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Dec. 11th, 2009 09:25 pmDudes, this is so horrible I can barely stand it.
Dr. Peter Watts, Canadian SF/F writer, is beaten and arrested at the Canadian/US border.
(Dr. Watts' own details of what happened -- also in the BoingBoing article -- are extremely disturbing. The bit I just quote gave you the easy-to-digest version. It's much, much worse than that.)
I don't know Dr. Watts, but I met his partner, the lovely and talented writer Caitlin Sweet, when she found two copies of her book in the remainder bin at the bookstore next to mine. I commiserated with her, she gave me one of the copies, we talked about how difficult it was to write and raise kids. I am shocked this could happen to her family.
The EFF is helping them muster some help, but if you can offer any cash (they have to fight homeland security! what is this bullshit?) please consider making a PayPal donation to donate@rifters.com .
If cash is tight, you can just repost or retweet! Signal-boosting is always beneficial.
Dr. Peter Watts, Canadian SF/F writer, is beaten and arrested at the Canadian/US border.
"Hugo-award-nominated science fiction author Dr. Peter Watts is in serious legal trouble after he was beaten, pepper-sprayed and imprisoned by American border guards at a Canada U.S. border crossing December 8. This is a call to friends, fans and colleagues to help.
Peter, a Canadian citizen, was on his way back to Canada after helping a friend move house to Nebraska over the weekend. He was stopped at the border crossing at Port Huron, Michigan by U.S. border police for a search of his rental vehicle. When Peter got out of the car and questioned the nature of the search, the gang of border guards subjected him to a beating, restrained him and pepper sprayed him. At the end of it, local police laid a felony charge of assault against a federal officer against Peter. On Wednesday, he posted bond and walked across the border to Canada in shirtsleeves (he was released by Port Huron officials with his car and possessions locked in impound, into a winter storm that evening). He's home safe. For now. But he has to go back to Michigan to face the charge brought against him."
(Dr. Watts' own details of what happened -- also in the BoingBoing article -- are extremely disturbing. The bit I just quote gave you the easy-to-digest version. It's much, much worse than that.)
I don't know Dr. Watts, but I met his partner, the lovely and talented writer Caitlin Sweet, when she found two copies of her book in the remainder bin at the bookstore next to mine. I commiserated with her, she gave me one of the copies, we talked about how difficult it was to write and raise kids. I am shocked this could happen to her family.
The EFF is helping them muster some help, but if you can offer any cash (they have to fight homeland security! what is this bullshit?) please consider making a PayPal donation to donate@rifters.com .
If cash is tight, you can just repost or retweet! Signal-boosting is always beneficial.