Americans and Canadians Should Be Entitled To Free Movement

October 30, 2008 · Filed Under Inside My Head, Politics and Government · Comment

For 21 years, I was a stone’s throw away from Windsor, Ontario, Canada in Detroit, Michigan. However, it was after leaving Michigan that I spent more time in Canada than ever. Now, after years of numerous border crossings and flights into the Great White North, I often question the reasoning behind the lack of cross-border freedom for Americans and Canadians. Specifically, the freedom of Americans and Canadians to live and work without the requirement of visas and costly immigration procedures.

The new measures put in place after 9/11 were just an excuse to trample upon Americans’ dwindling liberties. Now, Americans are not even allowed to re-enter the country from Canada without a valid passport (when traveling by air) or birth certificate (when traveling by ground). Frankly, all of these measures are absurd and they do not make us any safer.

I believe it is critical for the American and Canadian governments to reach an agreement on unifying our nations for the better good of everyone. This isn’t a call for extensions to NAFTA or support for the often-discussed NAU (North American Union). Instead, it’s a call for cooperation and the establishment of trust-based programs to support the freedom of movement that’s enjoyed by American states and Canadian provinces.

If a Canadian desires to live and work in America, he or she should be free to do so without the red tape that currently exists. The same is true for any American. We need to reform our immigration laws and agreements to support cross-border living and working arrangements which do not strain our ability to foster growth and advancement between our nations. We should treat each other as great friends — Not as untrustworthy enemies (which the American government is doing quite well about now). It is my hope that we can realize such change within the next 10 years or less. We live in different times today and with the Internet closing the gap on how we live and communicate, it’s about time that we tear down the arbitrary walls which separate and divide us.

What are your thoughts?

Oh, Yeah! Number of Flights in 2008: 10+

October 9, 2008 · Filed Under Random Blurbs, Stuff I'm Up To · Comment

When I left my last and final corporate job in 2005, my weekly flying schedule came to a screeching halt. From Summer 2004 to Summer 2005, I had flown more than 50,000 nautical air miles between American, Soutwest and Delta Air. My goal for 2008 was to increase my flying and I’m happy to report that I’ve accomplished the goal! Granted, I have not reached my ultimate goal of weekly flights, but I’m pretty happy with the outcome:

1. Detroit, Michigan (+3)
2. Chicago, Illinois (+3)
3. Newark, New Jersey (+1)
4. New York, New York (+1)
5. Phoenix, Arizona (+1)
6. Las Vegas, Nevada (+1)
7. Austin, Texas (+1)
8. Dallas, Texas (+1)

Several flights were trips to visit family and friends, with the rest being leisure and conferences. The New York flight was a quick day trip to record an interview for the ABC special dedicated to the late CMU professor, Dr. Randy Pausch.

Tomorrow, I’ll fly to Calgary, Alberta, Canada for a weekend of fun through Monday. Its been two years since my last visit to Calgary and I’m looking forward to seeing how this great Canadian city has grown since.

Now, if only I can work out some kind of spokesman deal for one of the airlines, I’ll be all set! I never get tired of flying!

An Unpleasant Encounter with Windsor (Canada) Police

September 12, 2008 · Filed Under On The Horn, Politics and Government, Random Blurbs · Comment

Please pardon any typos, grammatical errors and such. I wanted to post this while the experience was still fresh in my mind.

I just returned home after a very unpleasant experience with Windsor police. I am currently in Detroit attending to family matters and spending time with family and friends from Denver. At about 1:45 AM Eastern today, some friends and I decided to drive around Detroit, eat and talk. We then decided we’d continue our late-night cruise of conversation and fun into Windsor.

At the border stop, I asked the attendant if a passport or birth certificate was required in addition to a license to enter Canada. His response: “No”. Now, I do recall there being changes to the border crossing process which requires an American to have a passport (I’ve always traveled into Canada with my license and/or birth certificate), but I didn’t think much of it after assuming we’d be okay with the confirmation that additional documents weren’t necessary. We then proceeded to cross, drive around, check out the night life, etc.

Just before our arrival to the border to return to Detroit, we were stopped by Windsor police. 15 minutes earlier, I noticed a patrol car trailing us and figured it was a bit odd. The officer approached us and asked everyone for their identification. 15 minutes later, she returned to the car to return our ID. Confused and slightly pissed about the traffic stop, I asked the officer the purpose of the stop. She responded that Windsor police have the authority to stop any car, for any reason, whether it’s to ID passengers, check for stolen cars, etc.

I then requested information to police headquarters, because at that point, I was ready to speak to her superiors. I proceeded to record the conversation, asking her to state her name, badge ID, and the appropriate information. When she noticed that I was recording, she walked away. It just so happens that we were both heading in the same direction, so I flagged her down and asked for the location of the headquarters. Her partner responded, “See you there.”

Anyway, I had a long conversation with her superior and he re-iterated the same thing, which I felt was just complete BS. We didn’t do anything wrong. We were minding our business. One thing that really pissed me off about the traffic stopped is when the officer questioned why we passed the tunnel if we were going home. Gee, maybe I didn’t see the sign? Maybe we changed our minds to get something to drink?

I have to say, I’ve been to Windsor many times over the years. I’ve traveled all over Canada by air, rail and car. I’ve lived in Calgary. Yet, I’ve NEVER experienced anything so absurd and bizarre before. I’ve NEVER been stopped by police in Canada for ANY reason. So, what was the reason for this traffic stop? At the police HQ, they claimed that Wyandotte (a major thoroughfare for the small Canadian city) was a hotbed for prostitutes, drug dealers, etc. Well, that’s fine and dandy, but we’re none of those things. Why was this admission even necessary? To justify why they stopped us, beamed their floodlights on us and treated us like shit?

Is this how Windsor PD treat residents of the city or American visitors? Is it frowned upon for Americans to drive the streets of Windsor late in the morning with their friends? I’d really like to know what their procedures are and if anyone has experienced this as well.

I cannot re-iterate enough how uncomfortable and angry this encounter made me. It was completely unwarranted and totally unacceptable. The entire incident was just wrong. Then, we were heckled further by U.S. Customs due to our lack of a passport or birth certificate. We were being lectured about September 11th, how they’re protecting us, etc. (I so badly wanted to mention why the owners of Building 7 at WTC decided to ‘pull’ the damn building).

Anyway, I’m home, but still pretty pissed. There’s a part of me that really wants to give City Hall a piece of my mind and raise some awareness around this experience. It really irks me when law enforcement steps out of line.