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bill352 · 03-09-2008, 13:20

This went to the Supreme Court in 1984 (Villamonte-Marquez decision, Justice Brennan dissenting, IIRC) They decided that, in US waters, any law enforcement officer (down to and including Barney Fife on a bass boat) may board and search your boat at any time, day or night, with no warrant and no probable cause. I remember this because it was the last time I wrote irate letters to editors and Congressmen about erosion of civil liberties.

Results? Well, anyone who has ever written to a Congressman will know how much good that does, so I won't even comment. But I remember specifically that the readership of Sail magazine and the membership of Boat US were all in favor of this. "If it saves just one life" and "If it keeps just one teenager off drugs" were the favorite justifications. It seems as if these phrases, now joined by "war on terror", are enough to make normally clear-headed citizens roll over and give up every liberty they've ever had.

My part of the story has a sort of happy ending, though. A few months after this, the Coasties and the locals locked down Boot Key harbor (I think it was) by land and sea and didn't let anyone leave until they had searched every boat. You could hear the screaming from the boating community as far north as Chicago, but, of course, they were hoist by their own, um, halyard. So I wrote another letter to Sail (which they printed, much to my surprise) stating that the sheep were getting what they deserved. Satisfying for me, disastrous for a free country.

Generally speaking, among those who think about such things, it is considered extremely dangerous for a free country to combine military and police powers in a single organization. I don't know if I agree with that, though. I mean, if it saves just one life...

03-09-2008, 13:20	#47
bill352 Registered User Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 25	Board and search This went to the Supreme Court in 1984 (Villamonte-Marquez decision, Justice Brennan dissenting, IIRC) They decided that, in US waters, any law enforcement officer (down to and including Barney Fife on a bass boat) may board and search your boat at any time, day or night, with no warrant and no probable cause. I remember this because it was the last time I wrote irate letters to editors and Congressmen about erosion of civil liberties. Results? Well, anyone who has ever written to a Congressman will know how much good that does, so I won't even comment. But I remember specifically that the readership of Sail magazine and the membership of Boat US were all in favor of this. "If it saves just one life" and "If it keeps just one teenager off drugs" were the favorite justifications. It seems as if these phrases, now joined by "war on terror", are enough to make normally clear-headed citizens roll over and give up every liberty they've ever had. My part of the story has a sort of happy ending, though. A few months after this, the Coasties and the locals locked down Boot Key harbor (I think it was) by land and sea and didn't let anyone leave until they had searched every boat. You could hear the screaming from the boating community as far north as Chicago, but, of course, they were hoist by their own, um, halyard. So I wrote another letter to Sail (which they printed, much to my surprise) stating that the sheep were getting what they deserved. Satisfying for me, disastrous for a free country. Generally speaking, among those who think about such things, it is considered extremely dangerous for a free country to combine military and police powers in a single organization. I don't know if I agree with that, though. I mean, if it saves just one life...