HIGHWAY CHECKPOINTS ARE UNCONSTITUTIONAL

While George DePiro's Sept. 29 letter about the dubious validity of the
Northway checkpoints was excellent, he failed to mention that four years
ago the U.S. Supreme Court declared that such checkpoints within U.S.
borders were unconstitutional in regard to warrantless drug searches,
though legal for sobriety checkpoints.

In point of fact, the dogs at these checkpoints (which are far from the
Canadian border) are not only trained to sniff out terrorist-related
contraband like explosives and bio-chem weapons, but drugs as well, in full
violation of this 6-3 decision that to my knowledge has not been overturned.

Similarly, in 1975 the FBI was likewise supposed to cease spying on persons
simply because they were suspected of being homosexual, but apparently the
"law and order" mentality of cultural conservatives like Ronald Reagan and
both Bushes doesn't apply if breaking the law better serves their personal
whims.

BERNARD CONTINELLI

Rensselaer