Please step out of your boat...

[George Board]

One more step to a police state

This is just one more example of a system gone crazy. These types of proposals where agencies put restrictions and requirements in place to give the illusion that it some how relates to security provides nothing but hassle. This country is headed toward a hugh implosion and it will end up coming from within with our stupid red tyape.. not from the outside. Sad state..

 

[Persy]

very depressing thread....

some of this logic is enough to make me reach for a big, stiff drink..I find it truly sad that so many are willing to give up their freedoms so easily, but I find it damned aggravating that they are giving mine as well.

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

Hello?

How this went from licenses to police state and threatening the Constitution is INCREDIBLE!People were not this paranoid when states started issuing auto drivers licenses.

 

[William12213]

Safer?

I have spent that last 27+ years in the military so this is not about bashing the USCG who does a great job. But the truth is how is this going to make us any safer? When I have to reach into my wallet for my boater ID card it would be right next to my State DL. We don't want to be doing things just for the sake of them doing them. We need to see some benefit from it..it is OUR tax dollars they are spending. The oringinal intent with the DHS was to simplify and consolidate all the goverment bureacracy that helped to perpetuate 9/11. Creating another form of ID will just clog things up even more. it is another data base that will have to be maintained not to mention the risk of more of your imformation being stolen. (remember the VA records?) The money could be much better spent on more coasties...which would put more eyes on the boarders. All the gimmicks and gagets are nice but the bottom line is it takes boots on the ground to protect us.

 

[John5961]

Tough ,,,,

Hey CT, go back and read your post where you belittled the Coast Guard. Yeah, you're right. I don't know you but I know what you said and how you said it.I called you a big mouth jerk because you were spouting off about something you obviously don't know crap about. And frankly I take exception to anybody that belittles or undermines the US Military. Don't like my comments? Tuff shit. That is MY OPINION of YOU based on your comments.

 

[Ctskip]

Is it not imposing on your rights

to have to be licensed (no safety course) to operate a sail/boat in and on the waters of the USA ? Next it'll be your children in a dingy. Pull it over and show me your permit, son. To a 8 yr old. With weapons aimed at them. Welcome to your permission (permits). Or is there a age limit on terrorists? Why on this earth do boat operators need to be licensed? Nothing is said about safety on the water for the people. Just national security. Their favorite catch all phrase. They are creating the paranoia and wish to spread it for control. Fear is a great tactic. Tell me, have they (Homeland) made anything safer? A lot of money is and has gone there in the name of national security. What have you gotten in return?  I can understand a boating safety course being mandatory to get a permit for the operation of certain sized vessels, but not small pleasure boats. Like a small business, being 100 employees or less. Apply the same logic. When there's a traffic jam outside the major ports of container ships trying to entering the USA from foreign countries, then and only then will I believe that Homeland is doing something. And don't tell me we'll lose mega millions in trade either. Show me something, don't juxtapose the numbers and do a dog and pony show. Just straight up facts. Show me something. I want to see something tangible. Not your, we landed on the moon film either. I love my country, but I fear my government Keep it up,  Ctskip

 

[Ctskip]

And I defend your rights

to voice your opinion, just as I will mine. Aint America great! I don't believe I belittled the CG. I was responding to a statement, that stated the CG put their lives on the line everyday. I said they didn't. Period. Have a nice day, Keep it up, Ctskip

 

[T37 Phil]

Yes and no

You have a right to express your opinion, yes, but this site does not have to broadcast your opinion. They reserve the right to pull any post or thread for any reason, as has been done. It's not the regulations themselves that I find troublesome. It's the fact that they are implemented by people with all sorts of agendas. Have you ever encountered the practice of police pulling people over for bogus traffic violations in order to search for contraband? Not all police do this, some do. Not all citizens would find it inappropriate to make such practices policy (The "I have nothing to hide" crowd.). So on the face of it, requiring another form of id seems innocent enough. But how will such new regulations be used? The Coast Guard already has a right to board you for no reason. What loopholes open up; what more will they be able to do when you fail to produce this new form of identification?[Edit] This thread and its polemic content is not a bit surprising given the 911, Patriot Act, Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo, phone tapping scandal, etc... environment that we are immersed in.

 

[Persy]

the longest journey is started by one small step..

someone wrote: ' How this went from licenses to police state and threatening the Constitution is INCREDIBLE!People were not this paranoid when states started issuing auto drivers licenses.'nope, they weren't, but they should have been. that was one of the many small steps people didn't mind, but all of these small steps have led to the situation we have today where government has virtually unlimited power to search, seize, detain, regulate, and generally micro manage every aspect of our lives.As INCREDIBLE as you find it that someone would see a link from a license to a police state, I find it equally INCREDIBLE that people do not see the very slow erosion of liberty and freedom that each of those little steps takes.there is no going back, only ratcheting forward...

