"Immigration Law" cited for jailing Canadian tourist for speeding and rolling stop

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Immigration law cited as Canadian jailed over minor traffic violations

'I'm not a terrorist,' 23-year-old tells Ottawa paper

By BRIAN FEAGANS

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 04/14/07

Authorities in South Georgia forced a Canadian tourist to strip naked, shower and spend what she called a harrowing night in jail last weekend for minor traffic violations.

The treatment of Cheryl Kuehn, a graduate student from Ottawa, has sparked outrage in Canada and investigations in Georgia. And Friday, immigrant advocates said it raises new questions about how local authorities are interpreting Georgia's sweeping new immigration law.

Cheryl Kuehn, 23, was driving to Florida when a state trooper pulled her over in Brunswick for speeding and running a stop sign.

Kuehn, 23, was driving to Florida to visit in-laws Saturday when a Georgia state trooper pulled her over in Brunswick for speeding and running a stop sign. The trooper took Kuehn to the local jail to post a cash bond, as is customary for ticketed motorists with a foreign driver's license.

But Kuehn, who was traveling with her husband and two others, ended up spending more than 11 hours at the Glynn County Jail while authorities ran an immigration check on her.

Kuehn's father, Randy Durksen, said he received a distraught call shortly after she was booked.

"Get me out of here. Get me out of here," he recalled her saying. "They want me to strip and shower. The inmates are swearing at me."

A Glynn County Jail official initially told the Ottawa Citizen that the immigration review was done in response to SB 529, a wide-ranging immigration law signed by Gov. Sonny Perdue a year ago. But the law isn't set to take effect until July. And it only requires authorities to check the immigration status of foreign nationals jailed for a felony or drunken driving.

Glynn County Sheriff Wayne Bennett, who didn't return calls seeking comment Friday, has launched an internal investigation. And he released a statement saying "corrective action" is being taken.

"Common sense should have dictated to the jail supervisor that the release of Ms. Kuehn on bond should not have been delayed on such minor vehicular traffic offenses," he said in the release.

Critics of the immigration law called on Perdue to investigate Friday, saying Georgia's reputation among foreign tourists and the international business community could take a beating. "Canada is our biggest trading partner," said Jerry Gonzalez, executive director of the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials. "It's a disgrace that this woman had to go through that. I think the governor owes us an explanation."

Bert Brantley, a Perdue spokesman, said the governor had been briefed on the matter and was waiting to hear the results of ongoing investigations. The state's Department of Economic Development has launched a probe, Brantley said, talking to Canadian consular officials and reviewing whether authorities followed proper protocol.

Brantley said the governor had yet to respond to Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials' call for detailed guidelines to assure other departments don't misinterpret the law. "The question of corrective action, at this point, it's too early," Brantley said.

The incident has already fueled an uproar north of the border. "They treat anyone who is not American as an illegal immigrant," Kuehn said earlier this week on Canada's CTV, describing the humiliation of being taken away in a squad car and forced into a delousing shower.

Kuehn, who couldn't be reached Friday, also relayed her indignation to her hometown newspaper. "I'm not a terrorist," she told the Ottawa Citizen. "I'm a blond, petite woman from Canada, trying to go to Florida to celebrate graduating my master's in social work."

SB 529 also limits public benefits for illegal immigrants, increases penalties for human trafficking and bars employers from deducting the wages of illegal immigrants from their state taxes. The law's architect, Sen. Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock), said critics are trying to use the incident in Glynn County to undermine good public policy.

"Just because someone misinterprets the law doesn't mean it's a bad law," Rogers said. "A third grader can read this [law] and understand it."

Legislators charged the Georgia Sheriffs' Association with issuing guidelines for enforcing SB 529, but they're not due out until May at the earliest.

Gordy Wright, a spokesman for the Georgia State Patrol, said Georgia has an agreement with most U.S. states that allow a ticketed motorist's license to be used as the bond. But a cash bond must be paid when the license is from a foreign country or six states that don't have an agreement with Georgia, Wright said.

Kuehn was ticketed for going 55 mph in a 35 mph zone after exiting I-95, the incident report shows. Kuehn also failed to stop her black Volvo as she made one of several turns into the parking lot of a Cracker Barrel restaurant, the report says.

Wright said the State Patrol reviewed a videotape of the incident and concluded the trooper followed all procedures.

Wright said he couldn't comment on what happened once Kuehn reached the jail. But Durksen, Kuehn's father, said his daughter's experience has reinforced stereotypes about the South among Canadians.

