So this morning we are seeing a more clear picture of the Miranda Incident at Heathrow Airport. While people up the chain were notified, none sought to question or prevent the stop, which tells us that they thought it was a good idea. Additionally, the UK government has threatened legal action against The Guardian and forced the editor to allow agents into his basement to destroy hard drives containing the Snowden data.
Many are crying foul and screaming about freedom of the press. Here's the thing: You live in the place where Great Britain used to be. You do not, nor have you ever had, freedom of press. While that item is listed in the First Amendment of the US Constitution, you have no such protection. As Jeremy Clarkson once said of Britain, "We don't live in a free country." If you don't like it, you could demand that your government change it, but I doubt it will happen.
Conversely, those of you who travel to such areas should be aware that your protections under said Constitution do not extend beyond the borders of the US. Just because you have a US passport does not mean that you are above local laws, customs or arbitrary imprisonment.
No comments:
Post a Comment