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Tim Graham / Tim Graham
Traffic on the highway heading out of Miami at Opa Locka Boulevard, Florida, United States of America
The Canadian Automobile Association is warning their members to take special precautions when traveling internationally — to Florida.
That's because the Sunshine State last year passed a largely unnoticed law that requires foreign drivers to own largely-unused "international driver's permits" from their home country.
The legislation, which went into effect January 1, was intended to make sure all Florida drivers held a license translated into English.
But it also meant scores of snowbirds flew down from the Great White North in 2013 not knowing they were breaking the law.
Florida lawmakers are apologizing to Canadians, British and other English-speaking countries that have been unintentionally targeted as a result of the law, and Florida's Highway Patrol has suspended its enforcement.
Still, there are questions about the impact on car rentals and insurance coverage for foreigners driving in the state. The state's tourism website, Visit Florida, is urging visitors to consult with an "in-country travel professional for guidance."
That's why the CAA, Canada's version of AAA, has on the homepage of its website guidelines for the new law and FAQ on how to obtain an international driver's license, which costs $25.
"Until the law is changed, we continue to recommend Canadians traveling to Florida should consider obtaining an IDP," the site reads.
That change could come soon, as state officials are quickly realizing some of the unwanted consequences of the bill.
"We will work with the legislature to amend the law this year so it does not burden international visitors to our state, who make up an important part of our tourism industry," said John Tupps, deputy press secretary for Florida Gov. Rick Scott, on Tuesday.
Florida state Rep. Ben Albritton, a Republican, introduced the bill with the intention of making things easier on Motor Vehicle employees who regularly deal with identification from foreign lands.
"This one I just missed. I want to tell the people in Canada I am sorry," Albritton told the Tampa Bay Times. "If I messed something up, I am man enough to fix it."
Canada topped all other countries in travel to Florida in 2011 with more than 3 million visitors there. Another English speaking country, the United Kingdom, ranks third on the list with 1.3 million visitors.
Tourism spending in the state totaled $67.2 billion in 2011.
It is unclear when the law will be officially amended.
Leave a Comment:
This is what happens when you don't do the research. How many knee jerk laws are passed every day with no regard to the effects they will have?
This is what happens when you elect a darn Republican - most are retarded, insane, or both
"Oh we're soooo sooorrryyy Canada"... as they continue to twist the knife into Mexico. The Republicans have expanded the mantra "blind justice" to included "biased" and "stupid". They wanted isolationism and stronger border control and they got it.
I don't know what it is with our Legislature and voting for laws that they didn't even read. It's absolutely incredible. And it's not the first time they have come out afterward and said, "I voted for WHAT?"
Party leadership tells them to vote a certain way, and they do it, without bothering to read.
Yeah, apologize because it is your tourist income that may start to suffer. But the Mexicans, you know those browner people, they don't bring in the dollars so no accommodations for them. Republicans! The sc@m of the earth.
But wait! Republicans are the party of limited government! They would never pass stupid new laws, especially one that affects tourism in a tourism dependent state, right?
Oops, they only meant to hate Mexicans.
In Florida, a lot of laws go into action and we find afterward they didn't write it to do what they wanted. IF there is a thing like "writing comprehension" the Florida legislature would flunk out. They spend a considerable amount of every legislative session fixing laws they already have on the books. They should have to pass the High School seniors tests as part of the minimum qualifications for office. IF they can't pass they can't vote in the legislature, can't submit bills, can't sit on any committees. Let the people back home deal with that.
Florida is like a lot of other governments. Yes, we created the law but we have no idea what it means.
Kind of like Obamacare?
As Nancy said "you've got to pass it to find out what it means"
Another self inflicted wound. The sequester will be worse. This is what happens when you put your party above your country.
So basically they are saying "We didn't mean for non-hispanic foreign language speaking people to get caught up in this". Just a tad racist.
