Saturday, August 30, 2008

Time To Draw The Line On Drawing Blood


Police in Texas have been drawing blood from DWI suspects. I discussed this in an earlier post. This recent news story brought up an even more disturbing reality:

“Chief Waybourn said that if a person refuses to give blood, officers will then get a search warrant that gives police the authority to use any "reasonable" force to obtain the blood, including physical restraint”

A search warrant allows the state to “search” your body to obtain requisite bodily fluids? Does anyone see the precedent this pronouncement sets? What other materials inside your body can the state legally procure by way of a search warrant?
  • Can they now obtain feces from your colon to determine whether you’ve been eating any banned or unhealthy foods such as transfats or outlawed vitamin supplements?

  • Can they now obtain urine directly from your bladder if you refuse to pee in a cup for a drug test?

  • Can they now use a search warrant to restrain you (i.e., tie you down) and forcibly obtain eggs from your ovaries or sperm from you testicles to satisfy whatever perverted curiosity the state feels a need to satisfy?

  • When the technology allows, will a search warrant allow the state to probe your brain to identify any subversive thoughts or embarrassing memories?
The search warrant appears to be the state’s new magic key to unlock the few remaining barriers the individual has against privacy invasion and physical abuse.

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