Jonesville, VA — Last week, the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) and the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission arrested a 73-year-old man for producing and selling moonshine.
Though “moonshine” conjures 1920s prohibition-era images of dangerously potent liquor brewed in bathtubs, the term simply refers to liquor produced without a license or unaged whiskey.
Winston Delano Terry of Jonesville, Virginia, now faces felony and misdemeanor charges following a four-month investigation that ultimately yielded 67 gallons of moonshine and 22 guns after authorities obtained a warrant to search his home.
The government insists moonshine is a threat to public safety, a claim bolstered by the fact that homemade liquor is more likely to have lead in it. As Slate has pointed out, “there’s no inspection of the manufacturing process, so quality — and levels of contamination — vary.” Even so, drinking moonshine is hardly a greater threat to the public than “legal” alcohol.
“Aside from drinking too much and doing something dumb — oh, like attacking somebody with a chain saw and fire extinguisher — the biggest risk is lead poisoning, since a homemade still might consist of car radiators or pipes that were dangerously soldered together,” Slate noted.
In other words, the greatest danger of moonshine is to the person who chooses to consume it, as with most other drugs — legal or not. Though authorities may insist they are doing a public service (NBC Washington reported that “ABC’s chief operating officer said the charges against Terry help protect public safety”), the primary reason moonshine is illegal is far less altruistic.
As Slate explained:
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12 comments:
Really? They are still enforcing this law?
Not good...
All about taxes.
In other words, the state wants it's liquor tax money
They only reason they can claim lead poisoning as a potential problem is because it was banned when most people didn't realize the dangers of lead. If it was legal in today's society NO ONE would be using lead in their still.
He's not hurting anybody, but the State wants their cut if he sells it. That's what this is all about.
And yes, he had 23 pairs of socks, too which i"m sure he used to filter the mash, making them as illegal as the booze.
I' can't really figure out how the 22 guns were used in processing the booze, though. maybe he somehow strung the barrels together to make the tubes for the still?
Why are the guns even an issue here? If he's never had a felony charge, they are perfectly legal and untouchable unless he was holding guns to customers heads to make then buy something. Owning guns is not a crime. 23 pairs of socks, though? well we will find out at the trial!
What a bunch of baloney!
Exactly.
Government is an extortion racket.
The reason we are arresting you is because your moonshine contains high levels of lead. Oh okay, I understand.
Just wait until MSP start pulling people over coming from the liquor stores in Delmar for evading MD tax. PA does it just north of Wilmington around the holidays when people are buying trunk loads of alcohol for parties.
We are a nation of laws. Pick and choose which ones you will follow and BAM! You’re a felon.
6:29 is the head of the local cheerleader group.
HE thinks we are a "nation of laws". LOL!!!!!!!
We have
TWO SETS OF LAWS.
Maybe he should take a closer look at his "leaders", who, without question are the BIGGEST criminal gang in history. They OPENLY and arrogantly lie, cheat, steal, mismanage trillions of dollars, LOSE TRACK of hundreds of billions, enrich their friends and families (at the expense of you-know-who), exempt themselves from the laws used to put "we, the people" in PRISON, send OUR kids to war (to protect THEIR money), and continually find new ways to take more of OUR things.
Rome fell. Russia fell. France fell. Name ANY country in history -- just one is all -- where the rich and powerful started doing what they do here in the USA and they DIDN'T have a revolution or civil war to return balance to society. Just one is all.
You better be getting ready.
And "getting ready" doesn't mean making a new protest sign about "oppression".
Want to see oppression? Look up what Mao did to his people after he took power.
Keep cheering.
Good rant. Everything is ok if the govment gets its cut. Look at heroin. The only reason its so rampant is the govment is making a killing on legal pills. Follow the money. Some home made sour mash isn't an issue. You think someone making shine doesn't drink their own batch? Come on. Why would they want to use old beat materials to make shine in when they drink it too. Watch the setup be all tig welded stainless then tell us the law is because lead could be in it.
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