I am still a little confused. If the law was written to help the Car Rental companies read a foreign license maybe a cross reference sheet would have helped a little bit. Very sorry excuse for trying to make it impossible for a Litino to get access to a car in the United States. What is on the Foreign License that the clerk can not read? It almost sounds like a Florida public service employee problem instead of a legal problem. I assume someone from the Public Service sector asked the Legislature to change the Law.
I always thought that we elected the dumbest Politicians available and things like this are proving me correct.
@skiing111
1) Language is not race.
2) Hispanic is not a race; it's an ethnicity.
3) It is a bit racist of you to inject racism into a conversation where it doesn't belong.
Canadians as a whole don't generate much tourism. They live in their cheap $8,000 trailers and clog up the restaurants and golf courses EH? The legislation should be fixed but the Canadian Auto club should include a flyer about tipping $1.25 in Canadian quarters is not acceptable for a $67 dinner bill........
Spicy Bamburger, when did I say Hispanic is a language? I said non-hispanic foreign language speaking. That does not say Hispanic is a language. It says a foreign language speaking individual from a Hispanic country. When did I say Hispanic is a race? If that's the best you can do to defend this, then it only further proves how ridiculous this law is.
IXLR8... I love how you say Canadians don't generate much tourism then talk about how they "Clog up" the restaurants and golf courses. So I guess they are eating at those restaurants for free huh? Ask the restaurant owners if they want the Canadians to come down every year. As for the trailers you speak of, where do you think they park them? You don't think those spaces are free do you?
Skiing111 First there is no such thing as a Hispanic Country it's Latin Country.
Not really Docc. "Latin" country comes from Latin American countries. Is Spain in Latin America? You might want to educate yourself a little bit before trying to school others.
Carl Lafoon,
"What is on the Foreign License that the clerk can not read?"
How about Foreign Language, how many languages do you expect them to know? The same holds true for Cops, how many languages are they supposed to know how to read and speak? English should be our "Official " Language and ALL Immigrants have to learn it no matter what country they are from. Actually thats part of your Kings (Obama) plan in immigration reform, they need to LEARN THE LANGUAGE, so they might as well get used to it. This is AMERICA we speak, read and write English.
Only a complete idiot cannot read a foreign license. Even if you don't speak lick of Spanish/French/German/Etc, it only requires basic common sense to figure out that this over here is the person's name, this over here is their birth-date, oh and lookey here! A convenient PHOTO of the person, right there on the card!
And lets not forget that any foreign traveler will have a passport, which for those who don't know, is in ENGLISH!
Plain and simple, this Florida law was intended to discriminate against Hispanics, because there s no other purpose for it that isn't already covered under Federal law.
None in Washington....To tell you the truth, the idea of individual states making their own laws about issuing licenses is stupid. There should be all federally issued licenses. This is also one of the reasons why when Americans go abroad (like Europe) they have to get the International Driving Permit. It is ridiculous.
Limited Government? Other than their slick marketing, just HOW is the GOP the party of LIMITED government, when they want the Federal Government to control marriage, they want the State Government t control language (English Only), and they want Federal Control over reproduction. Good grief.
Florida has a tremendous amount of visitors from, China, Japan,India, Middle-east country's Russia, Ukraine, the purpose of the law was to get all foreign visitors a intl. driving permit , which is issued in English, so it would make it easier for the Rental company's to be able to rent auto's; the problem was it was not advertised for everyone to know; have you ever tried to read a Chinese, Japanese, Middle-east, India, Russian driving license?
dennis, not to mention they want our military in every other country telling them how to run theirs.
Rick Scott and the Renegade Republicans strike again, and the party of NO exemplifies the party of DOH, one more time, for the whole world to ridicule.
Tim Russert shaking his head from Heaven Above:
Florida
Florida
Florida
Yes, but Rick Scott won an election nobody thought he could muster. Now live with your legistature he created that mirrors the stupidity of corporate america............
Once again, a Republican lawmaker, clearly targeting immigrants who do not have English as a primary language (better known as Hispanics, Mexicans and S. Americans) ends up doing something to make the Republican party look like racists and fools.
