Alas, poor US, I knew you well

[mandragora]

Prompted by today's news that apparently all visitors to the US will shortly have to submit to having their fingerprints and mugshot taken upon entry to the US's fair *cough* shores.

Oh sure, the US is hitting the poor and non-white countries first (racist? Much!). But apparently the exempted countries from this outrageous invasion of civil liberties will lose their exemption by the end of 2004.

And, if so, bye bye US. I won't be visiting you any more.

This saddens me more than I can say. I've been to the US several times from my first visit in 1981 to my most recent last October. And it now looks like it may well be my last.

No more fannish cons in the US. No more (and this saddens me deeply) visits to friends I've made there. But, please, do come to Europe, where we don't make you have you fucking fingerprints taken!

But. Jesus. To photograph and fingerprint everyone who visits the country. What is this? The Stalinist Soviet Union mark II?

ETA: I'd be pretty reluctant to visit the US even if the exempted countries remain free from the mugshots and fingerprints. Because to target all citizens of any country in this way is utterly abhorrent. Shame on you home of the 'free', shame on you. Shame on your fucking Government, anyway.

Comments

[stageira.livejournal.com]

I'm wondering will they still want that when you already have one?
I admit to not really caring about the shot/prints since I had mine taken and kept since the age of 16, but what is really pissing me off is the whole idea behind it. But then again I never had any chances of getting a visa to go there anyway LOL

[mandragora1.livejournal.com]

I admit to not really caring about the shot/prints since I had mine taken and kept since the age of 16

Gotta remember that I come from a country that doesn't even like identity cards, hence the outrage *g*. But yes, it's the principle that's pissing me off.

I can't think of any reason why you shouldn't be given a visa. When I first visited it was still necessary to have a visa if you were a UK national, so I applied and got one... for life. It's never been revoked and still applies so far as I'm aware and I was a penurious student at the time.

[derryderrydown.livejournal.com]

I _did_ have a lifetime visa but it got cancelled a few visits back. Very annoying, because the reason I had it was because I often sailed into small ports that didn't necessarily have the facilities for visa waiver.

Of course, if you try to explain this to the oik behind the counter who's just cancelled your visa with absolutely no warning or questioning, they tend to call the police.

Like you, I'm not planning on going to the USA any time soon. This is even more irritating because my father lives in the BVI and getting there without going through the USA is painful.

[mandragora1.livejournal.com]

My sympathies on having your visa cancelled by some ignorant pillock. They really shouldn't give that much power to these petty official types.

I must admit that the last few times I've visited the US I've relied on the visa waiver because the visa is in a passport that contains a photo taken when I was 13. As I've changed (just a tad *g*) since then I wasn't certain about proudly presenting the visa for inspection.

As for visiting the BVI without passing through the US... Ouch! I'm not certain I'd be that public spirited in the circumstances.