Homeland Insanity

On the Monday before Thanksgiving a Toronto woman was denied entry into the United States, and prevented from catching a connecting flight to begin her 10-day Caribbean holiday, because of a history of depression.

And it gets worse.

First, Ellen Richardson spent $6,000 for a cruise, in collaboration with twelve other people, through the charity organization March of Dimes. But when she arrived in New York an agent of the Department of Homeland Security told her she would have to return to Toronto and receive a "medical clearance" before returning via the US. Such medical assessments are only accepted by DHS from three doctors in Toronto.

"I was turned away, I was told, because I had a hospitalization in the summer of 2012 for clinical depression," Ms. Richardson said. "I was so aghast. I was saying, 'I don't understand this. What is the problem?' I was so looking forward to getting away...I'd even brought a little string of Christmas lights I was going to string up in the cabin...It's not like I can just book again right away."

Ms. Richardson's emotional problems go back further than 2012. In 2001 she attempted suicide. Fortunately medication helped with the depression and she was doing fine until a personal relationship turned bad last year, pushing her back down the dark path. She was even hospitalized. 

Yet there was never any police involvement in her affairs. No violence, or even threats of violence. Just depression — not an uncommon ailment these days, and certainly not one requiring police-state persecution. She began seeing a therapist, and booked herself a good, long vacation in the Caribbean.

In New York, Ms. Richardson was given a form which stated that a "systems check" revealed that she "had a medical episode in June 2012" and that because of her "mental illness episode" she would require a medical evaluation before being allowed into the United States. She offered to contact her psychiatrist but was informed that would not suffice.

Ms. Richardson was told that under the US Immigration and Nationality Act, Section 212, entry could be denied to anyone who has "a physical or mental disorder that may pose a 'threat to the property, safety or welfare' of themselves or others."

As Barney Fife would say, you gotta nip it in the bud.

Her dream holiday ruined, she returned to Canada where insult was added to injury: her vacation insurance does not cover this type of situation. Ms. Richardson is just out of luck.

Then the real nightmare unfolded. Back home, it finally dawned on her that at no point had she ever told Homeland Security anything about her medical history. 

"How did US agents get her personal medical information?" asked Canadian MP Mike Sullivan, who represents the York South/Weston constituency where Ms. Richardson resides. Hoping to get an answer to this and other questions, Mr. Sullivan has sent an official letter requesting guidance from Canada's Privacy Commissioner.

Ms. Richardson's lawyer sent a similar letter to Ontario's Health Ministry, which responded unequivocally that US officials "do not have access to medical or other health records for Ontarians travelling to the US". 

But DHS obtained this data from somewhere.

Ironically, attempts to gain more information about the incident from the Department of Homeland Security were met with claims that privacy laws prohibit the department from discussing "specific cases".

Apparently details on "specific cases" can only be discussed when they're being used to victimize innocent people.

According to this follow-up story, "Information from police investigations, even non-criminal events like suicide, can go into the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) a central police database. The CPIC database is managed by the RCMP, which shares it with the FBI." [Emphasis mine]

Canadians must be delighted.

Maybe the FBI got the information from the RCMP, and passed it on to the DHS. Or maybe DHS got it directly, from the NSA. As Reason magazine recently advised, "Be paranoid."

Regardless of the source, this incident perfectly illustrates everything that's wrong with an over-active, over-reaching government hell bent on finding a phantom in every hedgerow. Ellen Richardson never did anything criminal — her only "offense" is, having gone through some tough personal times.

Apologists for the Surveillance State chant like imbeciles, "If you haven't done anything wrong, you have nothing to worry about."

Leaving aside for a moment the complete contempt for personal privacy and individual dignity implicit in that statement, let's ask two important and pressing questions: Where is your protection if just being a human being suddenly meets the definition of doing something wrong? And, If seeking help from mental health professionals in a time of need means one is more likely to suffer government persecution, isn't that a disincentive for people to seek help?

So-called liberals have largely remained silent as this president runs roughshod over the privacy rights of Americans and, for that matter, people all over the world; many Democrats squealed like stuck pigs when George W. Bush acted with a contempt for the Constitution that pales in comparison to the shredding it has taken under Barack H. Obama. 

Now our government, in the name of "safety", is using its intelligence-gathering apparatus to discriminate against people who suffer from depression. Americans should unite, and tear down this entire contemptible edifice called "Homeland Security" and send its "officers" to the unemployment line.