Police power to stop vehicles for seat belt violations fough

[Alan K]

Seat belt advocates were dismayed yesterday when the vote resulted in a 76 to 76 tie vote and therefore failed to pass.

Cradle to grave champions have vowed to renew the fight until they win.

For now that chunk of the constitution preventing police detainment for public safety reasons, has not been eroded.

That little man with a long black leather coat, wide brimmed black hat and round gold rimmed glasses, who detained people on the streets of Berlin, Germany in World War Two, and held out his hand saying "Visa", would role over in his grave at this defeat.

Maybe the message was in the numbers of the vote. Was this 76 to 76 vote an affirmation of what took place in 1776 to preserve the long fought for Constitution?

We have kicked this one around before in this forum and in Panther's Tough Issues, and I for one have tried to rationalize the fact that with many exceptions, seat belts are life and limb savers.

However, I believe that I have the right to make the decision of whether or not I want to be stopped by police for a law which poltroons have voted in my best interest.

What is heartening to me is the fact that the consequences of such a bill was well considered by the legislative body despite the not so well thought out body of advocates had made such a public furor.

It does not take a professor of Constitutional Law to figure out how easy it will be to for LEO's to make massive searches and road stops for whatever reason they feel.

With tinted glass on moving vehicles (and I don't mean the ordinary type not the limo)
police will need to get up close to view for suspicious offenders.

What about at night?

Well I have a solution!

Let's champion a bill that will require the use of a light on the roof of a vehicle which say "seat belt on or seat belt off", much like taxi cabs. The seat belts would activate the appropriate light.

Would this not solve the problem?

When Court opens in many Massachusetts Courts, the Court Officer (Bailiff) entones, "Hear ye, Hear ye, Hear ye; all persons having business before the Honorable Justices of the (name of the court), draw near, give your attendance and you shall be heard." and the last sentence spoken before all are seated is "God save the Commonwealth of Massachusetts".

I do hope that when the battle resumes, people will have thought out their constitutional rights to be free of "Bills of Detainer" and really consider the consequences when they ask their Representatives or Senators to enact any legislation which involves even a threat to one's freedom.

Alan K



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"The Goddess of Justice is Blind"