Texas Sobriety Checkpoints?: MADD vs. Freedom

Mothers Against Drunk Driving just cannot be pleased.

Years ago, they started with a good and noble agenda, to toughen laws against drunk drivers, especially repeat drunk drivers. And MADD had a large degree of success for which they are to be commended.

But, like many do-gooder groups, there is never enough; there is no pleasing them. They proceeded to push to raise the drinking age to 21, a cause which had only a tangential relevance to drunk driving. And when there were a few states that dared say no, MADD used the power of the federal government to impose a 21 drinking age nationwide. States that refused to raise their drinking age would not get federal highway funds. And MADD succeeded in trashing states’ rights for their holy cause.

But that was not enough. MADD pushed to get legal DWI limits lowered again and again, so that now Texas (and I think all states) has a limit of .08. That is ridiculous. Two beers is enough to put many over that limit. So now someone who drinks lightly and is driving well is under fire.

But that still is not enough for the MADD Mothers. Now they are pushing to bring sobriety checkpoints to Texas. Yes, I know most states have them. But randomly stopping and interrogating drivers without probable cause is wrong, period. The Constitution has something to say about that.

By the way, much of the news reporting on this story is little more than MADD propaganda. Check out here and here for samples of that.

There are a lot of things dealing with the roads that are wrong and dangerous. Drivers who do not use their turn signals and yak away on their cell phones cause more danger and aggravation on the roads every day than drunk drivers. But none of these offenses justify turning Texas into a police state where you can be pulled over and interrogated without probable cause. If someone is driving like crap for whatever reason, then, yes, pull them over. (And a pet peeve of mine is that speeders get pulled over, but rarely other types of bad drivers. But that is another rant.) But if you do not have reason to pull me over, then LEAVE ME ALONE.

So I got news for the MADD mothers and their Momma’s boys. Texas is NOT a police state. And us Texans prize and defend our freedoms. So back away from my freedom . . . or else!

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As for my good readers, may you have a happy and safe New Year. And tonight, watch out, not only for the drunk drivers, but also for the police. DWI laws are so draconian already in pretty much all the states that even light drinkers who drive carefully have to watch out. You can thank MADD for that.

Two tips that have served me well: Don’t wait too long after midnight to drive home. The longer you wait, the more drunks are on the road. And consider keeping that midnight glass of champagne very small or non-alcoholic.