I work for a airline and part of my job is to inform people that they need a passport to fly from the U.S. to Canada. Something like 70% of Americans do not have passports, so when I tell them they need a passport it becomes a big effing thing. Wake the fuck up and get a fucking passport. I can’t change the rules, accept it and just fucking get one.
—Has a passport
This article appears in Aug 27 – Sep 2, 2009.
Tell the Americans that the reason they need passports to come into Canada now is because of their own xenophobic paranoia.
NM, you could not be more correct. It is their stupid rule. Not ours.
nevermind – could you imagine the time involved in explaining the word “xenophobic” to some hayseed from Alabama?
As ye sow so shall ye reap – you made the rules Yankee Doodle Dummies, we’re just following suit.
It’s just the beginning… reduction of your freedom in the name of your safety. uh huh
“”It’s just the beginning… reduction of your freedom in the name of your safety””
Indeed. Interested in your thoughts on the RCMP restricting our freedoms to visit the shoreline from now on anytime there’s a “storm” …(or Cindy Day says the sky is falling) or there’s a missing kid, or traffic is too bad and so on and so forth…
see Hurricane (leo)tards bitch
Cindy Day is a crime against clothing – maybe she’s in drag?
Actually Kay, it’s not a reduction of freedom for Canadians, as our government has done nothing to us. Remember, our government fought this passport thing to the hilt. The Yanks are purely to blame for this. One more reason not to go to the States.
The biggest problem is our youth (and theirs) fold this new travel fact into their little book of life never relating the “Show Me Your Papers!” gestapo-style legislation-by-your-neighbour-for-your-safety-and-mine to Nazi Germany and the nature of dictatorship. Don’t get me going, Fever.
Frosty, I’ll see your bitch and raise you one here:
http://www.thecoast.ca/LovetheWayWeBitch/a…
Look, Kay, we’ve just had it easy. This is a standard thing in Europe. Christ, Brits who go on holiday to France, Spain, etc. all have to have passports, and the UK and France are connected by a fuckin’ tunnel! It’s like going over the bridge in Windsor! If you don’t think you need to have a passport, guess what? You don’t get to step foot inside a different country.
Fever, have you ever actually been to Europe? I was there. I drove 5 countries in a day and a half. Yes I needed a passport to enter the country (Germany) when I got off the plane… had to pass through customs. No, I never had to produce it again until I tried to leave again. That’s when you notice all the German cops with cocked semi-automatics ready in their hands as they check you out while you smoke (almost anywhere) in the airport… but even they weren’t too excited about my papers/passport. Only the airport staff/customs and that was my flight back out of Germany not my amazing trip through the other four. So Fever, please try again. Conformity is not in my nature.
You still need to have a passport. Countries monitor your movements, and if you don’t like it, too bad. If you don’t want to be treated like a Jew in Nazi Germany, don’t go to the US. Unfortunately, they don’t want you either. So, explain to me how this effects your freedoms?
It affects my freedom to experience the world… not that this freedom (responsibility?) is documented anywhere save for my God given presence on the planet (and yours). Mankind prefers to put all into a “station” and many cow are led there. I’m not. I want more. Other people should not decide for me (or you) what I will experience with my life (or yours)… You know, not so long ago the concept of “ownership” was new… only when a society experiences surplus does the idea of ownership come into view. We never used to take more than the community needed… unless we were trying to IMPRESS the neighbors with our wealth, generosity and kindness (all in the same breath). Go figure, huh? Things change. Not always for the better. But things will continue to change. I say the future should embrace original values of happiness and freedom and it will only happen if people remember why we created government and currency and free enterprise and MILITARY for in the first place… to ensure freedoms, not to exchange freedoms for safety.
Kay, I do see your point, and philosophically, I agree with your stance on individual rights. Yes, human beings should have the right to unrestricted movement in their world.
The problem isn’t with the 99% of people who are decent, good people who never have any need to be “policed” or “governed.” The problem is with the ones who have no sense of internal control, who can and do cause serious harm to others if left to their own devices.
Countries have border controls to attempt to keep some of those people away from their territory—as is their right. It’s a double-edged sword: in attempting to restrict the travel of the ones who cause serious harm, the rest of us are, unfortunately prevented from moving around the world as freely as we would like.
I don’t know how much of an open border we, or any country, could realistically cope with. And I personally don’t mind that there are some people who are prevented from coming here, not for trivial reasons but for very good reasons.
I wish it were otherwise . . .
I have a passport. Boo.
Kay you can take your freedom to go anywhere in the world. You can start with North Korea, Iran, and a few other places. And when you get there, tell them you have the freedom to do whatever you like and go wherever you like. When you’re done, let us know how it all worked out.