Well, as Rick Perry would say, "Ooops."
The only real solution is to get rid of the GOP.
Why does this sound like Floridian stupidity?
The only Canadian license that does not have English is Quebec (French only). Some provinces have both French & English (Ontario) and some English only (Alberta).
But, strangely enough, Canadian licenses look just like US ones, and if someone cannot figure out that a day/month/year is a date (like a birthdate) and says "Date de naissance" you'd have to be fairly dense not to "get it".
For those of us who drive to Canada - we don't even need to take a full-sized Passport - you can get a wallet-sized Passport Card ( http://travel.state.gov/passport/ppt_card/ppt_card_3926.html )
For driving in Canada, your insurance company will issue (for free) an Inter-province Insurance Card (AKA - "yellow card") ( http://www.ccir-ccrra.org/en/pau/Canadian_Non-Resident_Insurance_Cards.pdf ).
And for the really disinterested - the US and Canadian dollar are within 2 cents of being equal in value.
Don't mention 2 cents to Canadians, they just got rid of their pennies.
I guess that means the Canada Dollar is as worthless as the US$.
pRick Scott should be apologizing to Florida for being a doosh.
Rick Scott is a big enough doosh that he owes the entire country an apolgy.
If he doesn't grow up soon, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert will take his bonyass apart. They will FEAST on his sorry carcass.
Hey Florida voters.... once again, YOU are to blame here. You elected these jokers. Oh yeah, you also elected Rick Scott.
You guys clearly put a lot of critical thought into your votes.
Occupy: agreed. Scott wants people to believe that as a CEO of a large Corp he had no idea that his fellow execs, that he hired, worked with all day, had meals with, went on trips with, gave assignments too and monitored and evaluated their performance, were crooks. Some did time for felonies. So is he incompetent as a CEO or is he a crook, protected by his loyal underlings who pleaded out ? The idiot voters of Florida don't care. He said he was a conservative and that is all they cared about. How are those education cuts working for us now ?
Watched Colbert and Stewart rip Rubio to shreds for his "water" speech. Too funny!
Now this idiot legislator is apologizing for making the Canadians buy a $25 IDL. These idiot legislators cost us Americans a heck of a lot more than $25 and we never heard an apology. What makes the Canadians so special ? I like Canadians BTW - just wonder why they get an apology.
Wait...and the problem is? Cops can read all languages fluently! It's a requirement to Law Enforcement employment now. If you cannot read at least 5 languages without 3 mistakes you are not qualified.
Rick Scott and his merry band of thieves stole hundreds of millions of dollars from the U.S. treasury through Medicare fraud. He used a huge chunk of that tainted money(our money) to buy the republican nomination and then the Florida governorship.
The republicans didn't give a damn. He could have been a serial killer and they would still have supported him. Scott was white and tea party (the same tea party that sent our thieving Cuban-American to Congress). Everything else was inconsequential.
Please don't paint all of us in the sunshine state as Floridiots. A good portion of us did all we could to prevent this travesty. This thug belongs in the big-house, not the statehouse.
I'm looking back now and I'm still amazed at how this crook got into office and how much people blindingly supported him during the elections. 2014 cannot come soon enough!
Rep. Ben Albritton your a moron, you introduce a bill and dont think it out?? MORON in capital letters see people who voted for this MORON he didnt even understand it. MORON
Tom ... before you call him a MORON, you might start by spelling "you're" correctly :)
FedUp: Don't be a... We have enough with Albittron as he is to have you competing for the title...
AND JUSTICE TAKES THE LEAD!!!!!!
Telling them that they should have done more research is missing the point. The REAL point is that they have exposed their extreme targeted biases by telling Canadians that they didn't intend the law to apply to them. I guess they should have directed the law better by specifying what nationalities they want to be hard-a$$es with and which ones they want to suck up to.
All I can do is shake my head in amazement! I could get real political, but no point, we have just as many Democrats that aren't that much smarter!
