What the HELL is this about?

[Subdivisions]

My tinfoil antenae are going berserk:

http://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_6922089">Alcohol surveys spur complaints

The Gilpin County Sheriff's Office was apologizing Monday after a weekend effort to help a research group led to complaints about what appeared to be a DUI checkpoint - but wasn't.

Sheriff's officials who participated in the stops now acknowledge that the nonprofit organization requesting voluntary DUI and drug tests from drivers was overly persistent, according to complaints.

"It was like a telemarketer that you couldn't hang up on," said Gilpin County Undersheriff John Bayne.

Sgt. Bob Enney said deputies assisted the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation in stopping motorists at five sites along Colorado 119 for surveys on any drug and alcohol use. Surveyors then asked the motorists to voluntarily submit to tests of their breath, blood and saliva. At least 200 drivers were tested, Enney said. About five motorists later complained, he said.

-snip-

Aggressive collection of DNA samples on the premise of studying drug and alcohol use among the populace? The use of coersion and ridicule in order to shame people into providing bodily fluid samples?

WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON IN THIS COUNTRY?

[subsuelo]

1. It's not 2007

It's 1984

[acmavm]

2. Okay, somebody needs to file some civil rights violations complaints

and do it yesterday.

[HereSince1628]

3. You just noticed this ain't the country that built your father's first Buick.

You noticed it on your own and that's good. That awareness comes on most people like being shocked out of a pleasant dream by their own snoring.

[hobbit709]

4. Conditioning

They want to condition you to this kind of crap. Next, they'll want to inoculate you for some disease you never heard of.

[valerief]

5. Ah, Colorado. The aspens are turning...

[drm604]

6. I honestly think

that the reason for this was exactly what they are saying it was. That said, this was an incorrect and abusive method of doing it.

If nothing else, it's scientifically incorrect because the survey subjects were extremely self selected. Anyone on alcohol or drugs would refuse the testing, so the survey results are worthless.

Where did you see mention of DNA samples? I couldn't find that in the article.

[tekisui]

8. DNA is found in the samples they collected.

[drm604]

13. I understand that,

but Texas Explorer seemed to be questioning why they were collecting DNA samples. This assumes that they were collecting samples for the purpose of analyzing the DNA. I saw no mention of that in the article and see no reason to assume that.

What possible use could they have for random DNA samples from a couple of hundred drivers in Colorado? If they wanted to surreptitiously collect DNA from blood samples there's plenty of material readily available in any VA hospital.

The most likely explanation for this is that it is exactly what it seems. A well meaning scientific survey that was done in an unscientific, abusive, and illegal manner.

I'm not defending it. I just think people are being a little paranoid about it. That's understandable in the current atmosphere. But we need to spend time on the real dangers instead of looking for things that probably aren't there.

[JTFrog]

9. This company does

"biomarker profiles" of people who drink and drive. Here are your DNA samples:

Surveyors then asked the motorists to voluntarily submit to tests of their breath, blood and saliva.

Services they provide (from their website): "...evaluation of interlocks and technologies for control and prediction of impaired driving, evaluation of sobriety checkpoints, development of alcohol biomarker profiles of DUI offenders, conducting national roadside surveys of impairment,..."

I'm all for cracking down on drunk drivers, but not for being randomly harassed and cataloged.

[HereSince1628]

10. Or maybe they wanted to know something else...

like how many people would submit to authority and willingly surrender to it. In that case they got EXACTLY what they wanted.

[kestrel91316]

18. You get the gold star this time. Right on.

[valerief]

21. Makes the most sense to me. Very logical conclusion. nt

[tularetom]

7. Baaaaa baaaaa - only 5 motorists out of 200 complained

WTF is wrong with us. Do people really believe this "If you haven't done anything wrong you don't have anything to hide" bullshit? Do they just not understand the implications of something like this? Maybe it isn't just the Senate Democrats who have had spine-ectomies in this country.

[Echo In Light]

11. Precisely...Exactly

Irrational attitudes of submission to authority.

[rabies1]

12. Don't tase me bro for just speaking my mind. Free speech? Bah!

Blackwater standing over Katrina victims ready to shoot?
(Why the hell didn't they just bring water or food)?
The press sent to "free speech zones."
The abuse of power is running rampant in this country.
I swear the public is also getting used to this Ann Colter 'hate' mentality.
They acquiesce to ANYONE in authority like frightened mice.
Let's hope it's not too late to speak up about this garbage.

[Echo In Light]

14. Ten Historical Steps To Fascism

1)Invoking an external and internal threat
2)Establishing secret prisons
3)Developing a paramilitary force
4)Surveiling ordinary citizens
5)Infiltrating citizens' groups
6)Arbitrarily detaining and releasing citizens
7)Targeting key individuals
8)Restricting the press
9)Casting criticism as "espionage" and dissent as "treason"
10)Subverting the rule of law

[rabies1]

17. Which one of these things ISN'T happening now?

I can think of examples in EVERY case.

We should all join the protest march Sept. 29th in DC.
This is too scary for us NOT to fight it.

[kestrel91316]

19. Ding ding ding!!!! Amurka wins!!! Scores on all ten pointers!!!

[BlackVelvet04]

15. Why was the citizen paid police department

assisting a private company with research? What did the police department get out of this?

[kestrel91316]

20. Who says it's really a private company?

I suspect it was Bushco government thugs in costume. This was a GOVERNMENT operation.

[terisan]

16. Have you checked out this organization? I think there is something weird here.

Why would police allow and participate? Who made that decision?

[monmouth]

22. I wonder if MADD gave some financial backing to this. n/t

[tom_paine]

23. What do you think is going on?!?

Not too much to worry about. Just something deeply psyologically and linguistically and philsophically close to this.

http://www.amazon.com/Will-Bear-Witness-1933-1941-Paperbacks/dp/0375753788

[MatrixEscape]

24. Doesn't modern education ...

tend to begin that cycle?

There is sometimes a fine line between questioning and even resisting authority, and cooperating with it. That requires discernment via critical thinking, and the confidence to resist tyranny, Fascism, and oppression.

Now what happens if you do not cooperate with the system from Kindergarten up to college? It seems that acculturation is about making good little, cooperative robots and truly believe that resistance is not only futile, it is dangerous and counterproductive.

One of the few places that youth can get a good sense of proportion when it comes to these matters is from parents and educators who hold this notion highly -- above just intelligence and knowledge, but in the realms of Wisdom.

As long as total and unquestioned compliance is held sacred, while critical thinking and interactive responsibility is ignored or prohibited, then it is not surprising that our culture is actually geared towards manufacturing the consent.

We are allowing the creation of mass of collective drones that serve the system that shapes and molds their thinking, behavior, and even their values, wants, and deepest desires. That's a hard habit to break, just as giving up television and other modern opiates can be.