Say Anything Blog

I've heard of sobriety check points, but this seems a bit ridiculous.

Nashville, Tennessee --- Highway enforcement efforts for the Independence Day weekend will focus on saving the lives of travelers. The Tennessee Highway Patrol will concentrate on stopping violations that are contributing factors in fatal crashes as part of its "Stay Alive in '05" campaign. Those offenses include speeding, drunk driving and distracted driving.

Department of Safety Commissioner Fred Phillips said, "We're working to reduce highway deaths in Tennessee by 10 percent by 2009. We will ticket any driver we see whose unlawful actions increase the chances of a fatal crash."

"Stay Alive in '05" activities include sobriety checkpoints and driver license checkpoints in all 95 counties. "By finding dangerous drivers before they cause a crash, we lessen the chances of fatalities on Tennessee roads," said Tennessee Highway Patrol Colonel Lynn Pitts.

Here's the fourth amendment to our nation's Constitution:

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Now tell me how stopping and inspecting a person who is otherwise traveling in a perfectly legal manner down a public road because they might be doing something wrong doesn't violate that amendment.