Originally published at: http://boingboing.net/2017/01/30/flying-into-the-usa-heres-t.html
…
1 Like
Technically Betteridge’s law does not apply because the headline does not end with a question mark.
But, no, I will not be visiting the United States of America. And yes, this is a change of plans given that I have family planning a trip to Disney World. I wouldn’t have gone on vacation to apartheid South Africa either. And before anyone argues that is a bad analogy, all I can say is that it looks like a difference in degree, not in kind.
Thanks for providing this information, I know that others have need to travel and I’m not judging anyone, especially not people who decide to put themselves at risk to document abuses of others.
18 Likes
Not just you:
http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2017/01/policy-change-future-us-visits.html
11 Likes
Resistance leader Rep. John Lewis will be upset when he sees that this airport protest photo compilation in Cory’s post excludes the protest at the airport in Lewis’s district, which he’ll probably feel should’ve been included, given that it’s the busiest airport in the world by total passengers.
He’ll likely ask why the protest in his 54% Black city was forgotten about while much less important airports with much more white people (e.g. Seattle, 7.9% Black, 13th busiest airport in the US) get the credit for their protests. He might suggest that whoever made the photo compilation examine their unconscious reasons for selecting those airports.
John Lewis even led one of his now-classic sit-ins at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport! But the blacker, busier airport was just ignored…
5 Likes
Also, just have to note that this happened at Birmingham International Shuttlesworth Airport (name for Fred Shuttesworth, civil rights hero).
I know the South gets a bad rap. There are some great people there.
6 Likes
6 Likes
I don’t blame you.
My wife and I are planning a trip to Europe for the early Fall and I’m curious what it’s going to be like to talk with people again, it’s been since '14 we’ve been out of the US.
We’ve traveled pretty extensively during the Bush and Obama years and it’s interesting to hear a perspective from someone who doesn’t live here. Sometimes people want to strike up a conversation right away when they see you’re American and they always seem extremely well-informed. Certainly more so than your average American.
2 Likes
“Here ARE two ways”
1 Like
Not even slightly off as an analogy, I think you have it perfectly accurate. This is the same sort of reason I wouldn’t visit Israel, Fiji or Saudi. No support for the least aspect of fascism.
(edit to make my feelings more clear there. America, and most Americans I know, are the opposite of fascism. It doesn’t need me to point this fact out, but I am making my belief in it explict. tRump and his cliche being so is more then concerning, but it ain’t the whole ball game. )
I know my simplistic trust in our Cousins has proven too simple and trusting already this short while, but it is more than I can honestly do to believe that the American people, and their Ideals can be so totally subverted by the mere change of Administrations.
He will fail in his attempt to re-write Americas soul. May even be a good thing that the young people get a chance to re-light their torch, the world benefited immeasurably every single time America had this fight with itself before.
I really hate what he stands for, my goodness, I actually find myself grinding my teeth in rage when I hear the tv news.
I kinda understand why they prohibit guns, some of the other stuff seems absurd, but this…wow. 
3 Likes
I read recently that CBP claims jurisdiction 100 miles from any US border, which includes the shores of the Great Lakes (as they touch Canada or something?)
Let’s say I have nowhere to be anytime soon. Would it help as a many-generational citizen to claim Muslim faith?
1 Like
How can they tell you are American?
I travelled with high school friends to Europe in '14, after much travel myself. Most in my group among other indicators were just totally loud at all times, regardless of setting.
Also, the sunglasses.
Casual conversation.
Asking for directions, stopping to pet dogs that are being walked, chatting up strangers in a bar, getting to know innkeepers, etc…
We tend to not do tourist stuff for the most part. Typical day when we went to Italy -
Get up, have some coffee and pastry someplace close. Buy a pack of smokes and wander some new streets we hadn’t been to yet. Listen to some buskers. Have lunch and wine. Do that one thing we have on a list - cathedral, bridge, castle, etc… Wander around some more, have a drink at a bar, have dinner and wine, wander back to where we’re staying. Maybe stop and listen to some more buskers and have some more wine.
Its supposed to be a bit more nuanced than that, but basically correct. I will never forget when I was driving from San Diego to LA and went through a ‘border’ checkpoint. I hadn’t realized that San Diego was in Mexico…
1 Like
There’s one out in east county on interstate 8 as well. They are ancillary checks for movement of people that may have crossed elsewhere. And there’s the agriculture checkpoint on 8, too after coming in to CA from AZ.
“The border” also includes the customs posts at international airports, which means that the entire country is within 100 miles of a border. Maybe there’s some Dog-forsaken bit of Alaska or Wyoming that’s more than 100 miles from a flying field, but surely nowhere that anyone lives. Note that “international airport” is any airport at which customs service is available - it doesn’t have to have scheduled flights. There are a LOT of little flying fields that qualify.
1 Like
This is one of those topics that needs an interactive map of the jurisdiction creep that’s taken place in the last 20 years.
This topic was automatically closed after 5 days. New replies are no longer allowed.
