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mandragoraPrompted 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.
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.
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Date: 5 January 2004 08:36 (UTC)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.
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Date: 5 January 2004 08:51 (UTC)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.