This is a raid, little girl, so hand over your lemons

Really, Tulare, California? Tell me you didn't just do that.

Eight-year-old Daniela Ernest wanted to raise money for a trip to Disneyland. So with the help of her parents, she set up a little fresh-squeezed lemonade stand at a busy intersection. It was a lovely little lesson about working hard for a goal. That is, while it lasted.

Unfortunately, a callous city code enforcement officer, Richard Garcia, decided he'd make it a lesson of his own about the cold, senseless reach of bureaucracy. While he was in the area tearing down signs someone had put up to sell their tetherball poles, he shut Ernest down for not having the proper permits. Thoughtfully, he helped her put her ice chest into her family's car.

I know cities are increasingly desperate for the income that permits bring in, but really, Tulare? You had to go after a third-grader engaging in one of the most time-honored coming-of-age traditions of the American suburbs?