I once again had the opportunity today to spend some time with the Department of Homeland Security’s border people at the American border. Since I’ve spent a not insignificant amount of time with them–mostly in the same office, at the same border-crossing–over the years, I have some idea of how these things will go, and what to expect.
Today, I noticed two changes.
The first was a surface change–the scary pictures were gone. Over the last several years, I’ve spent a number of hours sitting in border station offices while American border officials convince themselves that I am legitimate business traveller who isn’t violating any of the rules, and since there aren’t many things to do while sitting waiting for the process to run itself out
One thing that I always found kind of creepy was the collection of head shots of various officials. These specifically included Bush, and the head of DHS, plus another suit who I assume is the head of the border part of the department. On past trips, when I felt that I was being stopped primarily because some redneck wanted to show me his power, I’ve had staring contents with Bush, who I considered part of the social background that enabled these power-tripping nobodies.
Anyway, this time there were no pictures. Where they had been were just naked picture hangers.
Which lead me to spend some time wondering whether:
A) new pictures have not yet been issued by the new administration
B) the new administration isn’t into issuing photos like this
C) this particular detachment is staunchly Republican and are not posting the new pictures
or some other scenario.
Yes, this is the kind of thing you think of when you have nothing else to do, but wonder how long it will be this time.
The other thing, though, was a little deeper, and that was a marked absence of that very power-tripping functionary attitude. It might have been the luck of the draw–maybe this was the good shift or something–or just a perception of mine with no objective basis, but it sure seemed like the proceedings (not just mine, but those of the other people in the station as well) were conducted more politely, and with more respect, than on previous occasions. The sense was much more “just doing our jobs” and much less “look how much we can fuck with you if we want to” than on other trips. Which is not to say everyone there was cool–there was one officer in particular who wanted the guy he was dealing with to know that he had ALL THE POWER (“and you better call me sir, at my country’s border”)–but the ratio seemed to be dramatically tilted toward the professional compared to other times I’ve been stopped there.
Again, I don’t know if there’s any validity to this, or if it was a quirk of chance or perception, but just for a day or two I’d like to think that maybe this whole “end of the cowboy government” and “culture of openness and accountability” stuff is actually filtering down.
