Musical Border Crossing

Sat Feb 14 00:35:24 AST 2009

I long ago concluded that customs officials, regardless of which 
country they work "for", have generally been in desperate need of some 
intensive training in some very basic things-- like MANNERS. I have 
spent most of my life in close proximity to the Canadian border and 
even living across it for many years. But I have also lived near the 
Mexican border and have traveled back and forth to Europe... The only 
constant, through it all, was the general tendency of customs officials 
to throw their weight around and jam people up, just because they 
could. Power corrupts and people have to be both mindful and careful if 
they want to avoid being corrupted by a job like that. My father used 
to travel to countries "behind the iron curtain" (when there still was 
one) and he had some hair-raising stories about going through customs, 
particularly in Russia. He was a scientist and he spoke Russian-- talk 
about paranoia in the customs officials! The only difference between 
North American (including Canadian) customs officials and the cold-war 
era KGB is one of degree. Currently, my oldest goes back and forth to 
Guelph for university. She's a dual citizen because my husband is Nova 
Scotian, but she has had some very unpleasant experiences going in BOTH 
directions. It all depends on who happens to be in that booth when you 
pull up and what sort of day they had... and how they handle being in a 
position of power. It really has very little to do with your 
documentation or your reason for traveling or anything else that 
actually pertains.

Having said that, it's true that the US has been paranoid ever since 
Sept. 11th (and I can say that with impunity because I'm American!). 
It's also true that we are past due for some fundamental changes in how 
this country has been interacting with the larger world community, 
especially our neighbors. I think those changes are in the works, but 
let's help them along shall we? Perhaps Mairi's unfortunate experience 
represents a great opportunity in disguise. We can use it to generate 
some attention on the issue and, hopefully, some quick action. I 
recommend officially documenting exactly what happened-- I hereby 
volunteer to write it up-- and then I will figure out how to put it in 
front of Chuck Schumer, our senior Senator from NY State. If we have 
list members who live in Maine, perhaps you can be the ones to put the 
report in front of your Senator/s, also? In fact, I think this is 
something that should be sent to all Senators and congressional 
representatives from border States. How the heck is economic recovery 
supposed to blossom when the way we all go about things just strangles 
growth and cooperation? I think that argument will find a receptive 
audience-- given the recent changes in US federal leadership and the 
ongoing economic downturn.

I will need to get in touch with Mairi. If we can do this before the 
24th of February, that would be good, because I have to go out of town 
(to Canada, in fact) for a week and won't be back-- assuming they let 
me cross the border, both ways!!!-- until March 4th.

Judith

Web address: http://www.rosen-enterprises.com
BioTheory: An electronic journal of general science based on the 
Relational (Rosennean) Complexity Paradigm
On Feb 13, 2009, at 9:37 PM, Dan MacDonald wrote:

> This has become a continuing pain for most artists, on both sides of 
> the border.  I could be wrong but I believe that Canada has applied 
> the same rules in response to the US rules.
>
> Such a shame.
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mike LITTLE" 
> <mike.little at ns.sympatico.ca>
> To: <cbmusic at locals.ca>
> Sent: Friday, February 13, 2009 7:09 PM
> Subject: Musical Border Crossing
>
>
> [this info is a blend of two sources]-Not Getting any better!!! worse!
>
> Mairi Rankin concert at the Skye Theatre in Maine on Sunday was
> cancelled;
> because she was refused admission at the border because of some
> stupid paperwork irregularities. I think she was also playing at a
> few house concerts too, which will now have to also be cancelled.
> What a crock! As the cancelled concert shows, she surely wasn’t
> putting anyone else out of work—on the contrary, two fine Maine
> musicians, Don and Cindy Roy, were also on the bill with her at the
> Skye and they now won’t be paid either.
>  Cultural exchanges should be privileged, not penalized!
>
>  Mairi was interrogated by US guards at the border and turned back,
> and her driving companion was banned for attempting to "smuggle an
> illegal alien" into the country.
>
> Musicians are regularly hassled at the border crossing by U.S.
> guards.  Canadians welcome U.S. musicians but the US is not
> interested in Canadian musicians.  Even Americans are harrassed when
> returning to the U.S., often because the guards presume musicians
> might be smuggling drugs.
>
> I'd like to contact our senators and congressman about returning the
> musician visa process to pre-9/11 status--let me know if you would be
> interested in signing on to a petition.
>
> It used to take 30 days for musicians to get visas after the Canadian
> musician's union verified that the applicant was a bonafide musician,
> and musicians could adjust their itinerary to accommodate additional
> gigs.  Now it takes 4 months to process a visa request (unless you
> pay a $1000 rush fee, which doesn't always help), and musicians
> cannot alter their itinerary.  This, of course, favors large
> entertainment companies which plan major tours far in advance and
> have resources to process the paperwork.
>
> Sorry to bother some of you about this, but enough people have asked
> that I thought I'd send info to everyone, and save someone the
> trouble of showing up at the cancelled events.
>
> take care
> Mike & Marg  www.cbchoices.com
> mike.little at ns.sympatico.ca
> cbchoices at gmail.com
>
>
>
> On 24-Dec-08, at 12:11 PM, Will Richardson wrote:
>
> A very Merry Christmas to everyone from down here in Texas.
>
> Will Richardson
> Allen, TX
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: cbmusic-bounces at locals.ca [mailto:cbmusic-bounces at locals.ca] On
> Behalf
> Of Mike LITTLE
> Sent: Wednesday, December 24, 2008 5:50 AM
> To: cbmusic at locals.ca
> Subject: Re: universal season's greetings
>
> And Season Greetings from the Western Side of Cape Breton Island
>
>
> Mike & Marg  www.cbchoices.com
> mike.little at ns.sympatico.ca
>
>
>
> On 24-Dec-08, at 4:47 AM, marcello wrote:
>
> I would like to spread my best whishes for a Merry Christmas and an
> Happy
> New Year
> to all cbmusic friends!
>
> Buon Natale e Felice Anno Nuovo da Roma, Italia
>
> Marcello
>
>
> marcello.grillini at enea.it
>
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