab took several days for the police to process through, and in that time, they violated my client’s rights! First, they were heavily militarized, decked out entirely in gear completely unfit for peace officers and only fit for soldiers. Therefore they should count as “troops” under the Third Amendment. And, during the search, they quartered themselves in my client’s home! Two of them stole snacks from the fridge, and one took a short nap on my client’s couch. These troops were quartering themselves, in peace time, in my client’s home. Therefore, all evidence from the search must be declared inadmissible!”
Now, if heavily armed men show up at my door demanding these things, I can say “I’m afraid that’s unconstitutional my guy!” And they will go " Oh shit I’m sorry I totally spaced on 3A!" And they will leave my belongings and wife alone.
It’s also worth noting that soldiers were the cops at the time of the third amendment, so it’s not even just about soldiers, but law enforcement more broadly (or at least it was at the time). That framing makes its position between the second and the fourth make more sense.
Yeah, and watching our federal government unleash troops on our own cities the past year and a half has made me more thankful of this amendment than I’d ever been before.
It’s a joke, but that shit was serious. Imagine a squad of heavily armed men showing up and demanding to sleep in your house, eat your food, and potentially steal your things and sexually assault you or your family members. And if you refuse or resist, they will still do all of those things but assault or kill you.
That’s how this worked in Europe for much of history and for America.
The comparison to today’s cops/ICE would seem to indicate that it’s the sleeping and eating that are the problem in that scenario.
I dream of the day when someone tries to challenge the evidence of a police search based on the Third Amendment:
“Your honor, I move to dismiss the mountain of evidence obtained from my client’s alleged “drug lab of the gods” based on the local PD’s violation of my client’s Third Amendment rights! As you know, the alleged drug lab took several days for the police to process through, and in that time, they violated my client’s rights! First, they were heavily militarized, decked out entirely in gear completely unfit for peace officers and only fit for soldiers. Therefore they should count as “troops” under the Third Amendment. And, during the search, they quartered themselves in my client’s home! Two of them stole snacks from the fridge, and one took a short nap on my client’s couch. These troops were quartering themselves, in peace time, in my client’s home. Therefore, all evidence from the search must be declared inadmissible!”
Damn it’s crazy how they used to act like Israelis
Now, if heavily armed men show up at my door demanding these things, I can say “I’m afraid that’s unconstitutional my guy!” And they will go " Oh shit I’m sorry I totally spaced on 3A!" And they will leave my belongings and wife alone.
Laws are about recourse, not prevention.
Which is why there is a section on your tax form to report bribes.
Obviously no one does, it’s just something else they can throw at you when they catch you.
The IRS doesn’t give a shit if you accept a bribe, they just want their cut. Income is income, no matter the source.
Technically speaking, accepting a bribe is not illegal in most cases, just unethical always.
It’s also worth noting that soldiers were the cops at the time of the third amendment, so it’s not even just about soldiers, but law enforcement more broadly (or at least it was at the time). That framing makes its position between the second and the fourth make more sense.
Yeah, and watching our federal government unleash troops on our own cities the past year and a half has made me more thankful of this amendment than I’d ever been before.
Also recent House of the Dragon episode highlights the problems with quartering soldiers