Locals Come Face To Face With Homeland Security
[url]http://www.caledonian-record.com/pages/top_news/story/c1a9fa4dc[/url]

By Martha V. Creegan, Staff Writer
Tuesday November 12, 2002



A few North Country residents got a firsthand look at Homeland Security in progress last week.

Calvin Kittredge and his wife, June, were on their way home to Danville, Vt., from Colebrook, N.H., last Monday when they came upon a check point operated by the U.S. Border Patrol on Route 3 in North Stratford, N.H.

"They didn't say anything or explain anything," said Calvin. "I've never been through anything like it before."

The Kittredges take a trip to Colebrook on business about once a month. Last Monday, at about 11:30 a.m., they were held up between one-half and one hour answering questions and having their vehicle searched.

Just over the hill from North Stratford village in the large parking area along Route 3, Calvin Kittredge said there were federal and state law enforcement vehicles lined up on both sides of the road. Law officials were out of their vehicles with their guns drawn.

He saw six to seven cars were already pulled over by the time he was flagged down. Four officers approached his vehicle, two on each side, with their hands on their rifles. One officer who identified himself as an agent from the federal immigration department asked the questions.

The Kittredges were asked to verify their residency. A driver's license was satisfactory. They were asked why they were in New Hampshire, how long they were in the state and where they were going.

While the immigration officer was doing the questioning, the other officers walked around his 1990 Mercury Grand Marquis examining the car. When Calvin Kittredge tried to ask questions, he received no response.

Kittredge was asked if it was all right for the officers to search his vehicle. "I said go right ahead. I have nothing to hide."

The Kittredges stayed in their vehicle the entire time. Law officials looked in his trunk and even lifted the rear seat to look underneath. When they found nothing, the seat was put back in place.

"They didn't take anything," said Kittredge. "They didn't say much of anything except sorry to have to bother us. And then they let me go along."

Joe Mellia, press agent for the U.S. Border Patrol, confirmed a check point was set up on Route 3 in North Stratford last Monday morning. He could not talk about the specifics, or indicate why or what the agents were looking for that day.

"We're putting up check points intermittently on arteries known to have traffic from the border area," said Mellia.

He said in general the agents are looking for illegal aliens, illegal weapons, drugs and other contraband.

This area is right near the Canadian border. Sounds kind of unusual to be searching cars inside the state, though. I bet the latest "Spectacular" warnings have something to do with it.

 S-I

Do I as an American have to PROVE that I am a citizen? Can they come up to the front door of my house and demand that I produce documents saying I am an American? I would not have let those fuckers search ANYTHING.

Check Point
Uh..sir are you an AMERICAN...Me? Why yes I am thank you for asking, Now get outta the way I am on my way home.

I wonder what would have happened if he had refused to let them search his car (as is his right).

I do not believe you are obligated to prove you are an american citizen INSIDE the borders of the U.S - but if you operate a motor vehicle you are required to have a license identifying you.

There are those who think this is just fine. They think you are a tinfoil nutcase for thinking this is wrong. Things will only get worse, slowly, in tiny increments our rights will be taken away all under the umbrella of "homeland security" and in the guise of making us "safe".

If you haff noffink to hide, dare vill be noffink to be afraid of! Now say, mein Herr, did you whote Libertarian?

He said in general the agents are looking for illegal aliens, illegal weapons, [b]drugs[/b] and other contraband.

Another "Homeland Security" checkpoint brought to you courtesy of the War on Drugs.

Do the local cops tag along so they can write tickets for busted taillights, lack of seatbelt use, expired registrations, etc.?

These will be just like DUI checkpoints where they make one DUI/DWI arrest for 2,000 motorists hassled, but write 500 tickets for various other bs non-crimes.  

Cop: "Where are you going?"

Me: "To your house to see your wife. She went to Victoria Secrets today."

It irritates the shit out of me when I read or hear some cop ask "where are you going?" Last I heard it was none of their GD freaking business where one went or came from.

Am I the only one?

I suspect local cops were there, at least in part, so that if you refuse to show the feds your drivers license they could get the locals to make it a traffic stop, at which point you would have to show the paperwork on you and the car.

Sad to hear this is happening, especially in a state like New Hampshire, where I've always felt the government stayed out of the way of their citizens.

Really get split over stuff like this.  The "want the authorities to do their job" part of me is happy that these people are at least trying to earn their pay.  The "free born American and leave me the hell alone" part is pissed.

......Aaaaaaaaaaand it's happening in, of all places, that rock-hard bastion of die-hard, leave-me-alone Republicanism, New Hampshire


So much for "Live Free Or Die", eh? [rolleyes]

Make sure you follow the instructions on the "Bustcard".

http://www.aclu.org/Files/Files.cfm?ID=10042&c=184