Comments on: Border Services Attack on Freedom of Speech: Merits More than Just a Story

By: kootcoot

kootcoot — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 20:03:53 +0000

I am ashamed that people like MP George Galloway, Ret’d USAF Colonel Ann Wright, and Amy Goodman are either banned at the border or harassed by Canadian Border services yet war criiminals like Dick Cheney or Dubya Bush are welcomed with open arms. There are countries that folks like Bush, Cheney and Kissenger either avoid or feel nervous about and then there are countries that feel no accountablilty to international law – under Harper and Airshow Mackay Canada is rapidly joining the second group – above the law (or would below the law be more appropriate?)!

By: the Dude

the Dude — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 03:39:09 +0000

yes you could edit the title by changing the ”u’ for a ‘o’….

By: the Dude

the Dude — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 03:36:39 +0000

Bill C 6 the real story, how this country is becoming a dictaturship the title is mine...

By: the Dude

the Dude — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 04:29:16 +0000

Also the real story here for me was the lack of coverage by the media. Apart from CFRO 102.7 of course…

By: the Dude

the Dude — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 04:25:24 +0000

“But that is not enough: the Canadian bureaucracy has made a major move against Freedom of Speech. A precedent has been set … and will stand … unless our media and civil liberties outlets pursue this matter.”

yea. what about bill c-6 for you sirs?

(Response: Bill C-6, the proposed Canada Consumer Product Safety Act, is intended to “keep Canadian families safe from dangerous consumer products,” according to Health Canada, but some fear the bill carries with it clauses that would restrict access to natural health and allow Health Canada officials powers that would circumvent the courts, the Canadian Constitution and Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms” …from a story in the Merritt News, explaining it very well. h.o)

By: crh

crh — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 14:45:41 +0000

The journalist in question was not denied entry because it could not be proven that she would be speaking negatively about the Olympics.

If it could have been, she would have been denied entry.

Anyone else for a little more facism with their government?

By: Skookum1

Skookum1 — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 14:18:41 +0000

Farley Mowat keeps an anti-aircraft gun on his Cape Breton property, and IIRC has talked about shooting down US aircraft….he’s been on a watchlist for years……probably under the “Communist” category that was used in the US as a catch-all, whether someone was a declared Communist or not….

the AAG may be only a Hunter S. Thompson-style joke, but as we know border guards are not known for their sense of humour, nor anti-terrorist authorities…..

Harvey, have you had any such experience at the border?

(Response:Actually I often found the US guards quite friendly when we were crossing for work …in a BCTV van. And as a private traveller I was only once hassled: at the Blaine truck crossing by a U.S. border guard…just after doing a few stories about the U.S. arrogantly ignoring several international trade rulings on softwood lumber .. and after grilling the US Ambassador to Canada about it during his visit to Vancouver. (I’m sure they too watched BCTV in Blaine! . I have one of those Nexus “trusted traveller” passes but a friend I was travelling with did not ..so I let him out at the border to cross as a pedestrian. Made him even carry his jacket. The first US Immigration guy in the Nexus booth was fine, friendly ..told me where to wait for my companion at the back of the secondary check area: the officer there was fine too. But as I stood there in the parking area outside the building ..another officer … quite an older guy, with a scowl on his face … approached me and asked why I was there. I explained that I was a Nexus member and was waiting for a foot passenger to come through and had been told to park where I was. He said he wanted to look at my car. Sure, no problem .. better safe than sorry, right? He, of course, found nothing … EXCEPT two half-drank cups of Tim Hortons in the front seat cup holders!!!! (Run for your life!!! Tim Hortons invading the U.S.!!) He asked me whose cup was on the passenger seat side? When I told him my friend’s, he told me I could lose my Nexus clearance for that. “You don’t bring in ANYTHING belonging to someone else,” he spat out. That set me off … “Well, actually, it belongs to me ..I PAID FOR IT. He had a drink from it ,but it’s mine.” I told him. He repeated the rule …. Was that really defending the US’s security?? Seemed almost like a journalistic rebuke of sorts … but I couldn’t prove that was the motivation, … but I have always suspected he was motivated by my critical stories about the U.S. I still go to the U.S. quite often … enjoy it, and although I was also pulled over for secondary check, crossing for a month-long trip in Toronto …I wouldn’t call that hassling and haven’t had any other real problems. h.o)

By: Lynn2

Lynn2 — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 01:36:56 +0000

There are several reasons to deny admission to Canada
i.e.-security reasons
-human rights
-organized crime
-health
-financial
-misrepresentation
I do not believe any of the above applied to the journalist or she would not have entered Canada.

I also do not think Farley Mowat was a threat to US security either but then what do I know.

By: Lynn2

Lynn2 — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:35:37 +0000

I repeat ; the journalist was not denied entry.

(Response: I repeat: they had to right to determine she was a legitimate journalist..they had NO right to demand to know what she was going to speak about. h.o.)

By: Lynn2

Lynn2 — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 23:13:11 +0000

Further comments;
Farley Mowat ,an officer of the Order of Canada was banned from travelling to the States in 1985 having accepted an invitation to speak @ a university in Chico , California.
No reason was given.
He writes books on Canadian north and childrens books.
The result was a media circus and Regan decided he could visit the USA.
Mowat then declined.
I have no issue with Ms Goodman but am amused @ the big ego — I’m a journalist how dare they.
As a foreigner entering Canada , CBSA can deny entrance. They did not.
People visiting Canada do not have the “right “to enter Canada and are required to answer questions re: reasons for entering.
Only Canadian citizens,permanent residents and natives have this right.
All items real and electronic are subject to search and everyone should be aware of this.

(Response: There ARE rules and laws. CBS officers cannot deny entry on a whim or without cause. in this case the danger to our liberty was that they were not questionning if she was a threat or some previous record ..it was that they apparently were just worried that she might speak negatively about the Olympics. THAT, I believe, goes beyond their business. h.o.)