Land of the free?
I‘ve been in the United States for around a month and a half. Things are similar but at the same time different than in my country. Legally, our organizational systems are not so different, although the reality of both countries shows an abyss between them.
When I am walking through the streets of Cambridge or Boston, I don’t feel myself in a typical American society. In fact, I see more people from other countries and hear them talking many different languages than I see people talking English.
Also the shop at the Supermarket is not very different, except for the fact that here it is easier and convenient to be a vegetarian. On one hand, a little good piece of steak price is around 10 bucks and on the other hand, the options for vegetarian food are so numerous and so tempting that the change is easier and pleasant.
Since I got here, fortunately we have traveled around a lot. We’ve been in Michigan, New York, Ohio, Massachusetts and Maine. Many of the places we have passed through were very typical and populated by “Americans.” In some of these places I found myself surprised because of the many overweight people I was seeing, and it felt strange and also sad. Clearly it is necessary to change the food behavior, isn’t it?
For a few weeks, we have had a car, and since we got it our lives have changed, not only because it is nice for traveling around but also because it has made me think about liberties and how they are evaluated in this country. The well known “land of the free.”
To have a car and to try parking it is a nightmare! Not only because of the impossible mission of find an empty place. (Here everybody has a car, the average is a car for each member of a family, and most of them are trucks, because it’s “cool” to have one.) But also because there are so many rules about how and where to park that even if you try to follow all of them, you can be very confused because the sings are so contradictory. Could somebody please explain to me this sign which made us get our first violation ticket:
![[sign showing prohibitions.1]](http://unglued.org/nucleus/media/3/20040707-streetsign.JPG)
The car is one of these little things that show a policy of no freedoms in the name of freedom…
If you want to come in here, you need to pay for a Visa, thus, it’s possible only for people who can pay for it. Even if you can pay, the process to get it is absolutely discretionary and arbitrary since they can deny it without explanation and because they don’t give you back the money you had paid.
Once you are in, and in accordance which the kind of Visa you have, you can’t leave the country for a not clearly determined time. Without making a lot of affidavits, you can’t get an “advance parole,” which is the formal name of this special permission… so, are we under arrest?… wasn’t that in the other system?…
When you finally have all in order and get to the airport, if you come from Europe, since last May 28 there is another step. You need to answer 35 questions even more intimate not only personally but also about your finances and if they “like” you, you can get onto the plane. Among those questions there is this one: “Do you accept to transfer all your personal information to the United States?” This is a tricky one because there is no choice, “yes” means you get a trip, “no” means you stay behind. This situation has caused the European court to process an action against this awful situation.
And now… I learn that the T (which is the transportation system) is going to implement a system of “terrorist detection,” which involves the checking of passengers’ bags, using a random system in subways and trains.
If you don’t want to be checked you have the “Freedom” and the “right” of say no, but, if you do so, you have to leave the station. So…I wonder, is this transit freedom? why are they going to check us? Isn’t this against the Constitution? To leave the station is a solution?
The commuter train comes each 20 or 40 minutes, so, I am supposed to be late at work in order to exercise my right to say no? And by the way, this random system is implemented by the guard of the station, so, is it possible they will fall into stopping people because of their suspicious faces or “portacion de rostro,” as we say in Argentina?
Is this a real free country? I mean, maybe some words need to be redefined. There are some actions supposedly in defense of the freedom of a few that turns the country into a jail for many…
In all these cases the question is, Do I have to choose which one of my rights of liberties is worth more in each situation?
This is something to think about.
![[sign showing dogs prohibited.2]](http://unglued.org/nucleus/media/3/20040707-dogsign.JPG)
When I am walking through the streets of Cambridge or Boston, I don’t feel myself in a typical American society. In fact, I see more people from other countries and hear them talking many different languages than I see people talking English.
Also the shop at the Supermarket is not very different, except for the fact that here it is easier and convenient to be a vegetarian. On one hand, a little good piece of steak price is around 10 bucks and on the other hand, the options for vegetarian food are so numerous and so tempting that the change is easier and pleasant.
Since I got here, fortunately we have traveled around a lot. We’ve been in Michigan, New York, Ohio, Massachusetts and Maine. Many of the places we have passed through were very typical and populated by “Americans.” In some of these places I found myself surprised because of the many overweight people I was seeing, and it felt strange and also sad. Clearly it is necessary to change the food behavior, isn’t it?
