The (police) state of the union

This can't be good.

President Bush signed into law a bill to create electronic monitoring programs to prevent the abuse of prescription drugs in all 50 states.

What this means is the government will be invading your privacy and tracking your prescription drug use. It's none of their business in the first place and the possibility for improper use of the data is boundless. Not to mention it's just one more tool to use to harass doctors and chronic pain patients.

The government would like you to believe this is necessary to address the so-called doctor shopping problem. The actual number of patients who really do doctor shop in order to sell drugs on the street is so small, this program is the equivalent of using an atomic bomb to kill a fly on the outside of your screen door.

It passed almost without mention in the press and without a murmur of protest from our elected officials. Remember this in 06 when I ask you to get out there and vote.

[via The Agitator]