Civil liberties? What civil liberties?

As many others in the Buffalo/Niagara region of New York (as well as the millions that live along our northern border) would agree, we consider the ability to pass freely to Canada something close to a birthright.

Recent enforced identification laws, while annoying, are not completely irrational; while I may not be pleased that going into Canada takes another few minutes, I can understand the reasoning behind it. Move beyond those basic steps however, and we begin to step on a few toes. As the Buffalo News reported today, border agents are now free to seize iPods, cell phones, and computers in an attempt to "thwart terror" (my words, not the articles), for no other reason than the whim of an agent, an idea that I'm sure will have a very loose definition under Chertoff's attempt at Homeland Security.

I don't claim to be an expert on the law, but this reeks of a 4th amendment violation. If not, it is simply a blatant attack on the right to privacy, under the cover of "security." Given the Bush administration's "whatever" approach to the Bill of Rights, this measure unfortunately seems right up their ally. After protest from the the level of citizen all way up to Congress following the enforced i.d. rules, Michael Chertoff told Western New Yorkers to essentially "suck it up." We will not, and can not do so in this instance.

•  This is probably going to cause me to cancel...

  ... my vacation plans for this year.  I was planning to spend a week in Quebec City at the end of the Summer, but I'll be damned if I'll chance having my cell phone and notebook seized for no damn good reason.

  If President Obama doesn't revoke this order as one of his first acts as President, he'll be proven a fool.

  by tbetz on Sat Aug 02, 2008 at 10:30:15 AM PDT