Government threatens man who plants flowers

[Quantum Windbag]

The part I don't get is why anyone thinks the government is on our side.

Please note, I am actually including the rationalization the government is using to justify threatening a man who is making things better just so the statists cannot claim I am biased by not including it. The government is still wrong.

“It’s sort of beyond the scope of what you would imagine some private citizen would do,” said Washington, D.C., Metro spokesman Dan Stessel of Henry Docter’s activities. Indeed. It’s not often that a husband, father of two, part-time lawyer, children’s book author, and collage artist finds time to plant flowers alongside subway stations. Yet, that’s exactly what Docter, affectionately nicknamed “the Phantom Planter” by approving fellow citizens, has done. He’s planted and tended more than 1,000 morning glories and other flowers he planted in barren flower boxes alongside escalators at the Dupont Circle subway station in downtown Washington.
Metro’s response to this public service? Threaten Docter with arrest, fines, and imprisonment.
This menace to public safety has been deliberately beautifying the Metro station surroundings since October 2012. But this is hardly the first time that Docter planted tulips and daffodils. Indeed, by his own admission, he is responsible for the planting of more than 40,000 flowers across the globe, from the Israeli embassy and Navy memorial in Washington to public spaces in Argentina, Spain, and Cambodia. What motivates this global recidivist? “Flowers are nature’s way of affirming how beautiful life can be,” Docter explains.
This June, Docter made the mistake of notifying Metro officials of his activities. He did so because he was concerned that they would confuse certain flowers he had planted with weeds and destroy them. Instead of thanking him, they told him—well, ordered him on pain of imprisonment—to stop his planting altogether. For his own safety. Because the service ramps that he uses to get to the boxes are narrow.

D.C. Metro officials charge man for planting flowers near Metro station.

 

[dilloduck]

The government is rife with people in jobs that mean nothing. They have to create some meaning in them or they would go nuts so they pretend they are important .

 

[R.C. Christian]

Plus, it doesn't help that he lives in that DC shit hole.

 

[Gracie]

Wish he would move to my town. We would welcome him with open arms.

 

[dilloduck]

Austin is uber liberal but they'd fine his ass for something. Water usage maybe