And some legislators were saying " I hope I didn't vote for this". When will we start voting for people who actually read and research what they vote for rather than rely on young inexperienced staffers to tell them what to do. The FL legislature is particularly bad as they are gerrymandered and have little opposition and are mostly stupid. The same state that closed some voting places, shortened early voting and had lines 8 hours long. Stupid stupid stupid. In addiltion the governor is a crook, stole millions in medicare and medicaid funds and got away with it.
You guys are such hypocrites! What about the gun laws recently passed in NY which limited the magazine size of weapons but didn't have a provision to exempt law enforcement. Also sounds pretty stupid. They have to make a change in the law. The rush from both sides to pass nonsense laws without research knows no particular side. Remember, "We have to pass the healthcare law so we can find out what was in it" claim by Pelosi?
Fed Up: His use of "your" has nothing on Albritton's dumb legislation and backtracking though!
And Florida shoots itself in the foot once again. (Yes, gun metaphor used intentionally.)
Ah. the lovely law of unintended consequences...In order to "make things easier" for the Florida DMV (and probably catch pesky illegals) they instead hit where it hurts.
I really hope every present and future lawmaker reads this story. This is what happens when you don't think things through...the "problem" you may be intending to solve may instead be the problem you create trying to "fix" it!
or maybe foreigners that were visiting our state THAT CAN'T DRIVE!
I live in Florida, am 64, FL license for 25 years. Time to renew. Now, it costs more, plus, we have to "prove" who we are to the stupid degree. I must show birth certificate, marriage license, home bills, voter ID, etc. Okay, so having a home & a FL license for 25 years apparently isn't enough in this state. We used to renew on-line. No more, and the process is just as horrible as in days of old---long lines, little service, etc. etc. BTW, they can choose to make you take a road test. Also, working on forcing us to take on-line course for driver ed. We already did this for reduced insurance, but the state wants to force us to do it for them---for a fee, of course.
You may give the RICH-PIG-licans a hearty Thank You......once again they show their true colors.
I live in FL, too. I renewed my driver's license online last year. And frankly, considering how piss-poor the drivers are in this state, I think taking the driver's ed course and a road test should be MANDATORY every five years.
We've had to do that for nearly 10 years in NJ. It is a pain the first time, but at least a license issued under the new standards to fulfill most of those requirements the next time. Plus, the state has introduced online renewals since the mailing address serves as evidence of continued residency.
How the hell do you pass a law without thinking through all the possible consequences?
Sit down, my friend...
You pass laws to justify your existance, if you are a Repub like our esteemed guv Scott & his cronies.
Kinda like the Unions?
Men with power are like men with sex. The erection at the sight of their goal shuts down the flow of blood to their brain...
WTF????? Back under your rock. Your union bashing has nothing to do with this article.
Flori-duh
This is what happens when you have an idiot Republican-led, anti brown person legislature pass laws on the downlow, trying to jump on the anti-immigration bandwagon. You end up costing the state potentially billions in lost revenue from the snowbirds who won't be visiting because they arent going to get an international driver's license.
Fools.
This is the SUnshine State...How about some sunshine in the laws that get passed, yea?
"anti-brown legislation?" Do you live in Florida, have you experienced the lovely driving of individuals from out of the country that can't drive? Do not know the laws, think that the MPH is KPH and drive in that fashion in I-75? Looking to pin the racist label on anyone is what is wrong with this country...I guess I can call you an "anti-law abiding citizen".
danaelle is right. i live in florida. this legislation was aimed at hispanic illegals.
canadians know how to drive. i don't see how foreigners are any less competent than the locals.
Former SGT: Don't even go there. It is obvious you are from the West Coast, where posted speeds of 70 mph gives you license to drive 90 mph. BTW, 90kph is about 50mph...so I am not sure you were complaining about slow drivers or fast drivers.
Come East and visit us in the Republic of Miami, home of the largest population of inconsistant and incompetent drivers in the dear ole USA -- most of whom are "lost" tourists or "first time" drivers from either New York City or the Caribbean. And yes....lets not forget the Canadians.
