The Daily Campus

Issue date: 4/7/08 Section: Commentary

Recently, the British singer, Amy Winehouse, was denied access to the U.S. to attend the Grammy Awards. Initially, the TSA said it was because of her admitting to her use of illegal drugs, including in songs like "Rehab." However, The New York Times reports that recently, the heads of arts organization said that Winehouse, among other artists, was denied for another reason. "The real problem," they said, "is the time, money and complexity involved in getting visas for lower-profile artists, including dancers, singers, musicians and actors." This system is ridiculous. People should be fingerprinted when initially applying for visas. If the airline system discriminates, it is not nearly foolproof. For instance, the system only applies to people up to 79 years old. Osama Bin Laden is 51 years old and he is in hiding for leading people who commit heinous acts. On his 79th birthday, he will not simply stop and consider his feelings towards America, regret his actions, rethink the remainder of his life and apologize. Obviously, he isn't going to even attempt to go to America. He is so high-profile and would be taken into custody of the law immediately. But there may well be 80 year olds out in the world who are fit enough and hate America enough to commit equally criminal acts. Although it is unlikely, it is possible. That's what these systems are for after all. They could possibly catch terrorists or criminals, who aren't likely to travel via high security airports. So, the system catches people who are unlikely to be there, but it is still a possibility. It has also been known to produce false fingerprint matches, unfortunately for some innocent foreigners.

Some innocent foreign travelers are bothered by the cumbersome system, feeling unwelcome in a new place. Most places try to welcome travelers into their country. America does just the opposite.

The majority of people around the world aren't too fond of America at the moment, but the government shouldn't discourage the few that still want to experience our sinking dollar and spying government, oh - I guess I can't forget the scenic beaches and landscapes.

It seems like the government should be doing everything in its power to encourage travelers to visit and welcome them and maybe not even profile them in airports. That attitude could even win us more support and possibly even allow us to acquire allies when we are really in trouble.















Weekly Columnist Alex Sanders is a 4th-semester journalism and psychology double major. her columns appear on Wednesdays. She can be contacted at Alexandra.Sanders@UConn.edu.

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