Stay Classy, CBSA!

My friend Jessie of Gender Euphoria pointed this one out to me: USan journalist detained at border, grilled over intended reportage.

Let me spell this out in nice small words for you, CBSA.

This nice lady is a "reporter". They have note pads, and pencils, and their cars go vroom vroom vroom. "Reporters" are people who write stories, stories about real things that happen, not like your most very favouritest stories about Clifford the big red dog.

In this country, we have a silly little thing called the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. It's full of all kinds of big silly words and phrases, and some of them are very confusing, I know. Let's look at one of those phrases, shall we? Maybe some of them could be, you know, "relevant" to this reporter-lady, what do you say?

Here's a neat one. Say it with me now, "Freedom of the press". It's right here, under Section 2, with some very big words, like "fundamental" and "freedom".

Fundamental freedoms

2. Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms:

(b) freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication;

So, I have to say, CBSA, I'm not sure I understand: Which section of that big ol' Charter of Rights and Freedoms says it's a good idea to detain people who are the press, given the whole "freedom of the press" thing they mention? And even if you think she isn't a good enough reporter to have your respect for her fundamental freedoms, I'm pretty sure that she counts as part of that "everybody" above.

Of course, silly me, I had this weird idea that a reporter was part of the press, and therefore protected by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Guess that was back in the days before the War on Terror (ooh, big scary words, let's throw away our rights so we can make the big scary words go away!).

Dear CBSA, could you please make a fix of this? Because just between us Canucks, you're really embarrassing me in front of ymay Mericanway riendsfay.

Thanks ever so,

Your snarky fellow Canuckian comrade,

CaitieCat the Aging Commie Dyke