DHS / CBP Rant
Our trip has been fairly uneventful, with the exception of our reentry to the US from Canada.
We were detained and interrogated for about an hour and a half at the border by the DHS Border Protection people, AKA Jackbooted thugs. What really pisses me off is that for all their Interrogation, separating us, even attempting to interrogate our children, the bastards were too lazy to even search our utility trailer, which could have easily contained a 2000LB payload of god only knows what if we were truly a threat of any type. So, it was just harassment, no real reason, or they would have actually searched the trailer.
Interrogation subjects focused mostly on what my plans were , what I do for a living, how much money I have (not just with me, but in entirety), what my children (!!!) do on a daily basis, and other similar information that they have really no business asking. The process was standard interrogation 101, divide and conquer, try to get them to contradict themselves or incriminate themselves, veiled threats "have you ever been arrested BEFORE" stuff. (not at all like on TV, google and read up on it if you want to know more about interrogation techniques)
As it was, they tore apart the van and found nothing because we are law abiding citizens, not terrorists, arms smugglers, or drug traffickers. But I suspect that they knew that from the start. I have already undergone an extensive federal background check for other reasons, and I am sure that they had access to that information.
I think it was Ben Franklin who said :
"Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."
Would he be billed as a left field whiner or a patriot in the current political clime? (and by who) A thought worth pondering, to be sure.
Friends, despite the best of intentions to secure our nation from the menaces of the modern world, we are treading on very, very, very thin ice here. It is but a very short distance between here and the "papers, please" of Nazi germany. Yes, we must end the scourge of terrorism and the ideologies that support it, but we must not become a police state in the process, or it is all for naught - the terrorists will have won by destroying the greatness of our nation.
There is risk in all worthwhile endeavors. The only risk free environment is a padded cell. We must keep this frmly in mind as we forge ahead to rid the world of the ideologies of extortion, lest we become enemies of liberty ourselves.
Fair winds and vote wisely, gentlereader.
We were detained and interrogated for about an hour and a half at the border by the DHS Border Protection people, AKA Jackbooted thugs. What really pisses me off is that for all their Interrogation, separating us, even attempting to interrogate our children, the bastards were too lazy to even search our utility trailer, which could have easily contained a 2000LB payload of god only knows what if we were truly a threat of any type. So, it was just harassment, no real reason, or they would have actually searched the trailer.
Interrogation subjects focused mostly on what my plans were , what I do for a living, how much money I have (not just with me, but in entirety), what my children (!!!) do on a daily basis, and other similar information that they have really no business asking. The process was standard interrogation 101, divide and conquer, try to get them to contradict themselves or incriminate themselves, veiled threats "have you ever been arrested BEFORE" stuff. (not at all like on TV, google and read up on it if you want to know more about interrogation techniques)
As it was, they tore apart the van and found nothing because we are law abiding citizens, not terrorists, arms smugglers, or drug traffickers. But I suspect that they knew that from the start. I have already undergone an extensive federal background check for other reasons, and I am sure that they had access to that information.
I think it was Ben Franklin who said :
"Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."
Would he be billed as a left field whiner or a patriot in the current political clime? (and by who) A thought worth pondering, to be sure.
Friends, despite the best of intentions to secure our nation from the menaces of the modern world, we are treading on very, very, very thin ice here. It is but a very short distance between here and the "papers, please" of Nazi germany. Yes, we must end the scourge of terrorism and the ideologies that support it, but we must not become a police state in the process, or it is all for naught - the terrorists will have won by destroying the greatness of our nation.
There is risk in all worthwhile endeavors. The only risk free environment is a padded cell. We must keep this frmly in mind as we forge ahead to rid the world of the ideologies of extortion, lest we become enemies of liberty ourselves.
Fair winds and vote wisely, gentlereader.
posted by CT | 1:37 AM
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