> >This is a Direct Blog Entry by the author, James Moore posted on >> http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jim-moore/branded_b_13272.html >> >> Jan 4, 2006 >> >> James Moore is an Emmy-winning former television news correspondent >> and the >> co-author of the bestselling, Bush's Brain: How Karl Rove Made George >> W. >> Bush Presidential. He has been writing and reporting from Texas for >> the past >> 25 years on the rise of Rove and Bush and has traveled extensively on >> every >> presidential campaign since 1976. >> >> This author was placed on the no fly list. >> >> Two points: there's nothing you or I can do to help him but make this >> public, and two- we are all targets here. This should make you scared >> and >> pissed at the same time. If it doesn't, check your pulse. >> >> >> James Moore: >> >> "I made it a point to arrive very early at the airport. My reservation >> was >> confirmed before I left home. I went to the electronic kiosk and >> punched in >> my confirmation number to print out my boarding pass and luggage tags. >> Another error message appeared, "Please see agent." >> >> I did. She took my Texas driver's license and punched in the relevant >> information to her computer system. >> >> "I'm sorry, sir," she said. "There seems to be a problem. You've been >> placed >> on the No Fly Watch List." >> >> "Excuse me?" >> >> "I'm afraid there isn't much more that I can tell you," she explained. >> "It's >> just the list that's maintained by TSA to check for people who might >> have >> terrorist connections." >> >> "You're serious?" >> >> "I'm afraid so, sir. Here's an 800 number in Washington. You need to >> call >> them before I can clear you for the flight." >> >> Exasperated, I dialed the number from my cell, determined to clear up >> what I >> was sure was a clerical error. The woman who answered offered me no >> more >> information than the ticket agent. >> >> "Ma'am, I'd like to know how I got on the No Fly Watch List." >> >> "I'm not really authorized to tell you that, sir," she explained after >> taking down my social security and Texas driver's license numbers. >> >> "What can you tell me?" >> >> "All I can tell you is that there is something in your background that >> in >> some way is similar to someone they are looking for." >> >> "Well, let me get this straight then," I said. "Our government is >> looking >> for a guy who may have a mundane Anglo name, who pays tens of >> thousands of >> dollars every year in taxes, has never been arrested or even late on a >> credit card payment, is more uninteresting than a Tupperware party, and >> cries after the first two notes of the national anthem? We need to >> find this >> guy. He sounds dangerous to me." >> >> "I'm sorry, sir, I've already told you everything I can." >> >> "Oh, wait," I said. "One last thing: this guy they are looking for? >> Did he >> write books critical of the Bush administration, too?" >> >> I have been on the No Fly Watch List for a year. I will never be told >> the >> official reason. No one ever is. You cannot sue to get the information. >> Nothing I have done has moved me any closer to getting off the list. >> There >> were 35,000 Americans in that database last year. According to a >> European >> government that screens hundreds of thousands of American travelers >> every >> year, the list they have been given to work from has since grown to >> 80,000. >> -- >> Laura X, founder/director of the former >> National Clearinghouse on Marital and Date Rape >> Women's History Library >> (510) 524-1582 Berkeley, Ca. >> WEB SITE: http://ncmdr.org
--------------------------------------------------------------------------- LAAMN: Los Angeles Alternative Media Network --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Digest: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Help: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive1: <http://www.egroups.com/messages/laamn> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive2: <http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/laamn/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
