Via In A Strange Land, a horrifying story of how the US (mis)treats visitors to its country. In this case, the victim - a kiwi - escaped relatively lightly. She was not, for example, beaten, pepper-sprayed, and then charged with assault for questioning the whim of a border-thug (the victim in that case is now facing two years jail for "obstruction", meaning "failure to comply promptly and without question". As Cory Doctorow points out, its about obedience and the criminalisation of any questioning of "authority"). Others have suffered worse.
So, the lesson is: if you want to be treated with dignity and respect - including having your personal relationships recognised and respected, rather than being denied by an illiberal and morally authoritarian government - don't visit the US.
