Slashdot Mirror
How Has Post-9/11 Legislation Affected You?
goldspider asks: "I hope this is received in the spirit it was intended in. In a recent Reuters article, the Internet as a whole has been referred to as 'collateral damage' of the U.S.-led War on Terrorism, because of the perceived loss in privacy and online rights as a result of post-9/11 legislation. I am curious to hear about some specific examples of how this legislation has personally or professionally affected the everyday lives of Slashdot readers."
Please let this be first! I'm in Washington DC this week, so it makes sense.
(-1, Raw and Uncut is the only way to read)
+1 Funny
Amen.
As of this writing, my original post was moderated to Score 0: Flamebait. Just the open-minded thinking I would expect for Slashdot. Openness to any ideas, as long as they don't conflict with your own. This is the exact same reason I left Everything2. Disagree with me all you want, but I'm only speaking my side of things.
--Reverend Raven
Desperate days demand dire deeds.
Except for the regular ass-fucking by our corporate masters.
My wife, daughter, job, worldly possessions were in the US. I was living there on a TN-1 VISA. While visiting the UK I flew back to NYC for some meetings and to get my TN-1 renewed and the conversation went something like:
lady: Do you have a place to stay in Canada?
me: No, I'm currently living in the USA.
lady: (snaps) YES YOU DO!
me: (thinks to self, "Oh oh...this lady had a bad day and I'm her next target")
me: (thinking quickly) Well, I own a house in Canada
lady: (pause... - I think I caught her off guard about the house)
lady: what do you do?
me: I work in the IT field
lady: What? There is no such thing as IT! (basically)
me: (stunned). Before I can get into an explanation...
lady: What NAFTA category do you fall under?
me: (I have to think for a second as I'm still reeling from the possible negative ramifications of this conversation) before I respond:
lady: here - look at this sheet of NAFTA categories
me: I pick one (computer analyst)
lady: more disbelief that IT exists, and extreme negativity and pistol whipping...
(snip)
lady: I am banning you from ever entering the US until this matter is resolved
me: (thinking about my wife and children living in the US, and how I am going to work this out with them and my employer - I am very senior and this will be bad)
In hindsight, I believe I was going to be denied after her first rude question. Now, every single time I cross the border the guard looks at me in shock after reading something about me on the computer screen, then has a chat with me in private. This is before Sept 11.
I used to work at the World Trade Center. I'd like to be there tomorrow but I'm not going to chance getting stopped at the border.
I'd like to resume doing business in the US, but I'm too scared I will be denied access again (professional and personal ramifications).
So instead of being a highly successful revenue generator for a large US-based international firm I am now performing my job for Canadian firms instead.
Posting as AC to not make matters worse for myself.
Hi, Now this thing here is non-profit so dont get all upset and nasty and shit. This only comes to clarify a subject me and my friends here were discussing. Please take this 5 second poll. I swear its only 5 seconds. really! Thank you pilgrims.