I am always amazed when the average citizen freely gives up their rights to privacy and over all, basic unimpeeded activities, so that the police can randomly search citizens who have shown no sign of committing a crime and caused no reason for suspicion. Once again the free American allows a police state in where the civil servant becomes the MASTER in order to "protect" or "prevent" us from being the victim of or causing crime. It is a gross violation of my rights to force me to stop what I am doing to be inspected by police for no reason other than a random check for the purposes of crime prevention.
Many out there, and more so on the Conservative side, defend these actions claiming if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear. The other aspect is the respect the conservative movement gives the police and the pedestal they are placed on that allows their train of thought to leave the realm of liberty, and move into the realm of crime prevention by intrusion. They site the number of DUI arrests, illegals caught, and unlicensed drivers found as the reason these checkpoints are so necessary. Statistics on the amount of deaths due to DUI accidents and incidents involving unlicensed drivers are used to support these stops.
I can see how the people who support these measures make their case, but again I believe their logic comes from a skewed ideal and inconsistant view of governments role. Conservativism mandates that the rights of the people and the limit of governments remain at the highest priority. The smaller, less impeeding the government, the better. However, as I have pointed out before, this argument is only used against those who seek to expand social agendas through government. The conservative movement completely leaves the reservation when it comes to growing the military or police force beyond control.
It is beyond control!! There is no point or possibility for the American citizens today to rise up against tyranny. For every growth in military or the police state America goes farther down the path of tyranny. The fascism of the right wing in America is a dangerous road.
So police checkpoints. Just another measure to keep us "safe?" Again, what is your value system in regards to government? Are you a true conservative who believes that the government should remain small and completely unintrusive to the law abiding citizen? Is liberty America's gospel or is safety? Are you one of those who believes we should take a certain amount of risk in order to preserve freedom and limit government control? Personally I have absolutely no problem risking my life for liberty. That is what every police officer or military member should have understood when taking the oath. The average citizen needs to be willing to assume some risk to avoid becoming a police state.
Everytime the right wing comes out in support of preventative police measures and places the value of the civil servant and the safety of the citizen over the LIBERTY of the citizen, we have marched farther down the tyrannical road. The real debate needs to be on the topic of taking back our identity and deciding, do we believe in police crime PREVENTION or LAW ENFORCEMENT. One assumes an intrusive pre-crime role and can abuse every possibility of intrusion not specifically coverd by the Constitution, the other assumes a reactive state in which justice for the victim is granted by the State and done so in such a severe manner that crime is prevented because the justice for others serves as a deterant to the would be criminal.
The problem will not go away unless we rise up in one voice against these abuses of power. We must demand liberty over safety. We must also change the mindset in America to be once again on the side of the victim, not the criminal. The key to crime prevention is not the loss of civil liberties and the intrusion of law enforcement. The key to crime prevention is deterrence through swift and sever punishment of convicted criminals.
For Liberty!
No comments:
Post a Comment