In case you had doubts about what kind of country you live in...

[soberups]

http://archive.seacoastonline.com/2003news/02162003/maine/13264.htm


Another example of abusive Border Patrol agents who put a Canadian guy in jail for over a month for doing nothing more than crossing 200 feet into the US...to buy gas!

 

[dave]

Great points Soberups. Canada will let ANYONE in via their intl airports.

I dont mind jerkoffs profiling and "randomly" harrassing people at the borders. If someone is ignorant enough to challenge international authority especially at a border station, they need to learn a lesson. Sure the first guy was over the top, Probably didnt get on with the highway patrol and has some issues, but you still need to pass his "attitude test".

 

[CharlesAFerg]

Great points Soberups. Canada will let ANYONE in via their intl airports.

I dont mind jerkoffs profiling and "randomly" harrassing people at the borders. If someone is ignorant enough to challenge international authority especially at a border station, they need to learn a lesson. Sure the first guy was over the top, Probably didnt get on with the highway patrol and has some issues, but you still need to pass his "attitude test".

Since when is an attitude test part of his job?
Psychological evaluation, yes. Being butthurt? No. He got busted.

 

[YFZsandrider]

It's no different going into Canada. The procedure is to fire questions rapidly at you to see if you trip up. The guy was combative so he received special attention, he shouldn't have escalated it into a problem. That's pretty much what anyone could expect at any boarder crossing in the world.

That's right. And they asked him "what store" in the mall, not to get a specific answer... but to read his response. If had been someone up to no good, and came up with the story of going to the mall, he would most likely trip up when asked a specific that he had not anticipated an answer for. The Canadian guy just handled the whole thing wrong and completely lost his cool. The border guard was a little harsh, but the second desk worker, was calm, and that disposition was not reciprocated.

 

[CEF1959]

It's no different going into Canada. The procedure is to fire questions rapidly at you to see if you trip up. The guy was combative so he received special attention, he shouldn't have escalated it into a problem. That's pretty much what anyone could expect at any boarder crossing in the world.

The idea that someone should just be a sheep in the face of outrageous bullying by border guards is disgusting. The authorities escalated this because they didn't like his non-sheep attitude. "We'll show him."

 

[Trlsmn]

The idea that someone should just be a sheep in the face of outrageous bullying by border guards is disgusting. The authorities escalated this because they didn't like his non-sheep attitude. "We'll show him."

I see your point but to me the difference is Idealism and Reality, should it be that way? no, but the reality is it is that way all over the world. I'll let you fall on your sword of idealism while I'm saying "yes sir" and driving on through while rubber necking at the Idealist receiving a detailed cavity search and interrogation.

 

[RVTECH]

One of my responsibilities at work is to receive and inspect new, incoming RV's and I get a chance to talk to the transport drivers who run "all 50" plus deliver to Canada. I hear horror stories all the time of extreme interrogation by the Canadian Border Guards - to include questions that do not have any relevance to the driver entering the country. One driver I know (who has an Oregon CHL but was NOT carrying) was asked by the guard, “How many weapons do you own and where are they located in your house?” He was admittedly intimidated by these questions but knew if he became combative, no matter how slight, he ran the risk of them “tossing” his truck and detaining him.

 

[CEF1959]

I see your point but to me the difference is Idealism and Reality, should it be that way? no, but the reality is it is that way all over the world. I'll let you fall on your sword of idealism while I'm saying "yes sir" and driving on through while rubber necking at the Idealist receiving a detailed cavity search and interrogation.

In practice, I think you're right. We don't have much choice. I admire the guy for pushing back, and I'm embarrassed that the US Border Patrol escalated the situation just to assert their authority. But I agree that when going to Vancouver for a vacation, it's best just to smile and submit. What irks me is that such submission just encourages the boorish behavior of the border guards. Whatcha gonna do? Ruin the Mrs.'s nice weekend in Vancouver just to make a point?

 

[Father of four]

In practice, I think you're right. We don't have much choice. I admire the guy for pushing back, and I'm embarrassed that the US Border Patrol escalated the situation just to assert their authority. But I agree that when going to Vancouver for a vacation, it's best just to smile and submit. What irks me is that such submission just encourages the boorish behavior of the border guards. Whatcha gonna do? Ruin the Mrs.'s nice weekend in Vancouver just to make a point?

The real men and women have been trained to be submissive. Not submissive in the sence of doing what the authority said because he is doing his job. But to be submissive to any and all orders with the threat of an azz whipping,being tazed or shoot, being thrown in jail and then later fined.

