Border Security (USA) gone terribly wrong!

[GreyICE]

Nice Strawman argument.
The point remains--The perps in those videos STILL don't think they did anything wrong to deserve such treatment

And the video tape still shows they did anyway. There are a lot of people who are harassed or mistreated by the police, and that never gets shown on those shows, which was my point. We can't just make a decision one way or another without the evidence.

But--there is no reason other than privacy not to make them available

I'm glad we agree completely here. I am not so quick to assign wrongdoing either, but I would love for people to be able to obtain the evidence relatively easily. It's a check on our government.

I'd say people pretty much wave their right to privacy in this instance by requesting video footage of themselves from the government. It's like requesting your own speeding ticket record or requesting any other information the government has gathered about you. Obviously the government shouldn't hand it out willy-nilly, but if asked in a reasonable time (say, keep all footage for seven days, seems valuable for security purposes too) they should hand it over.

 

[rwguinn]

It's "Waive".
If you Waive your right to privacy, you can wave bye-bye to privacy...[/pedant]

I agree that basing a belief on only one side's story is assinine. Too many Bush-bashers are willing to do so, including some so-called "Critical Thinkers" here, but that's OK, since it's all GW's fault, anyway...

 

[Charlie Monoxide]

In defense of US border guards, I'll relate my recent experience:

Around May 3rd I crossed the border into Canada to visit family and friends. I felt I was asked way too many questions by the youngish female Canadian border guard at Port Huron (ie do I plan on working while I'm in Canada???). I was asked at least 20 questions. Being Canadian myself, I sorely felt like being belligerent (yes, I know, stupid idea).

Coming back to the US (at Port Huron 3 weeks later), I was asked by an older male US guard exactly 3 questions: what nationality, residence and whether I owned the small truck I was driving. It took all of 30 seconds.

Charlie (get in the line with older guards for less grief) Monoxide

 

[GreyICE]

It's "Waive".
If you Waive your right to privacy, you can wave bye-bye to privacy...[/pedant]

Yes, I got something in my post wrong. It's waive, not wave.

I agree that basing a belief on only one side's story is assinine. Too many Bush-bashers are willing to do so, including some so-called "Critical Thinkers" here, but that's OK, since it's all GW's fault, anyway...

Eh, I see no need to blame everything on Bush. Blaming him merely for the items that are actually his fault leaves such an impressive lists of errors, misjudgments, and mistakes that one is literally baffled that he still has supporters.

 

[Jeff Corey]

As god is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly.

Les Nesman?

 

[Corsair 115]

Around May 3rd I crossed the border into Canada to visit family and friends. I felt I was asked way too many questions by the youngish female Canadian border guard at Port Huron (ie do I plan on working while I'm in Canada???). I was asked at least 20 questions. Being Canadian myself, I sorely felt like being belligerent (yes, I know, stupid idea).

You were just probably unlucky enough to be the person stopped for the random more thorough check.

 

[TragicMonkey]

Les Nesman?

Mr Carlson, I think.

 

[WildCat]

from the linked article:

Apparently, in Cincinnati, he was asked, "How much money do you have on you?"

The bolded part explains much. If you think I'm joking, you haven't spent enough time in Cincinnati.

I have it on good authority that "Cincinnati" is Navaho Code-Talker code for "wretched hive of scum and villainy".

I was once asked the same thing by Canadian border agents in Windsor after going through the tunnel from Detroit. And yes, they searched me, my belongings, my car, and detained me for several hours.

Haven't been back since.

 

[TragicMonkey]

I was once asked the same thing by Canadian border agents in Windsor after going through the tunnel from Detroit. And yes, they searched me, my belongings, my car, and detained me for several hours.

Haven't been back since.

Back in 1982, the Canadians were fascinated with the terrorist/smuggling/spy possibilities of my grandma's purse. Was that ribbon candy actually high explosives? Are those reading glasses some kind of infrared night-spying goggles? Is there a sword concealed in that cane?

Meanwhile, they let me go by without even blinking. Me!!! Admittedly, I was only six years old at the time, but still, can you imagine letting me loose in your country without even a second thought?