Blocking Beale

The Constitution continues to be pulped to unrecognizable fragments.

Starting next month, Beale Street - a thoroughfare in Memphis known for its bars and entertainment venues - is going to be transformed into one of America's leading outposts of Stalinism.

Police and private guards are going to stand at the ends of that stretch of roadway and use handheld metal detectors to inspect every person who walks down the street.

Officials' excuse for this is that they want Beale Street to be considered one large establishment.

Cue the 'Price Is Right' loser horns: voopvoopavoop WRONG!

A public street is not an establishment. A bar is. A street is not.

This is like when Louisville officials tried establishing a dress code for a public street - and got their little pee-pees spanked for it.

Searching people on a public street without probable cause is unconstitutional. End of story. And that's precisely what Memphis authorities are planning to do.

I can guarantee you one thing: Sooner or later, somebody who gets arrested for refusing to be searched is going to sue the pants off the city. That's a given. But city officials have to learn the hard way, I guess.

Also, I'm pretty sure Tennessee allows concealed carry. So in addition to outraging Fourth Amendment watchdogs, the city has also angered gun control opponents by not recognizing the state's concealed carry law.

(Source: http://www.wmctv.com/Global/story.asp?S=10551474)