It took 5 paragraphs? Here is the same posting in a single sentence:

I visited the checkpoint and thought it sucked.

There. Much better. And much faster to read and move on to something more interesting.

Even though they are obviously ineffective, they will be used to set a precedent for more checkpoints elsewhere. Once the people have been desensitized, governments in the District and elsewhere can proceed with the basically un-American practice of police officers stopping citizens on a public street and demanding to see their papers.

Expect more checkpoints like this in the future, always on some reasonable-sounding pretext.

“Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; its the creed of slaves — William Pitt, former British Prime Minister

I believe they want to see exactly how much unconstitutional infringement on our freedoms we the peopel are willing to accept.