US Border Patrol

[Kathleen Moon]

Semjase wrote:
> 
> >Subject: US Border Patrol
> >From: Parides1 at aol.com
> >Date: Fri, 25 June 1999 01:05 PM EDT

> >On one occaison during night operations (blacklighting) on the Rio Grande we 
> >had a couple of heavily armed agents (both sporting M-16A2 [Government-issue]
> >Carbines) approach our lights my first words to them were "Nice weapons" and 
> >they responded by saying "are you guys doing something entomological"?  One 
> >of the guys turned out to be a biology major in college and we spent awhile 
> >talking about Entomology.  They were mostly concerned for our safety and gave 
> >us a number to call if we had any problems.  These guys are law enforcement 
> >agents and perception is something that they key in on heavily.  If you look 
> >"suspicious" (long-hair, earings, tattoos, etc....) theres a distinct 
> >possibility you may have some unpleasant encounters.

> I think you just said that they are bigots!
> 
> S.

Wrong.  What he said is the well-established fact that many people who
do things such as running drugs and such sport certain features that
advertise them as potential targets for surveillance.  I don't think it
was the case with those I was talking about earlier, but the facts are
out there for all to see: 1/ advertise an alternative life-style, and
others who are interested in it in one way or another will gravitate to
it; 2/ advertise it and (if it is illegal) you are putting yourself on
display like a hunter's decoy for the local 
fuzz to come after you.

Don't get me wrong, though.  There are some who are bigots, but then
they are humans, just like the rest of us.  Then there are those who,
having missed out on biology class in school, don't know a tarantula
hawk from a mockingbird or a swallowtail - and couldn't tell you which
is a bird if their lives depended on it.

Face it: biology has gotten the short end of a short stick in this
country of late, and you are looking at the direct result.