 

[Stu Jackson]

National security advantages

include having to wait over an hour and half to get back into this coutnry when returning from Canada.I feel safer already.

 

[Randy Burns]

Checking in with customs

Speaking of Canada, my options now for coming back into the states after a night at, say Grand Manan Island, are either Eastport MAine or Bar Harbor maine. (You used to be able to come into Cutler, not that anybody cared) Those custom guys seem to all be 20 years old and carry guns.

 

[John5961]

let's redirect this thread

Some of us (me included. obviously) have very strong feelings about this subject matter and some of the statements that have been made. I move that we table EVERYTHING we are discussing (?) except the merit or lack of merit of this issue. Let's try to leave political posturing out of it. So how do we think this will this affect the average recreational boater and what if anything should we do about it?

 

[Ctskip]

Around my marina back in 88

we had children moving about in dingies(boats for the layman). I assume they still do. Are they subject to this licensing? If not, why not? What is the age for a terrorists to be able to carry a bomb? What is the C/G going to do with this new found ID system? We are talking about the operator licensing only, so the C/G can identify the operator, right? This sounds like it would be a waste of time and more computers to align with Homeland Securities already overwhelmed data base system. They are doing such great work now. I feel so safe. They can't align the system they have now into a simple data base for all to use. And they want to add to it? Sounds like it's your govt at work for sure. I for one am against it. Keep it up, Ctskip

 

[Bill Coxe]

Boater's ID

Checking for the safe boating certificate in CT is okay with me, as long as there is sufficient cause. I found it is esier for an illegal alien to get a driver's license in CT than for my wife to do a legit name change. Long story, six visits, happy (?) ending). Picture ID-why, got one, I just would lke to know that the next guy knows as much as I do, if not more, about how to act on the water. NOT required for security.Hey, smitroe, where do you sail out of in NL?Bill Coxe, O40, New London, CT

 

[sleepy]

Enough is enough!

I was a victim of the zero tolarence back in the 80'sand was returning from an boat camping trip and wasstopped in the ICW by Blue Thunder, CG,Customs & DEA personell.Needless to say I did not like having 3 M16's pointedstraight at me, much less having empty everything and I meaneverything in the boat out on the deck. To top it off theydid not search our persons,gas tanks or inside the Center console.Purely harrasment. I am 55 and have never heard of theany laws being repealed to grant us more freedom, it's alwaysbeen the opposite. Some people need to wipe the purfume offtheir upper lip and use their noses.

 

[Ross]

Sleepy would it make you feel any

better if it was three AK-47's? Law enforcement does profile, so please tell us more. What were you traveling in back there in your 30 somethings, Where had you been? I have heard of these stops but have never heard any details as to why your boat was chosen out of the hundreds on the water that day.

 

[sleepy]

Profile

Well officer I was in a 18' CC with an 85hp evinrude.Camped at Yarbourgh Cut, lanched at Bird Island basinN. Padre. No access to the gulf totally land locked.They told to quit using the plastic tote bins for storagebecause they looked like drug bales.Drove an 81 ford pickup then 86.No arrest record plus retired 6mos. ago from 32 yearsservice with Harris county,tx. All in Mainframe CPU & IT.Made the trip from 85 thru about 92. My beef is if youare going to search, do a real one.

 

[Ross]

Sleepy, It would seem that they had probably cause

you had the appearance of bales of contraband. So they stopped you so that they could look. They satisfied their suspicions and left you alone. In short they did their job and they didn't tear your boat apart.

 

[sleepy]

Yeah! Right

Once we popped the tops and emptied out the contentswhich was nothing but the standard camping gear theyhad us unfold our tents, even open up a towel wrapped trophyspeck(8 1/4lb)which my cousin wanted to have mounted.Plus these were the standard rubbermaid totes.Dark blue tops light blue bottoms. From what I have seen onthe news about drug busts these don't look nothing like them.We stuffed the tents under the casting platform, repacked andcussed our way back to the ramp. The years after that I would4x4 and pull my boat down to Yarbourgh cut which is 1 of 3 legallaunching ramps to laguna madre on Padre Is. National seashore.No more problems!Footnote: it is illegal to launch in the surf on PINS.

 

[Dan Johnson]

John in Atlanta...

did you catch the news about the FBI's investigative tactics today?