Big Brother Sprouts Up All Over

What's the deal with Big Brother at traffic stops? First we hear that the feds want data from traffic tickets in five Southeast Texas counties for some sort of ill-defined pilot program. Now CrimProf blog points to this New York Times article saying cops are gathering fingerprints at traffic stops in Phoenix, AZ. Giving the fingerprint is "voluntary," say the police. Yeah, right. When you're alone at a traffic stop with a cop who asks you to do something -- whether to give a fingerprint or let him search the car -- it never really feels like "asking," does it? Most people are too intimidated to refuse.

Meanwhile, Fuzzie checked in to say hello after my conversation with the Baron. When I went to check out his shop -- pahuntfishshoot.com -- I found this post about new federal requirements that applicants for state hunting and fishing licenses must give a social security number and answer questions about their child support status to be approved. So far, most of my friends actively defending the Second Amendment have pretty much let the Bush Administration off the hook for Big Brother expansion of government on the pretext of being tough on crime, though a few more began to express concerns about expanding police powers after 9/11. I wonder, though, how long they'll sit idly by as the government passes judgment on who is allowed to hunt and fish?