Over the line: Students charge that border guards harrassed them for their political views

[marmar]

from the Detroit Metro Times:




Remember back in June, when 15,000 or so radical leftists descended on Detroit to raise all sorts of hell, smashing windows and looting stores and setting fires to cars as they attempted to overthrow the capitalist system as we know it?

Of course, you don't remember that, because it never happened.

But you wouldn't know that judging from the way our nation's border guards treated three college students who journeyed from New York to attend the U.S. Social Forum that was held here. It was an entirely peaceful event that, although it did attract 15,000 lefties, produced nothing more threatening than several entirely legal mass marches.

But for the trio of students, who joined a busload of others for a what was intended to be a short excursion over to Windsor, Ontario, the fact they happened to be wearing the orange wristbands forum attendees were given proved to be an unexpected lesson in wrong-headed authoritarianism.

Seems our border guards need to learn that they have to protect our constitutional rights as well as keep us safe from terrorism. Otherwise, the terrorists really do win.

Last week the Michigan American Civil Liberties Union and the state chapter of the National Lawyers Guild sent a formal complaint regarding the incident to the Detroit office of U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Justice Department. ..........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.metrotimes.com/news/story.asp?id=15295

[Canuckistanian]

1. You've really got to control your border guards

They are the rudest, most inconsiderate group of people I've ever had the misfortune to deal with.

I understand the need for security, but do the VERY FIRST PEOPLE I see in America have to be such assholes?

They're LOUSY ambassadors for your country.

[marmar]

2. I know.....I cross back and forth to Windsor all the time, and 99.99% of the time.....

...... I experience the assholes when returning to the U.S. ..... I can only recall one instance of an asshole on the Windsor or Sarnia side.

[provis99]

3. our customs guards are so xenophobic, they even hate Americans.