ForemerSGT,
That was all well and good, but none of it applies to this law. KPH and MPH is not a matter of whether a person speaks English. Clearly the Canadians and English use KPH and here they are issuing apologies to people who not only use a different system of measurement, but in the case of the English, don't even drive on the same side of the road.
The issue was never the quality of the driving or their knowledge of US laws. Clearly an ignorant Canadian who knows nothing about US law is not the target of this. The question becomes, who then is the target?
Whether this law was racist from its inception, which it may or may not be, asking the question is not what is "wrong with this country." If I had to list the problems with the society, antagonistic laws targeting people out of spite for political gain has always been much more detrimental to the quality of life of "citizens" than a "racist" label.
The last sentence of your post was incoherent. Are you saying anyone against this law is against all citizens and rule of law? Does this apply to all laws or just laws that target foreigners of a specific kind?
Robert,
Unfortunately, Florida has forgone any serious investments in industry, technology, and education and the state is structured to be entirely focused on homes for the world's most boring retirees and a strip of beach tourists. Cities of millions of people where only the service industry exists and city infrastructure of actual residents under the age of 60 is non-existent. Just ugly plastic-drywall cities lifted from some dystopian nightmare.
Take South Florida. There has not been an innovation there since the original plans for the city 60 years ago. The design is a failed experiment in 1950's suburbia. A highway grid system that is useless to 95% of commuters because it inexplicably goes around the city rather than tracing actual commuting pasterns. A road grid system that necessitates a stop light every 50 meters for each and every ugly nameless, numbered cross street. Then, each and every building is set back from the road from from a useless 10 meters of lawn then a parking lot meaning the city-scape is just and endless row of parking lots. Which of course you need because every neighborhood employs a cul-de -sac and a high wall so that even the most intrepid climbing enthusiast long-distance speed walker wouldn't dare travel from the their home to any place of consequence on foot without proper conditioning and gear.
Then you turn around and complain that the foreigners you've sacrificed everything to please are not good drivers? Perhaps they are trying to find a transit station to use and are confused why it is that they need a car rental in a densely populated pre-planned city. Perhaps they are looking for the city center and curious why all your skyscrapers are hotels and condos sprinkled with bank, sub-region offices. Maybe they are trying desperately to find something of interest or simply frustrated going through three dozen stop lights to get get anywhere, only to find out there was nowhere to go.
Hey "Former"......I've been to Florida and I'm much more afraid of the drivers that LIVE IN your state. "Blue hairs driving in my lane".
I live and drive in FL. Who are the bad drivers, the soccer mom on her cell phone driving the big a** SUV and paying no attention to her driving. Those are the ones running red lights, turning in front of other drivers, drifting into different lanes and paying zero attention to what is going on around her. I can't tell you the number of times I have had to take defensive action to avoid one of these self absorbed idiots.
The law isn't about the quality of drivers. It is randomly antagonistic and clearly directed at certain nationalities.
All these craps are ez enough to deal with if the people sitting in their air conditioned offices give the guy on the front line leeways whether to enforce the law or not. But noooo... stupid law makers feel they are the Gods of the Universe and it's up the the underlings to follow their stupid laws to the letter. Stoooopids.
How dumb are these stupid "lawmakers" who propose silly legislation without any research at all as to its effects? What a bunch of spoiled morons who think they know it all. If you are one of Albritton's constituents--vote him out! There is way too much moronic legislation being passed by state legislatures in this country. Why don't the states have better governments? Florida is a particular offender, from the insane "stand your ground", it's okay to kill your neighbors, as long as you can make up a story about it, law to this international license nonsense. Grow up, people!
Flori-Duh!
Maybe I missed it, but what does this have to do with road rage?
Or is this a poor effort at using hyperbole to generate page views?
Wokie: Read it again... this time slowly, and do not associate the term road rage to the outbursts you have while you are driving.
