This week I’m attending the 221st General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) in Detroit.\u00a0 At this meeting, many big and important things are being worked on and voted on and I’ll probably write about that later.\u00a0 This is a story of something that happened to me during this week, unrelated to the GA meeting.<\/p>\n
Because Detroit is only one river away from Windsor, Ontario, Canada, I brought my passport with me in case I had a chance to go to Canada for the first time.\u00a0 Yesterday, I had that chance.\u00a0 So two friends and I got into my car to go to Windsor for dinner.<\/p>\n
Leaving the US through the Detroit-Windsor tunnel we were briefly stopped by CBP (Customs and Border Protection) folks, probably because there is a little unrepaired body damage to my car.\u00a0 They looked at our passports and asked why we were crossing and let us go.\u00a0 Note that these guys looked like they were in army uniforms, with flak vests.<\/p>\n
On the Canadian side we drove up to the booth and spoke to a man in a regular linen uniform shirt.\u00a0 We explained who we are and why we were there.\u00a0 And 15 feet later we were there.\u00a0 We had dinner at a Lebanese restaurant, walked around a bit, and headed back.\u00a0 Total time in Canada – about 2 hours.<\/p>\n
Entering the US we pulled up to a booth.\u00a0 We handed our passports to the man in the booth, and answered the same questions (are you US citizens?\u00a0 Where do you live?\u00a0 Why are you in Detroit?\u00a0 Why did you go to Canada?\u00a0 How do you know each other?\u00a0 What kind of conference?).\u00a0 Our first sign of trouble was when he closed the booth door and picked up the phone.\u00a0 After a conversation and a lot of looking at his computer screen, he opened the door.\u00a0 He said something like, “I’m going to have to send you inside this time.\u00a0 Mr. Smith – you have a mismatch and we’ll fix it so that you don’t have to do this again.\u00a0 Please pull around the curve and into the parking lot – there will be someone there to direct you.”<\/p>\n
This was not unexpected.\u00a0 On several background checks (seminary, Red Cross) I was initially declined because there is a criminal in another state who shares my first name, middle initial, last name, AND exact date of birth including year.\u00a0 I’m sure that was the problem here.<\/p>\n
We pulled around the corner, and more guys in military-style uniforms and flak vests.\u00a0 One told me where to park and asked me to turn the engine off and put the keys on the dashboard.\u00a0 We were told to leave our cell phones in the car, and to take our passports and go into the building.\u00a0 We entered and another officer looked at our paperwork and signed us in on a clipboard.\u00a0 We were instructed to have a seat and wait.\u00a0 After a while, we were called to a counter where we gave another officer our passports and answered all of the same questions again.\u00a0 We were told to sit again.\u00a0 During all of the sitting time (on surprisingly comfortable stainless steel benches) we chatted about the General Assembly and church stories.\u00a0 Finally, the officer asked us to come up and take our passports and we were free to go.\u00a0 I asked if he’d done what he needed to do, and he said, yes – that’s what I’ve been doing.<\/p>\n
We got into my car, noted that nothing had happened to my car (no search or anything – phone was still on the same screen), and drove back to the hotel. <\/p>\n But …. it triggered some thoughts.<\/p>\n 1.\u00a0 I don’t know why our border patrol officers have to be dressed like they are going to war in Iraq.\u00a0 The bulletproof vest doesn’t need to be on the outside – it can be under the shirt like most police officers.\u00a0 Their gun, cuffs, radio, etc can go on the same belt as a police officer.\u00a0 I seriously doubt that a major armed incursion is going to happen at the Detroit-Windsor tunnel.\u00a0 This seems to be intended to enforce (in our minds, and in the minds of the officers themselves) the idea that the officers are soldiers and not police.\u00a0 This is intended to instill fear of outsiders, and fear of each other.<\/p>\n 2.\u00a0 The secondary inspection area is intended to demoralize people.\u00a0 The seating is comfortable, but harsh stainless steel.\u00a0 There is very little on the walls.\u00a0 The bathroom is locked and must be buzzed open.\u00a0 I understand that the bathroom is locked to prevent flushing of evidence, but still.\u00a0 This doesn’t say “we have to sort things out,” it says instead, “you are a criminal.”<\/p>\n 3.\u00a0 I’m struck by the difference in appearance and demeanor between the Canadian personnel and the USA personnel.\u00a0 The Canadians were friendly (though still wary) and welcoming.\u00a0 The USA personnel were forbidding and suspicious.\u00a0 They were doing the same job.\u00a0 Both involved in the same wars.\u00a0 And there’s no reason that our officers couldn’t be normally dressed and more friendly.<\/p>\n 4.\u00a0 This minor episode has clarified for me the plight of immigrants.\u00a0 The song “Immigration Man” makes sense.\u00a0 Our process is cold and unfeeling.\u00a0 At all times the officers were polite and even friendly in one case.\u00a0 But the process and design make it an unfriendly process.\u00a0 This set up causes the fear, rather than the other way around.\u00a0 And therefore fear of the other.\u00a0 I will be paying more attention and trying to find a place to find action.
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\nSo …. something that only happens to me.\u00a0 Most recent in a long series of such things.<\/p>\n