[Leica] transporting film

[locke at straylight.ca (Greg Locke)]

Don't you know that all Irishmen are members of the IRA?  ....JUST
KIDDING!!!  ...but this is the mind set of those without minds.

On the note of what all this (and the discussion about the poor guy in
Seattle) I have come to the conclusions that the terrorists have won.  

Not that people are afraid to move for fear of terrorist attack but because
people are now being terrorized by there own governments (not singling out
the USA, either. Canada has been doing some nasty stuff to its citizens,
albeit, those with brown skin)) and travel is no longer convenient.

I, for one, will now drive where I used to fly if at all possible.

I even turned down an assignment in the USA recently because I just didn't
need the hassles of travelling with cameras and film, dealing with being
arrested at the border for not having an obscure piece of paper. It's just
not worth it. Its no fun and it ruins both business and vacation travel.

A few years back I was taking my family (wife and two children) to visit
relatives (US citizens and Republicans) in Florida and do the Disney World
thing with the kids. As the nice immigration man (and he was very polite and
congenial for an immigration officer) at Tampa was checking my passport his
eyes fell on the stamps for Croatia, Rwanda, Zaire, Bulgaria, Schipol,
Heathrow, Kenya, Turkey, Burundi, Haiti and I could see his eyes go wide and
the questions began.
What do you do, why were you there, was it business. I'm a journalist ...do
you have a journalist visa?  I'm on vacation see, wife and little girls.

This man sees pasty white Canadian tourists year round but my passport
through him. Thankfully, I was only carry a couple of Leicas and my charming
three year old came to the rescue and we all got to see Mickey.

It was no big deal, and he was a decent guy, but that mixed with the current
insanity I now avoid travel to the USA if at all possible.... Even to visit
my aunts, uncles and cousins.

Osama and his boys must be laughing their faces off in delight. They
succeeded. They have brought "western civilization", especially the USA, to
the point where they may cease to function as free states ...or with what
little freedoms we used to enjoy.

They never have to carry out another attack to perpetuate terror. Our
governments are now doing it for them. Its OUR governments that are
restricting our movements, searching and detaining innocent people,
restricting whatever civil and human rights we have in our respective
countries.


Greg Locke
St. John's, Newfoundland
(the place where I hide when not visiting the world's misery)

      --- SOUND SYMPOSIUM XII --
International Festival of New Music and Art 
Daily photo coverage at 
http://blog.greglocke.com
July 8 - 18, 2004
St. John's, Newfoundland 

> 
> 
> Any you appear to be so terrorist-like.
> 
> Last time I went to Washington DC, the fellow traveling with 
> me (67 years old, 140 pounds, Irish, conservative 
> accountant-type looks, charcoal gray suit) got detained at 
> every single point possible. Perhaps the least likely 
> terrorist if we are counting looks.
> 
> Jeffery Smith
> New Orleans, LA