Photo courtesy Defense Link Checkpoints: They're Not Just for Iraq Anymore image:40720:5::0

Nice to see how the most comprehensive gun ban in America is working out, ey wot?

The latest, from the Washington Post via Drudge:

D.C. Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier announced a military-style checkpoint yesterday to stop cars this weekend in a Northeast Washington neighborhood inundated by gun violence, saying it will help keep criminals out of the area.

Starting on Saturday, officers will check drivers' identification and ask whether they have a "legitimate purpose" to be in the Trinidad area, such as going to a doctor or church or visiting friends or relatives. If not, the drivers will be turned away.

The Neighborhood Safety Zone initiative is the latest crime-fighting attempt by Lanier and Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, who have been under pressure from residents to stop a recent surge in violence. Last weekend was especially bloody, with seven slayings, including three in the Trinidad area.

"In certain areas, we need to go beyond the normal methods of policing," Fenty (D) said at a news conference announcing the action. "We're going to go into an area and completely shut it down to prevent shootings and the sale of drugs."

The checkpoint will stop vehicles approaching the 1400 block of Montello Avenue NE, a section of the Trinidad neighborhood that has been plagued with homicides and other violence. Police will search cars if they suspect the presence of guns or drugs, and will arrest people who do not cooperate, under a charge of failure to obey a police officer, officials said.

The enforcement will take place at random hours and last for at least five days in Trinidad, with the option of extending it five more days. Checkpoints could be set up in other neighborhoods if they are requested by patrol commanders and approved by Lanier.

The ACLU has also chimed in:

Leaders of the American Civil Liberties Union said yesterday that they will be watching what happens closely and that legal action is likely.

"My reaction is, welcome to Baghdad, D.C.," said Arthur Spitzer, legal director for the ACLU's Washington office. "I mean, this is craziness. In this country, you don't have to show identification or explain to the police why you want to travel down a public street."

Nothing new for the ACLU there, but it seems Chief Lanier is swinging from one extreme to the other here.

First, she resorts to calling gangs 'crews' which seemed a lame attempt at being able to say gang violence is down.

No gangs, no gang violence, right?

Now it's so bad she's going to be making some neighborhoods look like Sadr City.

Well, you know what they say about handguns being outlawed.

They sure found out the hard way in the UK.

Unfortunately, the problem isn't just in Washington.

On Digital Journal alone, a search of the term gang violence turned up 649 hits.

What do you think it is on an exact term search on Google?

Try 1,190,000.

And there have been some rather disturbing associations with American violence vis-a-vis the Iraq War recently.

Army Sgt. Anita Shaw had to depart the violence in Iraq to attend to the violence in Los Angeles, where her son, Jamiel Shaw, 17, a promising young high school football star, was shot dead in a senseless act of random gang violence.

I'm sorry.

Random CREW violence.

In Cleveland, Lance Cpl. Robert Crutchfield, 21, who was so wary of the violence in his own hometown he only carried $8 on him to avoid becoming a robbery target, was robbed anyway and shot point-blank in the neck in front of his girlfriends at a bus stop.

His robbers told him, before shooting him, that since he was a Marine with no money now he didn't deserve to live.

Mr. President, BRING OUR TROOPS HOME!

We need them here.

Then again, why would they want to come home?

They're probably safer in Iraq right now.

Which is a very sad state of affairs.

UPDATE: An acknowledgement to KJ (momentsintime), who published a similar OpEd only two hours ago.

A belated Hat Tip.

I didn't see ya out there, KJ.

Still, I added a few other disturbing facts here outside of that story people might find interesting to grasp the overall picture: as Baghdad calms, America still storms.