"The folklore up here says when you're going through there you don't get off the freeway," he said. "It's Billy Bob and the boys running the sheriff's department."

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/sto...nada.html?imw=Y

[KHURRAM SERAJ 0]

WOW!!! Such sad times

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

They wanted to strip her? Is she hot?

Edited April 14, 2007 by Gupt

[homesick_american 1]

Ouch.

[pedroh 21]

Immigration law cited as Canadian jailed over minor traffic violations

'I'm not a terrorist,' 23-year-old tells Ottawa paper

By BRIAN FEAGANS

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 04/14/07

Authorities in South Georgia forced a Canadian tourist to strip naked, shower and spend what she called a harrowing night in jail last weekend for minor traffic violations.

The treatment of Cheryl Kuehn, a graduate student from Ottawa, has sparked outrage in Canada and investigations in Georgia. And Friday, immigrant advocates said it raises new questions about how local authorities are interpreting Georgia's sweeping new immigration law.

Cheryl Kuehn, 23, was driving to Florida when a state trooper pulled her over in Brunswick for speeding and running a stop sign.

Kuehn, 23, was driving to Florida to visit in-laws Saturday when a Georgia state trooper pulled her over in Brunswick for speeding and running a stop sign. The trooper took Kuehn to the local jail to post a cash bond, as is customary for ticketed motorists with a foreign driver's license.

But Kuehn, who was traveling with her husband and two others, ended up spending more than 11 hours at the Glynn County Jail while authorities ran an immigration check on her.

Kuehn's father, Randy Durksen, said he received a distraught call shortly after she was booked.

"Get me out of here. Get me out of here," he recalled her saying. "They want me to strip and shower. The inmates are swearing at me."

A Glynn County Jail official initially told the Ottawa Citizen that the immigration review was done in response to SB 529, a wide-ranging immigration law signed by Gov. Sonny Perdue a year ago. But the law isn't set to take effect until July. And it only requires authorities to check the immigration status of foreign nationals jailed for a felony or drunken driving.

Glynn County Sheriff Wayne Bennett, who didn't return calls seeking comment Friday, has launched an internal investigation. And he released a statement saying "corrective action" is being taken.

"Common sense should have dictated to the jail supervisor that the release of Ms. Kuehn on bond should not have been delayed on such minor vehicular traffic offenses," he said in the release.

Critics of the immigration law called on Perdue to investigate Friday, saying Georgia's reputation among foreign tourists and the international business community could take a beating. "Canada is our biggest trading partner," said Jerry Gonzalez, executive director of the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials. "It's a disgrace that this woman had to go through that. I think the governor owes us an explanation."

Bert Brantley, a Perdue spokesman, said the governor had been briefed on the matter and was waiting to hear the results of ongoing investigations. The state's Department of Economic Development has launched a probe, Brantley said, talking to Canadian consular officials and reviewing whether authorities followed proper protocol.

Brantley said the governor had yet to respond to Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials' call for detailed guidelines to assure other departments don't misinterpret the law. "The question of corrective action, at this point, it's too early," Brantley said.

The incident has already fueled an uproar north of the border. "They treat anyone who is not American as an illegal immigrant," Kuehn said earlier this week on Canada's CTV, describing the humiliation of being taken away in a squad car and forced into a delousing shower.

Kuehn, who couldn't be reached Friday, also relayed her indignation to her hometown newspaper. "I'm not a terrorist," she told the Ottawa Citizen. "I'm a blond, petite woman from Canada, trying to go to Florida to celebrate graduating my master's in social work."

SB 529 also limits public benefits for illegal immigrants, increases penalties for human trafficking and bars employers from deducting the wages of illegal immigrants from their state taxes. The law's architect, Sen. Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock), said critics are trying to use the incident in Glynn County to undermine good public policy.

"Just because someone misinterprets the law doesn't mean it's a bad law," Rogers said. "A third grader can read this [law] and understand it."

Legislators charged the Georgia Sheriffs' Association with issuing guidelines for enforcing SB 529, but they're not due out until May at the earliest.

Gordy Wright, a spokesman for the Georgia State Patrol, said Georgia has an agreement with most U.S. states that allow a ticketed motorist's license to be used as the bond. But a cash bond must be paid when the license is from a foreign country or six states that don't have an agreement with Georgia, Wright said.

