God Bless Texas

Despite Texans' tough talk about individual rights, the Lone Star State isn't afraid to take them away when it wants to. Case in point: get pulled over on suspicion of driving under the influence in certain Texas counties, and the police will take your blood whether you like it or not.

It's called the "No Refusal" program, and it's designed to "streamline the blood drawing process", something that it does quite well. Here's how it works: you're pulled over and suspected of driving while intoxicated. The police take you downtown and ask you, on videotape, to take a breathalyzer test. They don't tell you that if you refuse, a nurse, or sometimes the police themselves, will get a warrant from a judge who is on call specifically for the purpose, and take your blood anyway, using whatever force is required.

In a related story, Texas continues to take the DUI crime and their battle against it seriously. Earlier this month, a Texan was sentenced to 60 years in prison for his 10th DUI conviction since 1979. This guy had previous convictions for DUI (9 of 'em), as well as theft, assault, and forgery.

God Bless Texas!