Posted on 07/23/2014 8:41:32 AM PDT by Gunpowder green
DES MOINES, Iowa A central Iowa Boy Scout troop just returned from a three-week trip they will likely never forget.
About 10 days into the trip, an innocent action by one of the nearly two dozen Scouts at the Canadian border into Alaska set off a chain of events that lead to a U.S. border official pointing a gun at a scouts head.
Boy Scout Troop 111 Leader Jim Fox spelled out what happened to him and the Mid-Iowa Boy Scout Troop 111 as four van-loads of Scouts and adult volunteers tried to drive from Canada into Alaska.
Fox said one of the Scouts took a picture of a border official, which spurred agents to detain everyone in that van and search them and their belongings.
The agent immediately confiscated his camera, informed him he would be arrested, fined possibly $10,000 and 10 years in prison, Fox said.
Fox said he was told it is a federal offense to take a picture of a federal agent.
Not wanting things to escalate, Fox said he did not complain.
Another of the Scouts was taking luggage from the top of a van to be searched when something startling happened.
He hears a snap of a holster, turns around, and heres this agent, both hands on a loaded pistol, pointing at the young mans head, Fox explained.
Fox said that had them all in fear.
Ultimately no one was hurt or arrested, and after about four hours they were allowed to continue their trip into Alaska.
When he thinks about what happened to them and the fact there are people streaming across the southern border, Fox is outraged.
Charles Vonderheid with the Mid-Iowa Council Boy Scouts of America said Troop 11 learned a valuable lesson.
Read more at: http://www.kcci.com/news/boy-scout-from-iowa-is-subject-of-alaska-border-dispute/27102496#!bkxdWU
(Excerpt) Read more at kcci.com ...
It takes a really brave man to point a gun at a boy scout.
He must be bragging about it.
It is interesting that the officers didn't take the opportunity to shoot one or all of the boy scouts. It is not often that an LEO gets to shoot more than one or two citizens. They could have conducted a little massacre there and then said, "I felt threatened." They would have been immediately awarded paid vacations for their heroism and after a decent interval given certificates and medals.
Right. They did not do their duty. All of the boy scouts are still alive. A chance to provide an object lesson to the populace was muffed.
“That law has been around for a long time.”
Since when? I’ve never heard of it.
It certainly was true in our case. I traveled to Vancouver, BC for the fair (around 1985) with my then 11-year-old daughter who I'd raised alone since she was 19 months old. I had nothing to prove she was my daughter but after questioning us courteously for a few minutes and convincing themselves of our legitimacy, Canadian Customs officers waved us on. They could have detained us but chose to be neighborly.
I said around 1985 so 1984 would be it.
I may have answered someone else’s question.
I’ve never heard of it either.
Even Nazis begin to look good compared to these U.S. Border Agents.
Border agents on both sides are on the lookout for children being transported by non custodial parents or other non-custodial adults. I appreciate this policy.
Living on the Canadian/American border near Niagara Falls I have been across it hundreds of times in the past 25 years and have had some difficulties with both sides of the border.
I’ve also heard some horror stories. The worst is someone telling me they were forced to stand in the nude for a couple hours at the Canadian border. Once, I witnessed the single US border agent on duty pulling his weapon and running towards a middle eastern looking man who was having trouble remaining seated while that border agent let me pass across the border. That was 10 years before 9/11.
There doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason why either side harasses some people and lets other pass without a problem. Usually, they seem more concerned with you declaring items you purchased and once in a while they do searches.
I do too. That's why I recognized the generous and friendly attitude of the officers and welcomed their questions.
No, I mean October 1983 when I visited China.
Based on the article, I assume they were entering AK on the way to Tok on the ALCAN.
When my wife and I entered AK there in 2008 the Border Patrol had no problems with us taking photos of the crossing. In fact they posed for us.
I guess times have changed.
If you're on a BSA range and you point your firearm more than about 15 degrees from the target area, you're pulled from the range.
Boy Scouts won't shoot back.
In a just world, this dunce would be fired on the spot and have his badge shoved up someplace uncomfortable.
Instead, I imagine that he'll get 30 days of "administrative leave" (read: paid vacation) while the investigation happens (read: his manager hopes everything blows over) .... then will be right back to work.
Some years ago as the story is told, a drilling contractor was working on the erection of a TV tower to serve TB.
As the rock cuttings came to the surface, the drillers found large quantities of purple, glass like rock.
Realizing the site contained something valuable, an open pit was excavated and a massive ledge of amethyst, several feet thick, was discovered.
Today, there is a book store/rock shop and overlook area where visitors can buy chunks of the stuff for $1 Canadian per pound. There is also a rock shop in TB that sells polished curios and jewelry made from the stuff.
You put your forces where the threat is most prevalent. The Canadians will work with us in dealing with potential terrorist threats, assuming that the feds don't snub them.
The mexican government, on the other hand, is engaging in a central/south American border war with the US, with plenty within the US government and private sector aiding and abetting it.
I agree with the former but disagree with the latter. Canada lately has let all kinds of Chinese into their country - if they had money they got in. And then you have the French problem, and we see what is happening in Paris with the 'new' French. As long as our 'little brother' is so lax about their own immigration while hiding behind us to protect them from central American migrants, we need to seal off Canada, too.
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