It is about FREEDOM

I watched some video of previous Jefferson County Council meetings regarding these compliance checkpoints. What I heard from County Executive Ken Waller was very troubling. In his justification for it he quoted from a Supreme Court ruling:

“There was compelling Government interest in that DWI checkpoints were a means of advancing that interest.
1) The state had a compelling interest in preventing drunk driving.
2) Use of sobriety checkpoints were effective in achieving that goal.
3) The level of intrusiveness on individual liberty was slight.”

There is no such thing as being a little pregnant. The woman either is or is not pregnant. The same can be said with the people’s liberties. There is no such thing as violating someone’s right to travel freely on and about our roads without being stopped at a checkpoint, when they are not doing anything wrong. Violating the people’s rights just a little bit does not make it right.

Waller also justified the checkpoints because these checkpoints have been done in the past. What? Just because people’s freedom has been violated in the past, does not make it right to do it in the future. The Fourth Amendment states: “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.”

County Executive Waller, the council members as well as the Sheriff take an oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution. They are in breach of that oath when they violate the people’s rights, even if it is just a “little bit.” What I would like to see the Jefferson County Council do is to enact an ordinance making it clear that these checkpoints violate the Constitution and make these checkpoints illegal to set up.