Sigh, Florida is always making the news. Rarely is it ever for good reasons. Shameful. Apparently someone forgot to do a little research into who happens to visit Florida. A large percentage is those wonderful Canadians!
make it easy on the DMV... good one... thanks for the laugh
.. especially if it's going to cost the state $$$$$
Guess all the labels are now printed in mexican but oh no not the drivers license. why not hire more illegal mexicans that can read.
@warren Many of the products in Florida are printed in Spanish so the Mexicans can read them. Even some of the grocery stores has both laguages printed in their ads. I never heard that there was a language called Mexican thanks fors educating me.
No, the labels are for the Cubans which many immigrate to Florida. I personally have no problem with it.
This is just another headache for my friends and family visiting from U.K., who say, what with immigration getting more complicated and having to renew driver's license every visit, is it worth the hassle? All they do is bring money into the country, pay their property taxes and mind their own business, only to be treated like possible criminals.
The UK is becoming a Muslim country; so Florida is still worth the hassle. Don't badmouth Florida or the USA, when your home country is worse. Remember, there are reasons you or your friends & family vacation in Florida and buy real estate in Florida, instead of the UK.
The UK is a beacon of peaceful multiculturalism, an example of people dwelling together in peace.
Flori-DUH on the other hand is an example of what happens when the bat-guano-crazy Tea Bagger loons seize power. From electing a corrupt and manipulative foprmer insurance executive as governor, to shortening voting hours in an effort to deter minorities from voting, to passing insane "Castle Doctrine" laws that let people gun down other people and face no penalty, Flori-DUH competes with ARYAN-Zona for the title of bat-guano-crazy.
London is the new financial capitol of the world. Flori-DUH is the capitol of snake-oil salesmen, swampland, religious psychotics, gun-toting insane-iacs, rampant racism and xenophobia.
And no, Florida is not worth the hassle. And no, we don't have any intention of buying real estate in Flori-DUH. You can keep your rancid python- and gator-infested swampland.
Well, you personally may not, but trust me, your countrymen don't feel the same. The state is crawling with Brits. There are almost as many people from England here as from New York and Jersey.
LOL WHAT, Zheng He? I've never met a Chinese Teabagger before. This is a first!
Okay,now get out of the left lane.
sorry other English speaking nations, we only meant to be racist to those other guys.
America is eaten up with Political Correctness; anything one doesn't agree with, is racist. The country is going down the tubes because of poor choices at the voting booths, one of the worst education systems in the world, everyone is offended; America has been dumbed down to the point most are wandering around in a daze.
Yes, and what are they planning to do about the huge number of Canadian tourists from Quebec? HINT - Their driver's licenses will be in French!
This is why there is an 'International Drivers Permit' it comes with a valid copy of your original permit that is in ENGLISH...
Most AAA offices can supply this document...
Actually, we don't have to "supply" anything at all. We can simply choose to vacation and spend our money somewhere else.
When you learn that drivers licenses come in a variety of languages and that you need to accept them, maybe we'll consider vacationing in Florida. Until then, there are plenty of other places that are happy to accept us, our language and our money.
so where are you from exactly, seattle? because one would assume from seattle, right? but then in another comment, you hint you're from the UK? and from this comment, it sounds like you're from Canada... since this article is, in fact, about Canadian tourists to Florida. or do you just change each statement in order to make your point sound more valid? just curious.
These idiots have made a law that contravenes both article 6 of the US Constitution, giving the federal gov't the exclusive right to enter into treaties with foreign governments, and the Geneva Convention on road traffic of 1948 which grants signatories the right to have their home driver's licenses recognized in each other's countries. Only the federal gov't has the right to require an international driver's permit from Canadians ( which they do not ).
No surprise that Republicans wouldn't know about this obscure part of the Geneva conventions since they seem so blissfully ignorant of the other more widely known ones about torture and other inconvenient infractions such as invading other sovereign states.
What law school was it you graduated from?
