America the Unwelcoming
Dr. Fareed Zakaria, an immigrant, and Editor of Newsweek International, accuses the United States of being UNWELCOMING to foreign travelers. We're the ONLY country that is so hard on those that want to enter, even just for business purposes.
He says:
"Every American who has a friend abroad has heard some story about the absurd hassle and humiliation of entering or exiting the United States. But these pale in comparison to the experience of foreigners who commit minor infractions. A tourist from New Zealand, Rick Giles, mistakenly overstayed his visa in America by a few days and found himself summarily arrested for six weeks earlier this fall. Treaty obligations say his country's embassy should have been informed of the arrest, but it wasn't. A German visitor, Valeria Vinnikova, overstayed her visa by a couple of days and tried to remedy the situation—so that she could spend more time with her fianc[e], the Dartmouth College squash coach. Instead she was handcuffed and had her feet shackled, then was carted off to be imprisoned. She now faces deportation and a 10-year ban on entering the United States. (Thanks to AndrewSullivan .com for drawing attention to these.)"
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Extreme cases .... perhaps?
If not, so what? Why shouldn't we be suspect of each and every foreign visitor who enters our country if they commit an infraction, even if it is MINOR?
Why must we always make exceptions for those who can't conform to OUR laws?
Why are we ALWAYS the bad guys?
Read America the Unwelcoming and make your own decision.
This is a huge BUMP for me.
This is my country. I'm inconvenienced in many ways since 9-11, especially at airports, all government buildings, schools and more. Don't whine to me because you, a foreigner, have to be inconvenienced because you have a MINOR INFRACTION when I have committed none and am willing to make concessions daily in order to keep my fellow American citizens safe!
Yes, I AM UNGLUED. Every American should be, as well.
So Thursday I will give thanks that I live in America.
I will give thanks for the fact that I am FREE.
I thank god for the day my grandfather traveled here from Latvia by himself, not speaking a word of English, got off a ship with just a tag around his neck, with his name on it.
A "peasant" is what he was classified on his passport.
He came here LEGALLY.
He followed the SYSTEM.
He LEARNED the LANGUAGE.
He became a CITIZEN
He WORKED hard.
He was proud to be an AMERICAN.
I am proud to be an American!
