"Cruel and Unusual Punishment"

The Constitution supposedly “protects” us from “cruel and unusual punishment. But does it? Think about this: you live in Denver, Colorado and one day you change your clothes and forget to put your wallet (which contains your driver’s license) in your pocket. Then you get stopped by a cop, who IMPOUNDS (steals) your car (for a very minor infraction) and it costs you $4,000.00 to get it back. Would you consider this “cruel and unusual punishment?” I certainly would. But why has nobody taken this to the Supreme Court? Or even protested it on that basis? Not even when they did it to an Iraqi vet, whose license had expired while he was over fighting for his country? The Denver mayor says he is putting in $200, which helps not at all. This law is UNCONSTITUTIONAL. Why does nobody realize it? I feel bad for that former soldier, who came back home to such an injustice from those whose lives and homes he protected. He finally did get his car back with the help of the Denver mayor and a radio talk show host. But what if that trivial “offense” happened to you or I? We’d lose our cars and never see them again if we didn’t come up with a “$4,000.00 fine.” It’s not a fine, you say? You have to pay it to get your car back because your license was overdue. What is that? (Denver Post)