Do you mean like Bill Clintons war on the Serbs when he sided with the Muslims? He gets a free pass because he's a Democrat? Does President Johnson get a free pass on his Vietnam war where 58,000 good Americans lost their lives? Was it Obama that OK'ed the firing of 83 cruise missles into Libya or am I mistaken and it was a Republican?
sahdot,
Or the current Obama/CIA policy of 'Double Tapping' with armed drones. So the rescue/EMT people responding to the first attack will also be ASSASSINATED...
According to Article 2 of the 1864 Geneva Convention provides, medical teams are not part of the armed conflict. It is absolutely forbidden to attack the medical facilities of the enemy...
The UN and Human Rights people are investigating the kill ratio which is now as high as - ONE terrorist to 50 INNOCENTS - KILLED. Charges Pending...
On 24 Jan 2013 - British lawyer Ben Emmerson, the UN Special Rapporteur on counterterrorism and human rights, told a London press conference that he would launch an inquiry into the civilian impact and human rights implications of targeted killings, with a report due next fall...
In a Jan. 29 interview with wired.com's Spencer Ackerman, Emmerson said he would focus on 25 specific situations in the Middle East and south Asia, most involving drone attacks. Noting that countries are obligated under international law to conduct "independent and impartial" investigations of drone attacks involving civilian deaths, he said the UN may have to investigate individual strikes if nations fail to do so...
Ben Emmerson, told an audience at Harvard law school Oct 2012, that a sub-section of the international organization will begin focusing next year on the Obama administration’s extrajudicial killings of suspected insurgents and the innocent civilians all too often executed in the process...
Emmerson said it’s believed that, “since President Obama took office, at least 50 civilians were killed in follow-up strikes when they had gone to help victims and more than 20 civilians have also been attacked in deliberate strikes on funerals and mourners.” His colleague Heyns, Emmerson said, considered these strikes “war crimes,” an opinion he would also endorse...
When Britain’s Bureau of Investigative Journalism conducted an analysis of US drone strikes during 2011, they determined that they have killed nearly 400 civilians in Pakistan alone. Last month a study out of Stanford and New York University said, “US targeted killings and drone strike practices undermine respect for the rule of law and international legal protections and may set dangerous precedents,” and the CIA has since been sued by the American Civil Liberties Union for failing to be forthright about the use of drones in aerial assaults...
References - peoplesworld.org/un-to-investigate-u-s-drone-strikes/ & rt.com/usa/news/us-drone-emmerson-un-256/
It looks like Obama will join George Bush, in the list of POTUS that can not travel in the EU and other Countries...
Serbia-NATO, Russia, Finland, and acknowledgement of legitimacy by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.
Libya- UN, NATO.
Vietnam- I like Ike (R). Starts US involvement in 1955.
Johnson sends in ground troops after Gulf of Tonkin incident.(US ships attacked in international waters).
Should not have been there-Repubs start 'em Dems stuck with 'em just like now.
Law school? Instead of listening to pox noose and loony toons radio, I read-try it.
AC-
If Obama's guilty of war crimes, he should go down as well as Bush.
How did you mouth breathers sneak this entire unrelated strawman into the conversation? Quit trolling Zheng He.
Yep.....Florida.
Another case of why lawmakers need to be held accountable. Just like Obamacare no lawmaker read the law. The idiot nancy Pelosi said "We have to pass the law to know what is in the law". That has to be the most moronic statement I have ever4 heard anyone make let alone a lawmaker. If there is a problem you can be sure that an idiot lawmaker is behind it.
No, Nancy Pelosi said "WE have to pass it so YOU find out what's in it". But Republican idiots believe everything that Fox "News" and Conservative blogs say.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hV-05TLiiLU
This means that the lawmakers (who have read the bill and have participated in reconciliation between the House and Senate) have to pass the full reconciled bill before the PUBLIC can find out the final version.
