Thread: Homeland Security, is it going too far?

Originally Posted by fatherof4

Well, I have to agree with you about that. You should read what you sign. However, sometimes it is impossible (every closed on the sale of a house?).

Great Ben franklin qoute!!

When I closed on my house, the closing agents and both realtors watched in dismay as I began to read every word of the hundred page stack of closing documents. The jeers turned into tears eventually, but I pressed on. That was two years ago - at least I didn't end up being one of those people you hear about that didn't know they were signing up for a bad loan. If they can write it, you can read it.

That said, I'd hate to have been that woman if her story was just as she said. The bad guys - er, I mean the security personnel - were so vicious and easily provoked that I truly felt sorry for the woman. I thought at any moment prince charming would come rescue her, but I guess not all fairy tales end the same way

Kudos on the house sale--you have more tenacity than I did (luckily I also managed not to get a bad loan, but not becuase of any action on my part). I am sure that being involved in the situation jaded the author's view a bit. However, there is usually a small kernel of truth tucked away in most fairy tales. Stories similar to these pop up with enough frequency to usually be more than mere fantasy-charlie

The sad thing about this story, is it's most likely just the tip of the iceburg...
If you think this shows government inefficiency or corruption, you should see it from the eyes of an insider.

I used to work for the "department of corrections" in California... In the few months I worked there I caught a glimpse of how corrupt a government entity could become when there is no oversight.
I watched as Nurses comitted felonies in front of the guards, and when i expressed a concern to a supervisor, I was told that it didn't happen, or I must have been confused... and then the harassment began... I reported my concerns to the regional supervisor, and the harassment got worse.
2 months later, my supervisors decided I wasn't going to resign, so they fired me... They trumped up charges, and I was assigned a hearing. The regional supervisor assigned herself as my hearing officer, and sumarily dismissed me. The last thing she said to me in no uncertain terms was that I should have played ball.
We live in a great country, but that doesn't mean things like this don't happen, or that people in power are trustworthy.


All men can endure adversity, if you wish to get the true measure of someone, give them power.

Made sense to me. Russian born, living in England, shows up without a proper Visa in the U.S.

Its just more of the entitlement generation thinking they have a right to do whatever they want.

I suppose thats one more journalist that won't "forget" that journalists require a specific Visa.

I thought the funny part was when she yelled at them "Don't touch my stuff!"

"Ahhhh, no problem, enjoy our accomidations then"

I remember arriving in Malaysia with a Playboy in my luggage. I got 24 hours in solitary at the ripe age of 19.

Homeland Security reminds me of Gestapo; just another facist organization.

Alan,

I don't dispute the whole not allowing entry bit, there are conditions of entry to any country and if you don't meet them then you get to go back to where you came from simple as that (though I agree with the sentiment about the entitlement generation). The bit that disturbs me is the alleged treatment during her interview and wait for the return flight. No matter how incorrect she was in trying to gain entry to the US without the appropriate visa, aside from the fact it looks like it was an honest mistake, a person has some rights both to privacy and humane treatment.

Barney

Oh, no doubt. I'm sure her stay was very inappropriate, even when you factor in that your only hearing her side of the story.

But the rights of privacy afforded U.S. citizens does not apply, only very generic rights. Searching her luggage was probably the first thing they should have done. Humane treatment? Yea, they blew that big time. I still don't understand why the interviews (assuming she would have been allowed in on a "Visit for Pleasure" as a non-journalist) couldn't afford her the opportunity for better treatment. I assume there just isn't any holding cell that is nice enough. There isn't a "you just need to return because you screwed up" area. Its either a jail cell or nothing.

I was glad when she noted in her interview that when she said she was a journalist that everything was about to go downhill. And her comments about being asked just who she was supposed to interview gets repeated a few times in her story . . . mmmmmmmm do I sense she never told them, or perhaps she told them it was none of their business. Either option, probably didn't help her cause.

Sounds like they were on a big power trip too, even though those are usually caused by something. It would be interesting to get the unbiased view of what really happened.

I'd say, lesson learned for her and any other journalist that reads that article.

Where does this "right" for a foreigner to come into the US and freely move about come from?

It was in our previous generations naivete to think this way. The theory was that if the world knew Americans as
peace loving, just, merciful, concerned individuals all things would go peacefully and equitablly well. Therefore let any alien in here and they will carry back the affection for the US. It didn't work that way.

France refused to stop fighting in Algiers, England fought over the Suez canal, Italy implemented communistic parliments, India disguised food shipments from the US as coming from Russia, US has difficulties protecting national sovereignity rules in the UN. In conclusion, in European media and citizenery stereotyping; Americans are buffoons.

Read the well-known personalities' (I never heard of any of these characters) apologetic, kowtowing support for a European.

This is not surprising to me at all. I have only had one pleasant run in with a law enforcement officer, ever. And I am a respectful, law abiding, citizen.

Every other encounter I have ever had has proven one thing and one thing only. Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

I could have more than a few off color words for the men and women who call themselves "Wichita's Finest" but I'll refrain from using them as that would be a step toward becoming someone similar to those of whom I speak.

Let's just say it doesn't seem to matter what you have to say for yourself and it doesn't matter how nicely you attempt to say it, in the eyes of the law of post 911 America you are guilty until proven innocent.

Originally Posted by Russel Baldridge

This is not surprising to me at all. I have only had one pleasant run in with a law enforcement officer, ever. And I am a respectful, law abiding, citizen.

Every other encounter I have ever had has proven one thing and one thing only. Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

I could have more than a few off color words for the men and women who call themselves "Wichita's Finest" but I'll refrain from using them as that would be a step toward becoming someone similar to those of whom I speak.

Let's just say it doesn't seem to matter what you have to say for yourself and it doesn't matter how nicely you attempt to say it, in the eyes of the law of post 911 America you are guilty until proven innocent.

What I have highlighted in red is tantamount to doing what you say that you are refraining from doing!
As for the rest, all my dealings with law enforcement have been pleasant with the exception of one where I was extremely surly to the police officer, so he called for back up! neither police officer laid a hand on me, but made it clear in no uncertain terms that if I became any more hostile I would not like the results! Later that night when I got home I realized that I was the idiot and extremely fortunate not to be in custody!