A little late, I know, but I'm too caught up in other things these days.
Anyway, the American government is going to start fingerprinting visitors from the EU and other countries starting in October. Good. I know, I know. Lots of people in Ireland and throughout the EU are going to moan about their rights (you are a visitor - you opt to visit so you have to live with the visitor's rules, no matter how 'odd' you find them). My problem with this plan is that it doesn't go far enough.
Visitors from Canada and Mexico are excluded and, of course, so are all US citizens - including those like me who live outside the US full-time. The Canada and Mexico issue is, I would guess, just a practical concern since the numbers of visitors are so great and the border so long (especially with regards to Canada).
But, why exclude US citizens who live abroad? We live in foreign countries, many of which are not all that friendly to the US. And, many of the US citizens abroad have never actually lived in the US or have only spent a few short years there as children. If I were al Qaeda, those would be my holy grail. Holders of US passports who have been raised in a culture of disaffection with the US. I'm sure they're out there.
So, come on, and fingerprint me and my fellow US citizens abroad. It's a very small inconvenience (and would probably make some visitors from friendly nations feel a little better) for greater security.
