British Author Barred from U.S. for "Moral Turpitude"

[flashl]

Something we don't hear about enough from the mainstream media, thanks to the cat fight that has become the Democratic Party nomination process, is not only what we are doing to our detainees, who's giving the thumbs-up to do it, but also this administration's quiet jihad against foreign scholars, and writers.

Those who enter our borders for the purpose of giving readings, attending festivals, or otherwise entertaining us are treated in a most inhospitable, and often egregious, way. Such is the case with a British author who, last month, took a flight across the pond for the sole purpose of doing a reading to launch his recently published memoir.

PEN American Center reports that Sebastian Horsley, author of "Dandy in the Underworld," flew from London's Heathrow Airport to Newark Liberty International Airport where he was denied entry into the United States.

...

When Horsley explained that he is a writer, Horsley was detained for hours while officials Googled him, and searched the Internet to find as much of his writing as possible to use as incriminating evidence. They also allegedly spoke with him at length, got him to admit his previous involvement with "drug use and prostitution" and, on the basis of this, he was denied entry into this country. The stated reason for the denial: "moral turpitude."

Atlantic FreePress

[saltpoint]

1. We sanction Dave Vitter, Limbaugh, male hookers in the White House,

Oliver North, and Tom DeLay, Alberto "Torture Boy" Gonzales, Yoo, Rumsfeld, and Cheney, but by god let a British writer step off a plane and we bring the hammer DOWN.

God Bless America!

[boobooday]

2. moral turpitude????

Maybe it's a trade policy -- a product we've vowed only to export -- imports are banned.

[Ian_rd]

3. Haha. We're trying to remedy our trade deficit. nt

[0007]

4. 'Tis a steak sauce that only the virtuousness have a right to use.

[saltpoint]

5. Shakespeare's birthday is celebrated next week. It would be a good thing

if the current administration would honor the accomplishments of scientists and artists across the globe instead of hassling and intimidating them in airports.

Ian McEwan faced similar difficulties recently trying to get into this hemisphere.

How insecure and power-mad do you have to be to hassle a writer in an airport while condoning torture in your foreign policy?

[flashl]

6. Heaven Forbid! That Shakespeare stuff will distract from important issues such as flag pins! nt

[saltpoint]

10. LOL! That's right. All those damn sonnets and hi-falutin' jibber-jabber.

[supernova]

7. Yet, we let Russell Brand in

;-) "Moral Turpitude" is OK w/ us as long as it's funny Moral Turpitude apparently.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7355184.stm

[Canuckistanian]

8. Zounds! Methinks a near disaster was averted!

This jackanape is precisely the sort of riff-raff we want to keep out of our pure, unsullied land!

[spanone]

9. orders from the taliban in the white house?