Kuehn was ticketed for going 55 mph in a 35 mph zone after exiting I-95, the incident report shows. Kuehn also failed to stop her black Volvo as she made one of several turns into the parking lot of a Cracker Barrel restaurant, the report says.

Wright said the State Patrol reviewed a videotape of the incident and concluded the trooper followed all procedures.

Wright said he couldn't comment on what happened once Kuehn reached the jail. But Durksen, Kuehn's father, said his daughter's experience has reinforced stereotypes about the South among Canadians.

"The folklore up here says when you're going through there you don't get off the freeway," he said. "It's Billy Bob and the boys running the sheriff's department."

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/sto...nada.html?imw=Y

lol, she didn't know that? what a n00b.. why do you think NC has those numbers for Hispanic dwi's? cuz that's all they pull.. hispanic drivers..

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

lol, she didn't know that? what a n00b.. why do you think NC has those numbers for Hispanic dwi's? cuz that's all they pull.. hispanic drivers..

Sometimes, I am so glad I live up north

[KarenCee 3]

I wish I lived up north too. Better yet, I wish I could go ahead and emigrate to my husband's country. I have lived in the South all my life and it's pretty much this way in the rural areas. I hate this poor girl experienced this...and IMHO these "police officers" take advantage of those that don't know the ways of the South. *sigh*

[Caladan 19]

We should act immediately to put up a fence along the Canadian border to stop this endless cycle of LAWBREAKING! Deport! 10-year-ban!

Oh, wait, this wasn't one of those threads.

Reason #425 local law enforcement isn't responsible for immigration.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Since I'm dissing the South, thought I'd post this just to be fair.

The South Sucks?

By Doug Giles

Saturday, January 13, 2007

“Mississippi gets more than their fair share back in federal money, but who the hell wants to live in Mississippi?” -Charles Rangle, New York Congressman, 2006

If you listen to the Ditsy Chicks, if you like Rosie O’Doggerel and if you think John Kerry is cool, then more than likely you assume the South sucks. Yep, our current culture has been brow beaten by the loons on the Left into viewing the South as societal swill.

In Hollywood, the hedonistic thought thugs make certain that Southerners are tarred and feathered as inbred, Ricky Bobby, moonshine slammin’, KKKMart shoppin’, fat back eatin’, cousin humpin’ square dancers with three teeth and an IQ of 50.

The liberal Belief Police want America to hate the South because the South represents the Secular Regressive’s (SR) chief political and cultural (and armed, I might add) high hurdle.

The autoerotic “elite,” which form the intellectually line bred gene pool of the soulless Left, are hell bent to bar from our borders all praises and practices of the principles which have made the South substantial. What are the things that make Dixie so darn good? Well, I know it’s hard for those of you who are wedged up Hollywood’s backside to understand our virtues, but its stuff like author Clint Johnson points out in his predestined to be best-seller The Politically Incorrect Guide to the South (and Why it Will Rise Again) . . .

• A strong sense of patriotism that protects the rest of the nation. Dasypygals on the left who incessantly bash the South and hate everything sweet home Alabama stands for ought to eat a little sautéed crow tonight and send the South a thank you card in the morning, as the South makes up the overwhelming majority of the armed forces who protect our country and are willing to take a bullet for these ungrateful and derisive jackasses. The South accounts for 35% of the population, but 41% of the military recruits.

• A conscience about race relations. Johnson states, “The South has never denied its role in perpetuating slavery. The South and only the South have apologized profusely for its role in slavery.” Since the slave days, “black income in the region has steadily increased, neighborhoods have been integrated, black politicians have been elected to major offices, and black business people have emerged to head national corporations. In the south regional patriotism trumps race any old day.” And if the South hates blacks the way the way your lesbian US History teacher says they do, then why, according to the 2003 US Census Bureau, are hundreds of thousands of blacks blowing off the North and moving down South, huh?

• A sense of morals and religion. The fact that we haven’t flushed God and Christ down the toilet, as the anti-Christ secularists want us to do, has made the liberal, tassel-shoed Nancy’s have a hissy. When other sectors of our society are shamefully caving to the godless cabal’s secular agenda and keeping quite about their convictions, the South sits back, yawns, scratches its belly, and then shoots these glib sisters a defiant rebel finger. In addition, no matter how much the liberal Presidential dopefuls play the “we like Jesus and Moses, too” card in the upcoming ’08 election, the South isn’t fooled. We see the fecal fumes coming off their heads. Serious faith is a southern thang, a conservative thang, and not a 21st century liberal thang.

