This page is dedicated to the issues that are erroding our freedom. It is not a sounding board for militia groups, anarchists, any political party, or other anti-government entity. In fact, I propose that it is not the police or governments fault at all. It's YOUR fault. They are doing what YOU told them to do because you are afraid.

• Assaults On Our Freedom

• DWI Road Blocks

The stated purpose of these "check points" (ROAD BLOCKS!) is to search for drunk drivers so that they may be prevented from harming themselves and others. Your fear of drunk drivers is being used to pry away just a little bit of your freedom, the freedom to travel unhindered by the government. They now have a foot in the door. Maybe next they will protect you by setting up "check points" in the doorways of bars and restaraunts, sporting events, house partys, etc... You may think I'm getting a little carried away, but they already take this opportunity to inspect drivers for their license, registration, and proof of insurance. If they weren't already allowed to stop you for the road block, they would not be allowed to stop you for any other reason without probable cause. It would be against the law! A violation of your rights! Inadmissable in court!

(I do not drink alcohol, take drugs (other than an occassional aspirin), am insured, registered, and the bearer of a valid license. My only concern with these road blocks is that they unfairly infringe upon the rights of the innocent.)

Re:  DWI road blocks, etc.

Unrestricted travel is indeed a basic human right.  I believe it is even
guarenteed by the Constitution.  However, driving a motor vehicle is not a
right, but a privilige.  The government requires that we be licensed to
drive motor vehicles.  If driving were a right, then even licensing would
be un-Constitutional.

That said, I think there are much more effective ways to battle the idiots
who feel that they have a right to kill others with their vehicles while
driving impared.  If people were really serious about wanting the
government to do something about drunk drivers, they would be willing to
pay the extra taxes for additional police officers to patrol the streets
and stop only those drivers that are disobeying the law.  In addition, they
could be apprehending other criminals and making the streets safer for us
law abiding citizens to walk at night.

Another option for funding the increase in officers would be a surrender of
the War on Drugs, and shifting the paradigm to requiring people to be
responsible for their own choices.  This later point would also assist in
the DWI problem:  the choice to drink and drive means having your privilige
to drive revoked for not using that privilige responsibly.

BTW, another area where we have allowed our basic civil right of illegal
search and seizure to be taken away:  airport security checks.


Anyway, my two cents worth,

Mike

• Curfews

Once they (your elected respresentatives) made you feel safer by putting up road blocks, they took the next logical step. Restricted travel for minors. I read somewhere that a justification for this was that 25% of some variety of crime was caused by criminals 18 years old and younger. Using that rationale, the next restriction (let's call it what it is, House Arrest) will be for those between the ages of 18 and 25. I bet that age group is making a significant contribution to the crime rate.

(Being 30-something, I am not (yet) affected by these curfews. I have fond memories of sitting under trees in local parks, looking at the stars, watching fire-flies, listening to crickets, and talking with friends. Will such memories be denied this generation?)

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