1975, winter, somewhere in the American Southwest. I am driving across a state border and there is a sign that reads "do not transport citrus fruit across state lines." There on the side of the road is a check point with uniformed federal agents, a place to pull off, some garbage cans. I look at the oranges sitting on the floor over on the passenger side and figure ... "better pull off and dump this contraband." But then something surprising happened.
I started to pull into the checkpoint, and one of the uniformed federal agents leaned over a bit to see who was in the 10 year old Volkswagen Type 3. He saw two hippies, one with very long hair, one with somewhat longer hair. He tried to wave us on, back on to the road.
But I knew we had oranges. I knew we would be violating Federal Law if we crossed the state line, just a few yards ahead. So I continued to slow down and head over to the trash cans. Just beyond the trash cans, there was a car full of people and a couple of more uniformed federal agents. I figured "They must have oranges too."
As I headed over to the trash cans, the agent that was waving us on became agitated and started pointing towards the road with one hand and indicating with the other that we should head out that way. I also noticed that there were a LOT of people in that car over there, and that it was an even older and more beat up car than the one I was driving.
Whatever, I was heading for the trash can. No violation of Federal Law for me. Uh unh.
Now one or two of the Well Armed Uniformed Federal Officers over by the other car, which I now perceived as being full of rather scared Mexican looking people, were also waving me away. So I rolled down my window and said: "I have oranges" ... puzzled look from the Federali ... "Organges!" (I'm holding up the bag.)
"We're not checking oranges today, sir, just get back on the road and have a nice day..."
One last look at the extended family perhaps visiting from Mexico as they peered hopelessly out the window of their car.... And I drove away, puzzled.
That was my first time. Eventually, I got used to it. I am not Hispanic so I just drive by the 'fruit' checkpoints at which the jack-booted Uniformed Federal Agents pull over, harass, and perhaps occasionally arrest (and who knows what else) the Hispanic people.
I always wondered what could possibly be the basis for this kind of search and seizure authority. Back in those days, there were Medfly scares, but I don't think Mexican families are more likely to carry Medflies than oranges are. But today, I learned something new about this.
Apparently, it has become common practice for the US Border Patrol to consider any spot of land within 100 miles of a federal border, which I think sometimes includes inland waterways (and thus would run up major rivers some distance) to be within the zone that Fourth Amendment rights are suspended.
It turns out that two thirds of the American population lives within this zone. Two thirds. Two hundred million of the three hundred million of us do not have fourth amendment rights anymore.
Here are the details on that little problem.
And while you are checking that out, read about the US government plans to develop teams of robots designed to track down and capture unwilling individuals. Unwilling in what way you may ask? Don't ask questions like that. They'll take you over behind the trash cans if you ask questions like that.
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Wow, those population figures are astounding; I had no idea, and it's a bit unnerving. Almost as unnerving as this:
http://www.democracynow.org/2008/10/7/us_army_denies_unit_will_be
Did you know that Georgia (US) is more in need of troops than is either Iraq or Afghanistan? No? Me either...
Doesn't anyone remember the Mechanical Hound from Fahrenheit 451?
Ana,
How do you take a report like this, which may well be valid, but other available information together with it, and make a coherent statement about it that is both reasonably well documented and compelling? I only have bits and pieces of information, not enough. There have always been stories of this kind of takeover, or other stories of, for instance, some never before heard of clause in the Constitution by which Bush will remain president even after an election in which he loses (or does not even run), and so on. Why does this story rise above the others to be more of a real concern?
Greg, I think you have to talk about the trend toward consolidation of power, toward militarization. I think you have to talk about all of the small things you see and how they worry you just a bit and how you dismiss them, one after another, each time with a slightly larger sense of unease. Then you talk about this one and note that, eight years ago, it would have meant nothing to you. You say you would have dismissed it too, but how many times can one administration ask you to dismiss things? You ask how many times you should.
Then you note, as someone at Making Light did some time ago, that you hate how this administration makes you feel like some nutjob conspiracy theorist. And you ask whether you're alone.
You're not.
ICE had a roadblock stop on I-93 southbound in Thornton NH this past Memorial Day weeekend. This is a major tourist route, traffic was backed up for miles. Lots of ICE cars and vans to welcome those dangerous Quebecois. They waved me on when they saw how pasty white I am.
With the dollar down, New England is getting a lot of Canadian tourists, and we're happy to bienvenue them, hope ICE doesn't hassle them much.
I took the report just for what it was - a heads-up that a military unit is redeployed in Georgia. I don't know what it means, beyond the possible violation of law; I don't know if it's a symptom of anything larger or what coherent statement could be written regarding such a conspiracy. But the ACLU is on it, Greg, don't worry. ;)
http://www.aclu.org/safefree/general/37272lgl20081021.html