• A welcoming environment for business. WalMart (the world’s largest retailer), Exxon, FedEx, Coca-Cola, Lowe’s, Delta, Krispy Kreme, Toyota, Honda, Saturn, Nissan, BMW, Mercedes and Home Depot (as well as a slew of others) are finding that they don’t need Rust Belt to rake in the cash as the Bible Belt is working mighty fine for them.

• A creative atmosphere. Clint further prods the north by taunting them with their lack of creativity. He states that, “few folks think about ‘northern literature,’ but there is an abundance of southern literature. There’s no such thing as northern music. I’m sorry, rap is a NY derivative. But then again rap is not music. There is, though, country music, southern rock, southern jazz, southern blues and bluegrass. CJ goes on to say that “there is something about southern lovers, rivers, dogs, ex-wives, ex-husbands, magnolias, pine trees, eccentrics, and soldiers that keep writers and musicians inspired. “

• Real men. “Southern men are gentlemen, but they’re also uncompromising, opinionated, and won’t defer to what ‘the group’ wants. . . . ” America needs men who stick by their guns and southern men do just that. Southern men, saith Clint, don’t flip flop; they stick to the convictions and principles they got from their families. Remember families?

• Real women. Unlike the female chauvinist pigs on the Left, Southern women are charming and ladylike and like their menfolk, they have backbones of steel. Also, note to single guys: from Georgia peaches to Mississippi belles, there’s no doubt about it: southern women are prettier. Since the first Miss America pageant in 1921, one-third of the winners have been Southern.

In the latest installment of the bestselling Politically Incorrect Guide™ series, The Politically Incorrect Guide™ to the South (and Why it Will Rise Again), author Clint Johnson exposes the controversial truth—the South is the essence of what’s original, unique, and most-loved about American culture. From the founding fathers to the frontier explorers, rock and roll to the movies, barbecue to sweet tea, NASCAR to NASA, slavery to segregation, no ugly rumor will be left standing in this book (from the press release).

“Today, there is an open, not-at-all-secret conspiracy to erase Dixie and all vestiges of the old South from public memory. The South is all about memory, heritage, and pride of place. I refuse to go along with the expunging of that memory, heritage, and pride. Only those things give us a true understanding of what it means to be a Southerner, and an American,” says Johnson.

And here’s a few more things that secular reality stylists don’t want you to know about the South:

• Southerners wrote the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and Bill of Rights

• The Civil War was not a true civil war, nor was it driven by slavery

• Southern women had independence, equality, and freedom decades before suffrage

• The South, not the West, started the Hollywood movie scene, blues, jazz, and rock and roll

[pedroh 21]

and southern cookin' PWNS any other american cookin (well.. not creole, but that's southern too lol)

Fried chicken and Corn bread > NE clam chowder

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

pedro.... totally agree....

[Jenn! 918]

If you listen to the Ditsy Chicks, if you like Rosie O'Doggerel and if you think John Kerry is cool

Are those stereotypes about non-Southerners???

Scary!!!!

[pedroh 21]

lol, and those northern n00bs have this thing called 'Iced Tea'.. lol.. what is that?

dirty south son!!

Edited April 15, 2007 by pedroh

[Scott & Lai 12]

Since I'm dissing the South, thought I'd post this just to be fair.

The South Sucks?

By Doug Giles

Saturday, January 13, 2007

“Mississippi gets more than their fair share back in federal money, but who the hell wants to live in Mississippi?” -Charles Rangle, New York Congressman, 2006

If you listen to the Ditsy Chicks, if you like Rosie O’Doggerel and if you think John Kerry is cool, then more than likely you assume the South sucks. Yep, our current culture has been brow beaten by the loons on the Left into viewing the South as societal swill.

In Hollywood, the hedonistic thought thugs make certain that Southerners are tarred and feathered as inbred, Ricky Bobby, moonshine slammin’, KKKMart shoppin’, fat back eatin’, cousin humpin’ square dancers with three teeth and an IQ of 50.

The liberal Belief Police want America to hate the South because the South represents the Secular Regressive’s (SR) chief political and cultural (and armed, I might add) high hurdle.

The autoerotic “elite,” which form the intellectually line bred gene pool of the soulless Left, are hell bent to bar from our borders all praises and practices of the principles which have made the South substantial. What are the things that make Dixie so darn good? Well, I know it’s hard for those of you who are wedged up Hollywood’s backside to understand our virtues, but its stuff like author Clint Johnson points out in his predestined to be best-seller The Politically Incorrect Guide to the South (and Why it Will Rise Again) . . .

