I was talking to a friend today. This friend did not want to write certain things for fear of being put on a no-fly list in a certain country.
Being put on a no-fly list is a pretty big deal. Getting in and out of the country changes from a routine annoyance of half-a-day’s time to a potentially crippling train ride out of the country to the nearest airport.
Imagine planning a trip to Europe with friends when one apologetically declines. The UK thinks he’s a terrorist threat. Your trip may be worse for the loss. His trip is canceled. The way you think of him, or more importantly the way he thinks you thinking of him, might never be the same.
Anyways, I guess everyone knows about the extraordinary hassle being put on a no-fly list is. But when it happens to someone you know, it feels more real, all of a sudden.
The government did what it had to do. It was the one guy who told the government the person was a threat, despite it being evident that he/she is not, who is at fault. My heart goes out to your, and now my, friend. Whether you agree or disagree with his/her politics, that was very much undeserved.