okay, now i'm angry

[much_ado]

i love my US-ian friends, but the shit your Homeland Securities bullies pull* on people who are Not Of Your Soil really increases my disinclination to cross the river to come see you, more and more

Comments

[zingerella]

I added an extra $15 to my donation, on your behalf.

[much_ado]

oh, sweetie... *thank you*.

*hugs*

[hundmathr]

I've donated too. I've not met the man, but am a great admirer of his writing. I wasn't there, but even had there been some verbal provocation, the response was unconscionable.

[courtly]

Exactly this.

I've met him. And he's dry and sarcastic in a friendly safe setting. I didn't know who he was when I met him, and to be honest, I remembered him mainly as the loud man who kept talking about being wrist-deep in a maggotty seal rectum.

But even if he was loud and dry-witted and sarcastic when he DIDN'T feel safe among friends... (which I feel he's far more than smart enough not to be) to offer that this is in any way an excusable response to that behaviour in North America today is disgusting to me.

[hundmathr]

And this isn't an isolated incident. I'm tired of representatives of my country acting in this fashion. I'm tired of my friends and those I don't know who live in other countries being afraid of coming here. I don't want to be associated with thuggery like this. I want to believe I live in a just place. I want not to feel like I am somehow complicit with these crimes just by living here.

[pyrategrrl]

*points above*
THIS pretty much sums up my thoughts on the topic.

I'm horrified.

[j_v_lynch]

his description of the event can be read here: http://www.rifters.com/crawl/?p=932

[vconaway]

It isn't just foreigners, for the record. As a US citizen I've had less trouble crossing most other borders (touch wood) than I have reentering my own country.

[jlbooth76]

It's true- if it weren't for all the friends and family HERE, I would be plotting to move back to Europe. (Making the polizei seem friendly in comparison... not proud.)

[horsetraveller]

Are they getting politicians involved at all, like the local MP?
In the comments people were latching on to the question - why were they searching his car on the way OUT of the US?

Is this in the newspapers?

[curgoth]

Watching the comments scroll in Boing Boing, someone at the CBC has been informally pointed to this, so it's possible that the media are going to be getting involved.

[xiphia]

PSA: a friend who handles government correspondence for a living (though not with Border Services) has posted the following on how to write to the Canadian government in a way that will get attention:
http://ilanikhan.livejournal.com/252379.html

[carpe_patricium]

Apparently, the US border agents may, at their discretion, do what they call an exit search. I (US citizen) was subject to one of those several years ago when crossing into Canada. They said "Basically you have no rights here, since you're not actually in the US at this point." So we became very deferential and did not ask questions. They had a dog climb into the car and sniff around, checked out our leftover Thai food, and asked us about the Altoids crumbs under the front seat. Then we were chosen for a search again when we got to the Canadian booth. Lucky winners that day!

I love my country. :(