I guess I’m hopeful for all of mankind. What can I say? We fight for other people’s freedom. Ooo bad kay wants to fight for her own. spooky.
Can any of you think outside the box where gay rights are not concerned? You bitches….
Wow, Kay, that’s quite the treatise. I’m really concerned that you’re either bat-shit loco or just really naive. Look, other countries have every right (just as you think that you have every right to enter their country) to protect themselves, in fact, one could argue that they have more of a right than the individual because the government, for better or worse, is an elected entity of the people and represents the will of the majority. Therefore, they speak for the people. They aren’t restricting access, they’re controlling it. There’s a significant difference. It’s like Bro Tim said: “You can start with North Korea, Iran, and a few other places.” That’s very true. I think you should consider yourself lucky that we live in a country that allows visitors and that you, at the very least can visit other countries (albeit with a passport). Have a problem? Take it to the US House of Representatives, then the Senate, and finally the President. They were the ones who all had an active role in placing this restriction. However, as a Canadian who resides in Canada, and probably doesn’t pay taxes in the US (I’d be surprised if you pay taxes in CANADA, you probably think it’s a transgression on your right to earn money) you’d get laughed right out of the country.
Fever, “They aren’t restricting access, they’re controlling it. There’s a significant difference.”
And when you’re denied access do you feel “controlled” or “restricted”? Hardly matters. The difference is NIL.
Oh Fever, I KNOW we live in the cream of the world but counting myself lucky because others have it worse (made that way by other human beings) is not my idea of really living. You remind me of Mom who used to take my complaints growing up and invalidate them because things could be so much worse. (ie, “Mom, it took a whole hour to get home on the bus!” “Kay, I had to walk an hour to school uphill both ways in the blowing snow. Count yourself lucky” WTF?) That’s not good enough, in my opinion. The bar is way up here! I do not accept the entire purpose of my life is to work, pay taxes and die.
I don’t understand why people readily accept government as Daddy-For-Adults. So many ignorant people pleasers (SHEEP who look to their government what their purpose for living is) and not enough self-empowering education. It begins with the individual.
Fever, “I’d be surprised if you pay taxes in CANADA”
Be surprised. I pay through the nose and avoid sucking on the welfare tit like so many bitches here. I have employees and pay their taxes too. Is that enough taxes for ya or shall we digress to sales tax or our government’s wisdom in making these employees very very expensive? What is your logic behind this statement? I regularly argue for health care, education, clean water, safety and all the other thing we NEED government for. I don’t mind paying a little to enjoy these things. I do mind when my tax dollars are used to make the rich richer, to pay the losers of an election to go away or when my taxes are used to restrict my life choices. Let me also point out the Tax Act was implemented to pay for a war NOT to provide deterrent for lifestyle choices and NOT to control your behavior.. at least that’s not what government was for when we invented it. I just hope people educate themselves well enough to not only keep their eye on the ball but to realize collectively they ARE the ball and it matters what each and every one of us thinks!
If you think I’m loco, just crack a history book and see what “the majority government” used to do to homosexuals. See what they did to people when suggesting the Earth orbits the dun and not the other way around. No worries. Most revolutionists were considered “bat-shit loco”… right up until their plan liberated others so I don’t mind your limited view as long as somehow the idea gets through that you can choose your thoughts, freedom of choice being your greatest weapon.
You still didn’t really answer my question… But anyhoo, yeah you’re a real revolutionary, right up there with Louis Riel. What happened to him? Oh, yeah, he ended up at the end of a rope, with nothing accomplished.
Kay, why don’t you have a shower? Your tired old gay baiting is starting to stink.
I didn’t think my response was particularly bitchy . . . I too believe that humans can and should strive for better. I was actually saying, Kay that I agree with many of your points about the importance of the individual vs the goals of “the majority.”
I do think, in general day-to-day life it is important to draw a distinction between regulating certain aspects of society and being careful about comparisons to facism or totalitarianism.
I think there can be such a thing as “civil society” and “good government” — which are very different things than dictatorship. I think it is important that people (and I am speaking in general terms here, not to anyone’s specific post) take care when using words like “Nazi” “terrorist” “dictatorship” “police state” etc. and to use them accurately, lest we trivialize the truly tragic histories that people have suffered through. I have met a number of people from the former Soviet bloc and have heard truly hair-raising stories of persecution, abuse and terror.
We do have it good here in Canada, in spite of our (many) imperfections, and I, for one, am very appreciative for the rights and freedoms we have in this place and in this era, and the social structure that allows it to exist. And yes, as I am sure you know, I am very aware of the way many different kinds of people, including gays, are treated in countries such as Iran, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, North Korea and any other hellhole we could name. That is why people like me are so vigilant about any perceived slights or insults on a forum like this. The “dark ages” are not that long ago, and nobody wants to see them come back any time soon.