That teaching of the public is what we as a people have let them do to us by just "smile and submit". We the People are not but slaves or workers for the authority and indeed how dare we not smile and submit?

 

[Father of four]

Our "Freedom" now is to have a choice to do what we are told. We are to smile and submit now. Ask for a change later. Keep smiling and submitting. If the change doesn't come. Just keep smiling and submitting.

Freedom in the country is a thing of the past. Its is over run by rules and regulations.

Go ahead a make your self a list of what you can and cant do in this country. I bet you would be amazed.

 

[DERGLOCKINMEISTER]

I keep reading about our freedoms and liberty in this country and how this person was harassed etc. Do keep in mind that as a citizen of another country , he has no rights as an American citizen . If you have never been subjected to pointed or unpleasant questioning at a foreign country's border , you probably haven't done much traveling . Was the border guard unpleasant ? sounds like it , but it also sounds like this person , not an American citizen was being pretty cocky and confrontational as well . Try pulling that same attitude next time you are entering another country and see what it gets you . If you don't like the attitude that is common at border crossings everywhere , then it might be a good idea to do your traveling in this country . I don't like defending people who have bad attitudes or are on a power trip , but it's fine with me if the people who are guarding our borders are firm , inquisitive , and unwilling to be a pushover .

 

[jdub75]

That citizen was a douche. For someone that supposedly 'works' with people in law enforcement, he is incredibly stupid, or more likely, was just looking for fodder to post online.
I have very sporadic contact w/ LE (on the good side of things) and know damn well better than to act like this.
The supervisor should have saved his breath, too.

 

[slingshot1943]

Probably he is white middle class and they have to prove they are not profiling.

 

[ikona]

For solid reporting and only factual information I get my news here.

http://www.theonion.com/

America's Finest News Source

Now that is the best news source to read.

 

[ikona]

Our "Freedom" now is to have a choice to do what we are told. We are to smile and submit now. Ask for a change later. Keep smiling and submitting. If the change doesn't come. Just keep smiling and submitting.

Freedom in the country is a thing of the past. Its is over run by rules and regulations.

Go ahead a make your self a list of what you can and cant do in this country. I bet you would be amazed.

And that list really hasn't really changed much in over 200 years. We have a skewed sense of history. Love and think that the '50s were the dream era? Wasn't so keen if you were disabled, black or a female in many parts of America. Like the old west era? People's rights were constantly trampled then. Think politics are corrupt now? Ever look at the Warren presidency? Late 19th century politics were pretty corrupt. You don't like clean water, paved roads, electricity, or any of the modern benefits we have today? Don't like today's land grabs? What about the TVA and the feds grabbing land in the early 20th century, the flooding of tribal land in Oregon, the promise of citizenship for Philippino's (those that got it was because of the current president) for their assistance in WW2? Crime horrible? Actually it is down to mid 1960's levels now. A thorough understanding of American history seems to be lacking by most who pine for the "good ol' days". Those days never really existed for all Americans. Like non-regulation? Then you must enjoy the poisoning of the American people by China and their crap they export to us. Go to Montana and take a swim in the Berkley Pit, we would have more of those without regulations. More Enrons, more Wall Street thievery, more abusive sweat shops of the early 20th century, more Savings and Loans fiasco's, more destruction of wild areas, more shoddier products, more work and less pay for the average employee, more crumbling infrastructure, more corruption, less laws therefore allowing the strong to prey on the weak.

 

[Father of four]

less laws therefore allowing the strong to prey on the weak.

More laws allow the strong to continue to prey on the weak.

I agree that there were times in the past where people had it rougher then we do now. There were also times when they had it better. It might even depend on if your cup is half empty or half full. The way one might look at it.

There have always been people who want to make other people do as they would want them too. And there has always been people that want other people to be able to make decisions for themselves. I might not agree with your post but I think you should be able to post it. And have a freedom to say it out loud. If we say nothing the strong could pass laws to make you shut up. I would be one of the ones saying that they did you wrong.

And the list has changed in my mere 40 years. Freedom is being over run with laws and regulations. I can only imagine the tens of thousands of laws that have been made and implemented since I was born. I wonder how little of those laws have been abolished. The strong make them and very rarely remove them.

NO ONE can remember them all. No judge, No lawyer, No LEO..there are too many laws. Freedom in the UNITED STATES OF AMERICAN is over run with laws!

I want OUR freedoms back! There will always be people like me who want more freedom, the freedoms that we once had returned to us and the freedoms that our American ancestors once had. God help this world if we give up and just let the strong make us do whatever they want us to do. That's like slavery to me.

From a dumb uneducated father of four.