

How I learned to Stop Feeling Safe in My Own Country and Hate Border Agents - esw
http://www.onthemedia.org/story/my-detainment-story-or-how-i-learned-stop-feeling-safe-my-own-country-and-hate-border-patrol/transcript/

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jodo
I regularly travel to the US for work but with every visit my originally
burning desire to move ebbs further. Between a political class willing to
destroying the functioning of your own government over a petty squabble and a
terrifyingly out of control security state even visiting is increasingly
feeling like a bad idea.

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sp332
That willingness is nothing new. Around the turn of the last century, it got
so bad we had to modify the constitution and completely change the way we
elect senators.
[http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/generic/S...](http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/generic/SeventeenthAmendment.htm)

~~~
jodo
This does not however make it any more palatable, nor reflect any more
positively on a populace will to (re)elect people willing to engage in such
destructive brinkmanship.

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sp332
Maybe we should accept that human nature isn't going to change, and we should
form our government to suit the people instead of vice-versa.

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fsckin
We don't need terrorists when the government is doing such a great job of it.

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waqf
Sure we do, it's just that we only need them once every decade or three, when
the government needs a new external enemy to invoke because the people have
stopped taking the old one seriously for some reason.

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pit
If you'd prefer to listen to an audio version, here's
[http://www.wnyc.org/radio/#/ondemand/319368](http://www.wnyc.org/radio/#/ondemand/319368)

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l0c0b0x
I've been through immigration (Washington State <-> Canada) multiple times
(like more than 50 times) and I have NEVER had any issues with American
immigration/border patrol. I was born in South-America (brown complexion and
with an accent), but am an american citizen. Even when I was a permanent
resident never had issues with them. Sure, I was detained various times (only
a few times for more than 1/2 hour), but didn't feel it was an excessive
amount of time. Early on, I learned that if you keep your cool, you amplify
your chances of not getting flagged.

Now, about Canadian border patron...

Even though they might ask you "What brings you to Canada?", the way they
really ask it, while they're condescendingly looking at you is "WTF are YOU
doing in my country?"

I have been harassed so many times by them. All with no smiles, no niceness,
nothing. I stumbled on an oddly worded question once... this flagged me right
away. They made me feel like I was lying, and even had the audacity to tell
me: "If you're lying to us; NO CANADA FOR YOU!".

IMO, American border patrol wants to get you on your way as soon as possible
after they do their own checks (whatever those are). Canadian border patrol
want to harass, intimidate and annoy you to the point where you just want to
say "F __* YOU, I 'm going back to my country!"

