Thank you for the kind words guys. I appreciate it.
I look forward to seeing pics of all the fun you guys will have.
20ducks - it is not dissension that I fear. I fear being treated like Maher Arar.....
http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5ihSd23YLVLMLx8tEc6GQXpZ12j7A
So - there you have it. If I am crossing into the US and am not admitted then I have no right to due process and your Government can send me to ___________________ (fill in the blank).
In addition - I was born in The Islamic Republic of Pakistan. I get hassled quite often by US Border Guards when crossing the frontier and frankly I do not wish to expose myself to such treatment. I realize that the Border Guard is just trying to do his job and it is not personal for him - but why should I let the Guard have an opportunity to humiliate me?
This does not mean that I do not like Americans. Some of my best friends are American. They are all extremely kind, polite, and giving. All of you guys on this forum seem to be the same way. Please do not take this the wrong way. It is nothing personal - and yet it becomes very personal when you happen to be a foreigner and are entering the US. As a result I have decided not to enter or visit the US for the foreseeable future.
I look forward to seeing pics of all the fun you guys will have.
20ducks - it is not dissension that I fear. I fear being treated like Maher Arar.....
http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5ihSd23YLVLMLx8tEc6GQXpZ12j7A
The U.S. Court of Appeals in New York ruled Monday that Arar's claim that it was a violation of due process to send him to Syria could not be heard in federal court. The court concluded that adjudicating the claims would interfere with sensitive matters of foreign policy and national security.
"It's a quite sweeping and reprehensible opinion," said LaHood. "It's quite sweeping in how much deference it gives to the U.S. government."
LaHood spoke with Arar and said he is equally taken aback by the decision.
"He was not only disappointed too, but outraged," she said.
"He's rightfully angered that he cannot get justice, and that not only can he not get justice, but that his being sent to torture has now been in vain because he can't even stop the government from doing it to someone else."
The 2-1 ruling also said that Arar, as a foreigner who had not been formally admitted to the U.S., had no constitutional due process rights.
So - there you have it. If I am crossing into the US and am not admitted then I have no right to due process and your Government can send me to ___________________ (fill in the blank).
In addition - I was born in The Islamic Republic of Pakistan. I get hassled quite often by US Border Guards when crossing the frontier and frankly I do not wish to expose myself to such treatment. I realize that the Border Guard is just trying to do his job and it is not personal for him - but why should I let the Guard have an opportunity to humiliate me?
This does not mean that I do not like Americans. Some of my best friends are American. They are all extremely kind, polite, and giving. All of you guys on this forum seem to be the same way. Please do not take this the wrong way. It is nothing personal - and yet it becomes very personal when you happen to be a foreigner and are entering the US. As a result I have decided not to enter or visit the US for the foreseeable future.