• A strong sense of patriotism that protects the rest of the nation. Dasypygals on the left who incessantly bash the South and hate everything sweet home Alabama stands for ought to eat a little sautéed crow tonight and send the South a thank you card in the morning, as the South makes up the overwhelming majority of the armed forces who protect our country and are willing to take a bullet for these ungrateful and derisive jackasses. The South accounts for 35% of the population, but 41% of the military recruits.

• A conscience about race relations. Johnson states, “The South has never denied its role in perpetuating slavery. The South and only the South have apologized profusely for its role in slavery.” Since the slave days, “black income in the region has steadily increased, neighborhoods have been integrated, black politicians have been elected to major offices, and black business people have emerged to head national corporations. In the south regional patriotism trumps race any old day.” And if the South hates blacks the way the way your lesbian US History teacher says they do, then why, according to the 2003 US Census Bureau, are hundreds of thousands of blacks blowing off the North and moving down South, huh?

• A sense of morals and religion. The fact that we haven’t flushed God and Christ down the toilet, as the anti-Christ secularists want us to do, has made the liberal, tassel-shoed Nancy’s have a hissy. When other sectors of our society are shamefully caving to the godless cabal’s secular agenda and keeping quite about their convictions, the South sits back, yawns, scratches its belly, and then shoots these glib sisters a defiant rebel finger. In addition, no matter how much the liberal Presidential dopefuls play the “we like Jesus and Moses, too” card in the upcoming ’08 election, the South isn’t fooled. We see the fecal fumes coming off their heads. Serious faith is a southern thang, a conservative thang, and not a 21st century liberal thang.

• A welcoming environment for business. WalMart (the world’s largest retailer), Exxon, FedEx, Coca-Cola, Lowe’s, Delta, Krispy Kreme, Toyota, Honda, Saturn, Nissan, BMW, Mercedes and Home Depot (as well as a slew of others) are finding that they don’t need Rust Belt to rake in the cash as the Bible Belt is working mighty fine for them.

• A creative atmosphere. Clint further prods the north by taunting them with their lack of creativity. He states that, “few folks think about ‘northern literature,’ but there is an abundance of southern literature. There’s no such thing as northern music. I’m sorry, rap is a NY derivative. But then again rap is not music. There is, though, country music, southern rock, southern jazz, southern blues and bluegrass. CJ goes on to say that “there is something about southern lovers, rivers, dogs, ex-wives, ex-husbands, magnolias, pine trees, eccentrics, and soldiers that keep writers and musicians inspired. “

• Real men. “Southern men are gentlemen, but they’re also uncompromising, opinionated, and won’t defer to what ‘the group’ wants. . . . ” America needs men who stick by their guns and southern men do just that. Southern men, saith Clint, don’t flip flop; they stick to the convictions and principles they got from their families. Remember families?

• Real women. Unlike the female chauvinist pigs on the Left, Southern women are charming and ladylike and like their menfolk, they have backbones of steel. Also, note to single guys: from Georgia peaches to Mississippi belles, there’s no doubt about it: southern women are prettier. Since the first Miss America pageant in 1921, one-third of the winners have been Southern.

In the latest installment of the bestselling Politically Incorrect Guide™ series, The Politically Incorrect Guide™ to the South (and Why it Will Rise Again), author Clint Johnson exposes the controversial truth—the South is the essence of what’s original, unique, and most-loved about American culture. From the founding fathers to the frontier explorers, rock and roll to the movies, barbecue to sweet tea, NASCAR to NASA, slavery to segregation, no ugly rumor will be left standing in this book (from the press release).

“Today, there is an open, not-at-all-secret conspiracy to erase Dixie and all vestiges of the old South from public memory. The South is all about memory, heritage, and pride of place. I refuse to go along with the expunging of that memory, heritage, and pride. Only those things give us a true understanding of what it means to be a Southerner, and an American,” says Johnson.

And here’s a few more things that secular reality stylists don’t want you to know about the South:

• Southerners wrote the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and Bill of Rights

• The Civil War was not a true civil war, nor was it driven by slavery

• Southern women had independence, equality, and freedom decades before suffrage

• The South, not the West, started the Hollywood movie scene, blues, jazz, and rock and roll

Makes me want to move to the South