Editor's Log

Drunken drivers MUST go!

I hate drunken drivers so much that I don't have a problem with denying repeat offenders what I normally would consider to be a violation of personal freedom. Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland is expected to sign a bill that gives police more leeway than most states in forcing a blood or urine test of those suspected of driving drunk. The bill applies to people who have two convictions for drunken driving and would take effect in September. Under existing law authorities must get a court order to force a blood or urine test. The bill eliminates that requirement. "Driving in Ohio is a privilege not a right," said state Sen. Timothy Grendell, the Chesterland Republican who sponsored the bill. "We can precondition that privilege on any condition we want that helps keep the other drivers on the road safe." Civil liberties advocates contend the bill is unconstitutional and expect to challenge it once it is enforced. I don't want to share the roads with a drunk ... and neither should the ACLU.