A nation in fear is a nation controlled. The idea that regular folk should be made to feel like criminals for engaging in legal acts is one rooted in the tyranny and the terror seen in East Germany before the Berlin Wall was torn down. And yet this very concept is making a comeback through the able assistance of Representative Kathleen Rice (D-NY). She has launched legislation that will ultimately require every driver in the United States to undergo a biological test before getting behind the wheel.
The original bill (H.R. 3374) was initiated in July 2017, but went largely ignored by politicians and the media – until now. On May 30, Rice reintroduced the End Drunk Driving Act in a package with two other pieces of legislation. The basic premise is as sweeping as it is autocratic. She proposes that within ten years of the bill becoming law, no vehicle will be able to function before the driver takes, and passes, a built-in breathalyzer test. The law directs “the Department of Transportation to issue a final rule prescribing or amending a federal motor vehicle safety standard that would prevent operation of a motor vehicle when the operator is under the influence of alcohol.” It continues:
“Such standard shall:
- prevent the operation of the motor vehicle if the operator’s blood alcohol content is above the legal limit; and
- require the technology to be reliable and accurate, set at the legal limit, unobtrusive and fast, tamper-proof/circumvention-resistant, functionary in extreme environments, and easily maintained.”
While this may initially seem like a sensible method of deterring drunk driving, the fact that all drivers would essentially be forced to prove themselves innocent before being allowed to start their cars is a stark abuse of power. Liberty Nation’s Legal Affairs Editor Scott D. Cosenza had this to say regarding the legislation:
“Requiring preclearance of alcohol “intoxication” before operating a motor vehicle is an insidious invasion in the right to travel. That Ms. Rice’s legislation imposes on that right from an oblique angle, by requiring car makers to do her dirty work, is no comfort. This bill picks taxpayers’ pockets to subsidize their own electronic hall monitors, and both provisions run counter to the Constitution, and liberty.”
The technological “solutions” being proposed would involve breath testing every time a driver chooses to start a car – each time he or she wants to visit the grocery store or take the kids to school. What will happen to this information, once gathered? (RELATED: Stay Safe On The Road With This Personal Breathalyzer)
Read more at Liberty Nation
Mark Angelides is Managing Editor of Liberty Nation.com. Hailing from the UK, he specializes in EU politics and provides a conservative/libertarian voice on all things from across the pond. During the Brexit Referendum campaign, Mark worked to promote activism, spread the message and secure victory. He is the editor and publisher of several books on Ancient Chinese poetry.
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