For a few weeks, we have had a car, and since we got it our lives have changed, not only because it is nice for traveling around but also because it has made me think about liberties and how they are evaluated in this country. The well known “land of the free.”
To have a car and to try parking it is a nightmare! Not only because of the impossible mission of find an empty place. (Here everybody has a car, the average is a car for each member of a family, and most of them are trucks, because it’s “cool” to have one.) But also because there are so many rules about how and where to park that even if you try to follow all of them, you can be very confused because the sings are so contradictory. Could somebody please explain to me this sign which made us get our first violation ticket:
The car is one of these little things that show a policy of no freedoms in the name of freedom…
If you want to come in here, you need to pay for a Visa, thus, it’s possible only for people who can pay for it. Even if you can pay, the process to get it is absolutely discretionary and arbitrary since they can deny it without explanation and because they don’t give you back the money you had paid.
Once you are in, and in accordance which the kind of Visa you have, you can’t leave the country for a not clearly determined time. Without making a lot of affidavits, you can’t get an “advance parole,” which is the formal name of this special permission… so, are we under arrest?… wasn’t that in the other system?…
When you finally have all in order and get to the airport, if you come from Europe, since last May 28 there is another step. You need to answer 35 questions even more intimate not only personally but also about your finances and if they “like” you, you can get onto the plane. Among those questions there is this one: “Do you accept to transfer all your personal information to the United States?” This is a tricky one because there is no choice, “yes” means you get a trip, “no” means you stay behind. This situation has caused the European court to process an action against this awful situation.
And now… I learn that the T (which is the transportation system) is going to implement a system of “terrorist detection,” which involves the checking of passengers’ bags, using a random system in subways and trains.
If you don’t want to be checked you have the “Freedom” and the “right” of say no, but, if you do so, you have to leave the station. So…I wonder, is this transit freedom? why are they going to check us? Isn’t this against the Constitution? To leave the station is a solution?
The commuter train comes each 20 or 40 minutes, so, I am supposed to be late at work in order to exercise my right to say no? And by the way, this random system is implemented by the guard of the station, so, is it possible they will fall into stopping people because of their suspicious faces or “portacion de rostro,” as we say in Argentina?
Is this a real free country? I mean, maybe some words need to be redefined. There are some actions supposedly in defense of the freedom of a few that turns the country into a jail for many…
In all these cases the question is, Do I have to choose which one of my rights of liberties is worth more in each situation?
This is something to think about.
previously there was Garzón against terrorism?
afterwards you have Larry Rohter, foot in mouth
No hay duda que el llamado pais de la libertad tal cual rezaba Leon Gieco cada vez dista mas de serlo. Los atentados del 11 de septiembre fueron la excusa perfecta para que el “Gran Hermano” controle mas de cerca el proceder de aquel pais que creia que los oceanos lo protegian de la amenaza externa...
Segui escrbiendo, que este nuevo costado de unglued, se puede volver mas que interesante!
Saludos! [submitted on 08 Jul 04]
y por otro lado dentro de sus fronteras no son libres... como claramente decis.
en palabras de Molotov “si esto no es una dictadura, que es?” [submitted on 08 Jul 04]
That's not the way to convince them to give you a visa, Maria! [submitted on 10 Jul 04]
Sencillamente es una foto de como un paradigma puede transformarse en una paradoja. Una metamorfosis increíble, porque es como ver que un aguila calva se convierta en Frankenstein, no?.
La “portación de rostro” es bien conocida en nuestro país la Argentina,( un tema muy bien citado por María ) y nos resulta por demás familiar el metodo de randomización donde un guardia de seguridad ( porque se le antoja y porque te ve sospechoso ) decide revisarte o pedirte documentos . Sigan así muchachos que bien les va a ir , acá en argentina hace poco más de 20 años si eras portador de rostro terminabas en una fosa comun, o si eras mujer, primero te violaban y después te enterraban o te tiraban de un avión ( por más que fueras monja, no les importaba ), y si tenías hijos los regalaban o los vendían ( preguntenle a las abuelas de plaza de mayo).
Pero bueno, que podemos esperar... hubo un plan que se llamó “ Plan Condor”, y no nació de un repollo, no?. [submitted on 12 Jul 04]