20 December 2007

A young blonde Icelandic woman's recent experience visiting the US -- Signs of the Times News

We put this story up a few days ago:A young blonde Icelandic woman's recent experience visiting the US -- Signs of the Times News.

Eva Ósk Arnardóttir was on her way for a few days of shopping with some friends in New York. When she arrived at JFK airport, she was pulled aside for a visa violation stemming from 1995. In her account, she describes the humiliation she suffered, including being put into chains, being refused any communication with her embassy, refused a chance to sleep, and put into jail.

The story has drawn a lot of comments, most of which express outrage at the conduct of the customs and immigration officials. Most people are genuinely appalled at how she was treated.

Then there have been a few "America can do no wrong" type comments. What is of concern is that there are people who equate a visa violation (Arnardóttir overstayed her visa in 1995) and dangerous and violent criminal activity. For these black and white 'thinkers', a crime is a crime is a crime. For those who are able to think a little more clearly, the episode is one of many that show how the US is turning into a police state. For the a desscription of how this change has been happening through new laws passed by Congress, check out the excellent article by Stephen Lendman, Police State America - A Look Back and Ahead. For an overview of incidents similar to that befalling Eva Ósk Arnardóttir, read Militarized Police, Overreaction and Overkill: Have You Noticed It In Your Town Yet?.

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