I didn't think this was possible, but the war against drugs has reached a new level of disgusting. I'll keep the commentary low: the story speaks for itself. As CNN reports:
The nightmare began when police showed up at the house and arrested their 22-year-old son, Yianni, on drug charges -- $40 worth of heroin. Authorities say he was selling drugs out of the home. The Sourvelises say they had no knowledge of any involvement their son might have had with drugs.
A month-and-a-half later police came back -- this time to seize their house, forcing the Sourvelises and their children out on the street that day. Authorities came with the electric company in tow to turn off the power and even began locking the doors with screws, the Sourvelises say. Authorities won't comment on the exact circumstances because of pending litigation regarding the case.
Moreover, the Sourvelises family and their case of losing their shelter and livelihoods aer unfortunately anything but an outlier:
In two years, nearly 500 families in Philadelphia had their homes or cars taken away by city officials, according to records from Pennsylvania's attorney general.
Authorities use a civil forfeiture law that allows them to seize people's property when that property is connected to the sale of illegal drugs.
...
Philadelphia officials seized more than 1,000 houses, about 3,300 vehicles and $44 million in cash, totaling $64 million in civil forfeitures over a 10-year period, according to the lawsuit.
Was the 22 year-old at fault? Maybe. Did that justify taking away his home, upon which at least 3 people are dependent of, and the seizure of nearly 1000 homes of the same legal procedure? The answer to that should be clear.