By James Baxter, NMA President
United States Senators Shumer, Lautenberg, Udall and Reid recently told Apple, INC. that they don’t like applications on the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch that show the location of roadblocks—euphemistically referred to as “checkpoints.” They want Apple to shut down the roadblock apps because they allows motorists to avoid roadblocks (and the delays, intimidation, inconvenience, and harassment that this tactic personifies).
It’s ironic, just as we are on the cusp of yet another military campaign to protect human freedom and dignity in the world, that four heavy hitters in the ruling class come out in favor of an authoritarian tactic that reached its pinnacle in the heyday of the USSR and the Iron Curtain.
The roadblock’s unique philosophical foundation is based on the dubious legal theory that while it may not be permissible to violate one individual’s constitutional rights, it is permissible for the government to ignore an entire population’s constitutional rights, just as long as everybody is abused equally.
The police are not legally permitted to just randomly pull over motorists to “check their papers”, inspect the interior of their vehicles, or smell their breath. But, it’s legally permissible to pull everybody over (make them stop at a roadblock) to check their papers, inspect the interior of their vehicles and smell their breath???
Maybe this is standard operating procedure in Libya, but in the “land of the free and home of the brave?”
Here’s hoping you will contact Apple and these four Senators and tell them it’s the roadblocks that need to be shut down.
When that happens the roadblock apps will cease to exist—everybody wins!
You can send feedback to Apple here, here or here.
