Do not issue scarlet letter to young drivers
Having read the most recent editorial pages, I must take umbrage with state Sen. Robert Singer's support of the Jackson GDL (Graduated Driver's License) sticker program, ("Jackson Town Council Deserves Support for New Driver Sticker Effort," Tri- Town News, Jan. 3, 2008). It would seem that the senator has forgotten his conservative principles against the intrusions of government into everyday life.

He has pledged his fullfledged support to a program that may violate the rights of a single age group under the guise of safety. The GDL sticker program borders on the illegal practice of profiling and ought to be abolished.

This program calls into question young driver's rights to equal protection under the law, the presumption of innocence and protection from illegal searches and seizures.

The argument for this program has been made that it is both voluntary and needed, and as such justifies any infringement of rights that may be precipitated. I argue that it is not needed and that, even if it were, no infringement of rights can be justified for any reason.

Stripping a segment of the population of their civil liberties in the name of their own protection is still immoral and possibly illegal. At what point does this labeling end? Are our senior drivers next? Do we next create a sticker program for drivers with a high number of points on there license? Do we label male and female drivers, minority drivers and drivers who have been in accidents?

We should be focused on real efforts to correct the deadly problems on our roads, not reactionary policy that does nothing more than alleviate the guilt we as a community feel for these terrible losses.

If government takes any action it should focus solely on making all drivers, and especially young drivers, more educated and experienced before turning them loose on the roads. We should not be focused on marking them with a scarlet letter allowing them to be profiled as poor drivers.

Drivers in many states have shown themselves more capable at a younger age, and many have shown themselves to make poor decisions at any age. But no driver should be singled out for any reason other than violating the law. Age alone does not make good or bad drivers; education and experience do.

Todd Porter

Jackson