Oh Cat, don't you know you need not bother the haters with facts. It makes their little brains hurt.
hmmm... so republicans are the only haters out there? take a look at these comments. the most vicious, hateful ones are from people that disagree with republicans.
most people (whether deomcrat OR republican) can't get their noses out of their own agenda in order to really take an honest, unprejudiced look at situations. oh that we had ONE single, decent politician out there who cared about the good of our country and not their own party.
Numbers don't come in different languages. And you don't have to be able to pronounce a name, to copy it.
This sounds like it had racist overtones to it..
I'm currently in Thailand, my US Drivers Permit will EXPIRE prior to my traveling back to the USA...
In NC you can NOT renew your drivers permit, unless it is within 90+days of expiration...
The NC State POLICE will not recognizemy Thai Drivers Permit, even with a "international driver's permit." Due to the proliferation of ILLEGAL - MexicanDrivers Permits... Ha! Ha!
An "international driver's permit" is valid for only ONE YEAR, in congunction with a VALID Drivers Permit in the Countries that signed the international agreement (Thailand is included). After one year you are required to obtain a host country permit...
"International driver's permits" can be obtained from your local AAA office or on-line, for a nominal fee. They can not be extended for the same Country...
Many NC State Police probably don't recognize that the reflection in their mirror is an ignoramus.
Recognition isn't up to them; a legal document is a legal document. Unfortunately it is often a long, uncomfortable, and sometimes costly process to prove you're right.
Flori-DUH is an example of what happens when the bat-guano-crazy Tea Bagger loons seize power. From electing a corrupt and manipulative foprmer insurance executive as governor, to shortening voting hours in an effort to deter minorities from voting, to passing insane "Castle Doctrine" laws that let people gun down other people and face no penalty, Flori-DUH competes with ARYAN-Zona for the title of bat-guano-crazy.
Flori-DUH is the capitol of snake-oil salesmen, swampland, religious psychotics, gun-toting insane-iacs, rampant racism and xenophobia.
This is just one more reason why not only Canadians and Britons, but millions of people all over the world, should boycott Florida, and thereby demonstrate that we in the rest of the planet will not tolerate your xenophobia and rampant racism and neither will we reward your behavior and attitudes with our tourism money.
Appeals to Floridians' better natures are completely useless and wasted. This is a regime that stonewalls and ridicules its critics and does not respond to anything at all except measures that hit them in the pocketbook.
How does shortening the voting hours deter minorities from voting? If the majority can get to the polls on time, why can't the minorities? I think you're just trolling for controversy, because only those eaten up with political correctness or educated in the public school system, could be serious with those posts of yours. I doubt if the Brits or Canadians would approve of you being their spokesperson.
Zheng,
Shortening voting hours in order to create long lines and incontinence people in order to discourage voting is wrong no matter who it affects. Unfortunately minorities don't have the same average resources as the majority class so they are disproportionaly negatively affected by any state-imposed hardship. Now that you know, you too can advocate for more voting restrictions.
Can you please explain to me the reason one shortens voting hours if not to suppress voting?
They did not just shorten voting hours but closed those polls in minority areas, did away with sunday voting when many minority churchs encouraged voters to go and vote as they left church, and shortened the early voting period. Why? To make it difficult for minorities and the elderly to vote. Of course it was to hurt the Democratic vote, if you lived in FL where we have a crook for governor you would see first hand the degree to which the gov and leg. go to try and manipulate the vote returns. But unlike more advanced states the election officials are allowed to be campaign officials for candidates. Crazy.
You sound extremely ignorant, Zheng. Are you now the official Republican spokesperson? (Surprising, as Republicans hate minorities and from your name, I assume you're Chinese too.) Shortening voting hours affect minorities in that there'd be long lines (because you can only vote before the early cutoff hour) that may deter people from voting. Especially when they have limited resources (such as lacking reliable transportation, having to work multiple jobs, etc.) the entire process makes it even more difficult to get out there and vote. And as Siestasis stated, getting rid of Sunday voting was also a way of hindering minorities of voting. I guess you never got the bang for your buck in private school, huh? (That, or homeschooling did no good!)