Comments on: British Author Sebastian Horsley Denied Entry into US http://authwhore.com/2008/03/20/british-author-sebastian-horsley-denied-entry-into-us/ Reading is Sexy. Do it Like a Slut. Tue, 24 Jan 2012 04:03:23 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Michael Doncaster http://authwhore.com/2008/03/20/british-author-sebastian-horsley-denied-entry-into-us/comment-page-1/#comment-172 Michael Doncaster Sun, 06 Apr 2008 11:58:27 +0000 http://authwhore.com/2008/03/20/british-author-sebastian-horsley-denied-entry-into-us/#comment-172 About Sebastian Horsley, it was my impression that he was stopped at the border and denied entry due to his self-confessed former drug addiction, conviction of possessing amphetamine sulphate a number of years ago and frequent use of prostitutes. Any of these would disallow a traveller to use the Visa Waiver Program available to 23 countries' very western citizens. Mr. Horsley is still allowed to apply for a visa to the U.S.A. together with anyone else from the remaining 170 or so countries of the world. He hasn't been barred from travelling to America, only required to follow the same procedures as citizens of Mexico, Iran, Vietnam, Japan, etc, whether they are writers, journalists, welders, or students. With a chequered past, how could anyone expect to be able to travel on a privileged programme? This is not about Mr Horsley's memoir or his fashion sense. It's about the Department of Homeland Security having a specific set of rules for a travellers' programme, and following them regardless of who the person is. See the example of Amy Winehouse, similarly denied entry due to her drug problems. Of course, who knows if this wasn't a setup by his publishers? There was certainly some highly valuable press coverage of this incident all over the world. About Sebastian Horsley, it was my impression that he was stopped at the border and denied entry due to his self-confessed former drug addiction, conviction of possessing amphetamine sulphate a number of years ago and frequent use of prostitutes.

Any of these would disallow a traveller to use the Visa Waiver Program available to 23 countries’ very western citizens.

Mr. Horsley is still allowed to apply for a visa to the U.S.A. together with anyone else from the remaining 170 or so countries of the world. He hasn’t been barred from travelling to America, only required to follow the same procedures as citizens of Mexico, Iran, Vietnam, Japan, etc, whether they are writers, journalists, welders, or students.

With a chequered past, how could anyone expect to be able to travel on a privileged programme?

This is not about Mr Horsley’s memoir or his fashion sense. It’s about the Department of Homeland Security having a specific set of rules for a travellers’ programme, and following them regardless of who the person is. See the example of Amy Winehouse, similarly denied entry due to her drug problems.

Of course, who knows if this wasn’t a setup by his publishers? There was certainly some highly valuable press coverage of this incident all over the world.

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