"You can't just say what ever you WANT in this country."

[navkat]

That phrase was actually spoken to me verbatim by someone in a position of authority.

I recently learned the hard way that the things you say online can and are being used against you...whether you realize it or not.


Take Canadian citizen and renowned psychiatrist, Andrew Feldmar. This man was detained and given a life-long exclusion order from the United States for writing about two LSD experiences he had in the 60's.

No convictions, no criminal record, his only mistake was that he posted a thesis in a respected, online psychiatric medical journal. The US guard who stopped him ran a quick Google-search on his name.

And that's all they need these days. The USA Patriot act has given the US federal government an incredible amount of levity against its people...that's right, I said against its people. And the snowballing level of paranoia has extended to both sides of the border.

Growing sensationalized concerns over Canada's supposed lenient border-protection methods and Canada's dependency on the US to export its GDP has sparked a scary trend of movement towards allowing the US to set the standards for Canadian border patrol procedures. In 2002, the US and Canada entered into an unprecedented "Smart-border agreement." This agreement has already had far-reaching impact in Canada on everything from questioning/interrogation procedures to government policies on visitors, refugees and immigrants.

And it's only getting worse. Public outrage of the recent findings that the FBI's terrorist watch lists have swelled to over half-a-million names had had zero impact on this scary trend of acceptance towards red-flagging innocent citizens. Canada's now implementing its own version of red-flagging and name-taking.

To quote the previous article:
"To make matters worse, real terrorists may not even be placed on the list for fear of tipping them off; no kidding, this is the official U.S. position."

What's the fucking point, then?

As for my experiences: I was stopped at the Blaine/White Rock Canadian border on my way to Vancouver from Seattle over what should have been a simple documentation/identification deficiency. I went inside the immigration building with a stack of paperwork, fully confident that I would be able to clear up the confusion and be on my merry way.

Instead, I was subjected to an hour-and-a-half's worth of interrogation procedures. I was questioned on every topic from my personal medical history to my  sexual relationship history in the last few years with people on both sides of the border. I was reprimanded for promiscuity and accused of attempted illegal immigration and something called "misrepresentation," which is essentially saying "obstruction of justice" Criminal lying, essentially.

I asked politely if I had to answer some of the more personal questions and was scolded "You think you have a right to privacy? You people need to get it through your heads that you have no rights at all when you cross our border."

You can't know what effect this sort of thing has on a person. It's like a bucket of ice-water being suddenly dumped on your head. In an instant, I went from being who I am--a sharp, kindhearted, humanist writer--to being a dirty, common criminal with something to hide. A scoundrel of the worst kind who tried to "pull one over" on the border guard and was too stupid to get away with...with what?

I was allowed to withdraw my application to visit Canada that day and given a warning: "Next time you enter, you'd better have all the proper documentation and jump through hoops because if you attempt to do this again, you will be barred from this country for life. We have a file on you now."

I'm so angry I could cry.

[tyrannosaurus vex]

Why do you hate America/Canada with your lies, you freedom-devouring bag of proto-terrorist slime?

[Payne]

[snip]

I asked politely if I had to answer some of the more personal questions and was scolded "You think you have a right to privacy? You people need to get it through your heads that you have no rights at all when you cross our border."

[snip]

I'm so angry I could cry.

There is no privacy, anywhere. We should no longer even expect it.

I'm so angry, I could go and fuck with peoples minds sounds more apt. Make THEM cry, or at least get a laugh out of them.

[navkat]

You guys r00l.
thx.

[Jasper]

Disrespect from authority is a sign that something needs to be struck down.

Contempt is the only reaction.

[Thurnez Isa]

Seattle
Consulate General of Canada
1501 4th Ave., Suite 600
Seattle, WA 98101
General Inquiries: Tel: (206) 443-1777, Fax: (206) 443-9662, seatl@international.gc.ca
Immigration and Visa Inquiries: Tel: (206) 443-1372, Fax: (206) 441-7838, seattle-im-enquiry@international.gc.ca
Territory: Washington State, Alaska, Idaho, Oregon


don't email them.. cause the embassys are completely retarded
but you could trust me the US embassys are worse
but they should be able to direct you to where you could clear up any misunderstanding

and BTW. I think there is an US embassy in Victoria, or Vancouver

[Thurnez Isa]

Consulate General Vancouver
1075 West Pender Street

Phone
(604) 685-4311 Phone
(604) 685-7175 Fax

1095 W. Pender St.
Vancouver, B.C.
V6E 2M6

Mail from U.S.

