abstract
| - The Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects Americans "against unreasonable searches and seizures." It would seem, then, that the government would need a "reasonable" basis to ask anyone any question at all. Well, Buster, "it would seem" wrong! There is ample precedent for the government to ask a wide variety of questions, including:
* Have you bought health insurance that pays the full cost of smoking cessation counseling?
* Are you the nigger who robbed the gas station, or do you just look like him?
* May I rummage through the trunk of your car, or do you feel like waiting here for three hours for me to get a warrant?
* What was that noise? Did you hear that? Ensuring that such federal questions conform to a gigantic rulebook promulgated by the Question Authority is as natural an outgrowth of government as it is to ensure that each Interstate has fences to prevent jumping off bridges, sound barriers to facilitate vandalism, and sculptures to show our Support for the Arts. And it "employs" almost as many people.
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