Roadblocks?! Roadbollocks!

(kudos to Gabriel for the title)

Recently I've been reading about a whole bunch of people randomly having their vehicles stopped by some rather rude, armed men and being searched. Sounds very much like the work of thugs, which they are mind you, but these particular thugs have uniforms and authorisation from the government.

I'm told it's been going on for a few years, the AFM interrupting ones innocent journey, searching for drugs, guns, knives, corpses, rape victims, drug lords, homosexuals, communists, Waldo, et cetera. They completely ignore the whole "presumption of innocence" thing and go with the French system, which is "presumption of guilt." Another reason to love the French. Anyway, they pull you out of your vehicle, they search you and the vehicle and they've been known to strip search you. You are not allowed to use your phone, protest, or even calmly and politely point out your rights. Question them in any manner, and they assume you're hiding something, not that you're being an active citizen and going all Gandhi on their asses.

Similar "stop and search" methods used by the UK police were declared illegal by the European Court of Human Rights, but as usual, in Malta, people are complacent and don't really give a damn. Well, I care so much that I'm gonna write about about, yeah! That'll show these damn fascists.

Now, where to start.

Ah, yes...

THIS AIN'T A FUCKING WAR-ZONE!

It's really the only time you'd find the army conducting roadblocks. What? Did the Gonz declare martial law? No he damn well didn't, so get off my ass before you find all that illegal shit I'm hid- I mean before I call my lawyer and have you all sent up to the Hague!

Secondly, just cause I'm a teenager, doesn't mean this car is stolen, it doesn't mean I'm driving without a license, it doesn't mean I'm carrying drugs, selling drugs, stabbing people, driving drunk, or about to have my way with your little sister. So stop profiling me! Other than a hunch, you have no reason to pull this car aside; you might decide to toss your manners aside, but being such a gentleman, I probably won't. I'll be as polite as possible and attempt to explain your lack of "reasonable suspicion." At this point chances are you'll force me out of my vehicle and strip search me, all throughout, I shall continue to politely protest my innocence and drone on about your indecency. Once you get my trousers off you will be taken aback by my bulge. Once you find absolutely nothing. You will send me off without even an apology, and you will forever be jealous of my tremendous manhood. Wouldn't you rather be spared this?

Thirdly, anyone who thinks these roadblocks are somehow justified because of the very, very few arrests made, or because they think it makes everything safer... anyone who would wilfully be subjected to these searches when they know they did nothing wrong for such reasons needs a rain check. Are you really that ignorant of your rights? Do you honestly believe that the army are justified in their actions? How far would you let them go? Would you allow them to randomly enter your home and search it for anything out of norm, claiming that they're somehow protecting you? Well, as Benjamin Franklin once said "they who would give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither." It's a slippery slope, allowing the police and army to arbitrarily search yourself and those around you isn't the way to fight crime, it just gives them a feeling of omnipotence and before you know it they'll be watching your every move and by the time you want to speak up, there will be no one left willing to join your cause. You know why? Cause they'd all have been vaporized.

Oh fucking hell, they found me HELPahhhhhhhhhhhiahba9wgahbvaulhui