Categories
Join Us At:
|
Juan Fernando Gómez: We've Got Some Bad NewsTraveling during the holidays is already a nightmare, but for Juan Fernando Gómez, cancelled flights are the least of his worries. You see, Gómez's is one of more than a million names on the TSA's watchlist—and he's therefore subject to what he calls his "own private travel hell"—a.k.a. extra screening—every time he flies. In an essay titled "Why Can't I Get Off This List?" in Sunday's Washington Post, Gómez describes the feeling on impending doom every time a flight he's on touches down, and his familiarity with the many waiting rooms where he's subjected to that extra screening (Miami: good; Dulles: less good). He writes: Time and time again, I've been cleared for entry into the United States. So why does my name remain on the list? Will I have to go through this for the rest of my life? In desperation, I always ask airport-security officers how my name can be removed. I've heard it all, from writing to my congressman (as if that would do any good) to filling out a form (never mind that no one has been able to produce the document or tell me where I can find it). The most honest answer came from a young, Afghan American officer at Dulles a couple of weeks ago: "There's absolutely nothing you can do."Well, that's not totally true. Juan Fernando Gómez, all it will take is an act of Congress to have you name removed from the list. Barring that, you, like the many Robert Johnsons before you, will continue to remain in your own private travel hell for the rest of your life. (If you happen to be a Nobel prize-winner like Nelson Mandela, that act of Congress might just come through for you.) You can learn more about the TSA's watchlist at www.aclu.org/watchlist and sign a petition asking Congress to fix it. And take our fun—albeit horrifying—quiz to learn more absurd facts about the watchlist.
We intend the comments portion of this blog to be a forum where you can freely express your views on blog postings and on comments made by other people. Given that, please understand that you are responsible for the material you post on the comments portion of this blog. The only postings that we ask that you refrain from posting and that we cannot permit on our website are requests for legal assistance and postings that could cause ACLU to incur legal liability.
One important law in that regard is the prohibition on politically partisan activity. Given our nonprofit status, we may not endorse or oppose candidates for elective office. That means we cannot host comments on our site that show a preference for one candidate or party. Although we in no way wish to discourage you from that activity elsewhere, we ask that you not engage in that activity on our website (or include links to other websites that do so). Additionally, given that we are subject to very specific rules concerning the collection of personally identifying information through our website (names, email addresses, home address, financial information, etc.), we ask that you not use the comments portion of this blog to solicit this information from users of our website. We also ask that you not use the comments portion for advertising or requests for legal assistance, and do not add to your comment links to other websites, as we cannot be responsible for the content on other websites. We are not able to respond to unsolicited inquiries, complaints or requests for assistance sent to this blog. Please direct your complaint or request for assistance to the ACLU affiliate in your state. Requests for legal assistance left in the blog comments will not receive a response or be published. Finally, the ACLU cannot guarantee the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of any information in the comment section and expressly disclaims any liability for any information in this section. 2 Responses to "Juan Fernando Gómez: We've Got Some Bad News" |
|
|
© ACLU, 125 Broad Street, 18th Floor New York, NY 10004 |
Jan 2nd, 2009 at 3:17pm
Dear ACLU,
The TSA does not maintain this list. It is the FBI's baby. Also, there is nowhere near a million names on the list. Didn't the TSA bust this bubble on their blog already?
Evan
Jan 5th, 2009 at 12:35pm
You think THAT'S bad? How about the "targeted" but innocent individuals who are being subjected to THIS:
http://www.nowpublic.com/world/domestic-torture-radiation -weaponry-americas-horrific-shame
OR: My.NowPublic.com/scrivener