Many of the great revolutions have been largely won in the West: individual freedoms, religious freedoms, the rights of self-determination, and a general ideal of race and gender equality—even if in practice we still don’t always live up to it.
Many people in other parts of the world have a long, dangerous struggle ahead of them, and it could take decades or centuries before some of them enjoy the freedoms we have here.
I do believe that Canada, and even many aspects of the US, are not totally decadent; that there are some values and practices in “our” culture that can and do serve as an inspiration — sometimes even a lifeline — to others.
This blog is an interesting case study. We all come on here and vent our spleen (which is, I think, really healthy), but I notice everyone seems to have a keenly-tuned internal compass that points to “That ain’t right” when it’s truly important—meaning not points of ideology, but whether or not someone would rush to someone’s aid at a car accident or pull a child out of a burning building.
In real life, I try to maintain a belief that humanity is essentially good. But everyone knows how difficult it can be to hold on to that for more than a few minutes. People – ANYONE – can be be foolish, dumb, lost, confused, uneducated, miseducated, uniformed, misinformed, uninterested, lazy, damaged, manipulated, exploited, abused, physically or mentally ill, isolated, lonely, addicted, desperate . . . and yes, in some instances deeply and inexplicably evil. But I would rather exhaust these other possibilities first in search of the explanations for less-than-ideal human behavior and resort to the “evil” label (or the “facist” label or the “communist” label or the “police state” label only when it is really true.
Some woman downtown yesterday was mouthing off to a cop who simply asked her to move her car from a non-parking zone. A person like that really should spend a bit of time in a country where the cops really do show up in the middle of the night to “see if your papers are in order.”
Hahaha, kay, please keep going. This shit is better than anything Chris Rock puts out.
Ruby, Beautiful (nobody said you were a bitch save that we LLTWB)
Let’s not forget there are children out there coming of age who truly believe it’s their choice and their right to allow their future wives to live or die and they comprise more than 1% of the population. The definition of “evil” is not the same everywhere you go and value systems vary greatly the world over. Nor is the definition of “communist” a necessarily “evil” term. In fact, the fundamental principals behind communism are supported by any charity or collection plate. Perspective is important.
I would argue, however, regardless of our perspective we all want the same things for our human selves and our loved ones. It’s what we want from others and how we go about getting it that makes us unique and divided by culture and borders. Nobody on the planet with true intention of just visiting to share experience or to share nature’s landscape with their neighbour wants to have to show their papers to do it.
Border control. Yup that’s exactly what it is. To control who comes into your country. Something that every country in the world does and has the right to do. It’s nothing new. Been going on for centruies in one way or another. Now maybe in a few hundred years when we’re in a Star Trek perfect universe this may happen (no border control). But wait, there’s those pesky Klingons and Romulans.
Hey, if you think the world is perfect the way it is then do no more but don’t bother bitching to anyone. Like I said, it starts with the individual.
kay, the next president of a united Earth.
It is unfortunate. Like I said before, I too wish I could just “roam around the world” unhindred. I’m not out to do anyone any harm, and I try to be a good guest while in another person’s home. Even though, my last time through JFK was a bit harrowingm but that won’t keep me from going back, and I am glad that at least someone was making an effort to keep any would-be shoe-bombers off the plane.
And when I got home, I was pretty happy to meet up with a very friendly, very professional Canadian Customs agent who was doing a very thankless job trying her best to let the decent folk travel efficiently and unhindred, while guarding the gate against all kinds of people and goods that really shouldn’t be here.
I know very well about those kids who are coming of age to be brutes, whether by their own desires or as a product of their twisted cultural environment. (My tendency is to weight the argument towards “culture” rather than “nature” because if they were raised in a different society those attitudes would not be encouraged.)
So, in that light, I guess we are stick with border controls and other regulationsin one form or another so that those of use who want to live our lives freely are, well, “kept free” from those who want us to live otherwise . . . or take it upon themselves to decide who lives and who dies . . .
I try to stick by the “essentially good” premise, as most of my experience with people bears this out, but of course I still lock my door at night and keep away from situations where there is a real possibility of serious trouble.
Happy travelling, and, for now, keep that passport up-to-date!
(Sadly, there seems to be no known solution to the problem of the ugliness of passport photos!)
there should be a bitch devoted to Cindy Day’s poor taste in fashion
And her make up.
Boo, my post got deleted. Thats ok, you left my post about Heather Mill’s fake leg alone so I know y’all aren’t total prudes (or maybe someone complained?). No harm
maybe Cindy is transgendered too and doubles as Bruce Frisko – I’d love to slap the smirk off his dial
Cindy Day is (oddly) hot…
I like ‘er