P.O. Box 5002
Point Roberts, WA
98281

but try the Canadian one first
cause if they are anything like the embassy's in the east they're less retarted, but still pretty fucked themselves

good luck

[Thurnez Isa]

BTW two years ago I had a similiar experience, not crossing the border, but ordering a book aboud chinese history from the states
apparently in the mind of RCMP that makes me a terrorist

[navkat]

Yeah, I've been through all this. There's pretty much nothing I can do about it.

I was specifically advised not to contact a consulate or CIC without the aid of an immigration attorney because there's a possibility I could earn myself a year exclusion order from Canada if I make myself appear to be belligerent with officials in any way.

What I need to do is hire an attorney to get ahold of my CAIPS report (the file they have on me) and even still, there's nothing that can be done to delete what's in there--the most I could hope for is an appended entry. The border officer's "observations" are permanent and even an amendment wouldn't remove me from high-scrutiny.

[East Coast Hustle]

well I always knew Canada was retarded.

of course, there are ways around those sorts of problems.

[Jasper]

Wow, that's interesting.

[navkat]

well I always knew Canada was retarded.

of course, there are people in the Seattle area who know how to cross that border unknown to the powers that be.

or so I've heard.

I love Canada, actually. Other aspects of Canada's human rights policies are astoundingly ahead of those in the US. For instance: random drug-testing by an employer is absolutely prohibited unless the employer can prove that the specific job being performed relies on sobriety for safety reasons.

The Canadian government keeps its people better educated and in better health. Canada has had more computer-literate households per capita for years now and the social programs are not to be beat. Things we take for granted as impossible like free community centres and subsidized daycare are the norm. The minimum wage in Canada is something like $9.00/hour and has been for some time...and don't give me any crap about the Canadian dollar--it's at .98 as we speak.

Essential human services (Utilities) are regulated by the provinces to ensure that price-gouging doesn't occur. Such is life in a country that takes the focus off of the capitalist rat-race.

Right now, the focus is for better energy-efficiency programs and clean industry. Canada is ahead of almost every other nation on the globe when it comes to taking measures towards responsible consumption and reducing their footprint on the environment. That's a good thing, regardless on where you stand on the global-warming myth/issue.

The problems occur when it comes to issues involving the United States. Prime Minister Harper has been criticized for being too "Bush-like." Canada relies on its good relations with the US but Harper has taken support for the US terrorism paranoia to unprecedented levels and that fact saddens me.

I hoping that'll be turned around in five years and that a new administration on the US side will alleviate some of the panic.

As far as trying to cross illegally is concerned: I don't dare. I want to be in good standing with the country and sneaking over the line is not the way to do that.

[Thurnez Isa]

Yeah, I've been through all this. There's pretty much nothing I can do about it.

I was specifically advised not to contact a consulate or CIC without the aid of an immigration attorney because there's a possibility I could earn myself a year exclusion order from Canada if I make myself appear to be belligerent with officials in any way.

What I need to do is hire an attorney to get ahold of my CAIPS report (the file they have on me) and even still, there's nothing that can be done to delete what's in there--the most I could hope for is an appended entry. The border officer's "observations" are permanent and even an amendment wouldn't remove me from high-scrutiny.

I don't see how contacting your consulate in the US over the matter, expecially just for advise... since in principle your consulate works for you
but im not an attorney, and your probably right to consult an attorney before you do anything

[Thurnez Isa]

Right now, the focus is for better energy-efficiency programs and clean industry. Canada is ahead of almost every other nation on the globe when it comes to taking measures towards responsible consumption and reducing their footprint on the environment. That's a good thing, regardless on where you stand on the global-warming myth/issue.

thats a bit of a myth
the UN has but us as one of the worse enviromental offenders, even worse the US...
We have signed Koyoto, but our emissions have went UP not down
that might change if Dion gets in, but Ill tell you now he's probably going to have to do it without the 905, and winning Quebec is harder then it sounds
Even the former US ambasitor, was suprised - and was one of the first thing he mentioned in his book

[Thurnez Isa]

oh and nav
yell out






I WILL KILL A MOTHERFUCKER







srlsy it will make you feel better
just thank The Good Rev Roger when he's back