This sucks.
Canadian science fiction author Peter Watts was stopped by US Border Patrol agents on his way out of the US, beaten up, detained, all his things confiscated, then kicked out. In shirtsleeves. In December. In Ontario.
And he’s been charged with assault too.
Many people have discussion and commentary, including Peter himself.
People are putting together fundraising efforts to pay his legal expenses.
I’m embarrassed for my country. One person is harassed and beaten by US guards at the US border. He happens to be known internationally and his friends are willing and able to raise a fuss, and money. How many people without those resources does this happen to?
Back in May 2007 a Canadian merchant at an SCA event had next to nothing to offer for sale, because most of his wares were impounded. Apparently, in the opinion of the confiscating border guard, the sale of splendid, highly-accurate replicas of 14th and 15th century items would have taken jobs away from Americans. As would the sale of medieval artifacts.
Luckily the merchant (http://medievalwares.com/) was able to retrieve his items on his way back.