It constantly amazes me that the prohibitionist politicians out there aren’t satisfied with banning drugs, but they want to ban everything else as well, in the name of the drug war. Pipes, rolling papers, roach clips, a banner with “Bong Hits 4 Jesus” written on it, glass vases, coffee stirrers, look-alike substances, marijuana flavored candy, cigar wrappers, needles, cold medicines… you name it.
Now some politicians in North Carolina want to ban empty space. The Kinston Free Press is having none of it.
State Rep. Tim Moore, R-Cleveland, is well-intentioned, but seriously misguided when he proposes a new state law making it a felony for people to “have any compartment, space or box” in their vehicle for the purposes of hiding illegal items.
Let’s really think about this. If this law were passed, it would make it illegal to have empty space in your vehicle.
Empty space. Why could it possibly be the government’s business if you want to conceal something in your car? Some folks might want to hide sensitive documents, cash, legally possessed guns or a computer.
Moore says he filed the bill at the request of the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office, whose officers lament that sometimes they pull over vehicles after drugs have been delivered. That is, the secret compartment is empty. Sorry, folks, but this is not the way our country should work. Innocent until proven empty? Give us a break!
This is like saying, “Your car is capable of going 180 mph, so we’re going to charge you with speeding.”
Next up: going after people who have empty body cavities where they might hide drugs…