Here’s what wrong with government today.

John and Melissa McCafferty are parents and residents of Radnor Green, Delaware, a quiet suburban neighborhood. In their front yard was a basketball pole and hoop that had been there for 60 years.

Last fall the McCaffertys received a letter from DelDOT (Delaware Department of Transportation) informing them that the placement of the pole was in violation of state law by being within seven feet of the public street, and that the pole had to be removed. They were working with DE State Rep. Bryon Short to contest the removal of the pole due to alleged traffic violations.

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This is government run amuck. Removing private property from private citizens and denying them their first amendment right to free speech, in their own front yards. Tom Blythe must be happy, since he’s one of the few that complained about the poles in the first place. It seems that kids were actually using them to play basketball instead of other popular teen activities like fooling around, smoking pot, or shoplifting. According to Mr. Blythe, the kids were “making all kinds of noise and disturbing the peace.”

Source: The Stir

In addition to the ridiculousness of removing a basketball hoop that should have been grandfathered into the state legislation since it didn’t seem to be a problem for the last 60 years, the police not only lied to the homeowner about being able to keep the pole, but threatened them with arrest for taunting the workers tasked with removing it.

In this day and age, we’re surprised that the Radnor Green Police Department didn’t deploy a SWAT team and surveillance helicopters for the basketball hoop recovery mission.

The entire incident was caught on tape:

Hat tip The Intel Hub