ICE

About "Welcome To The I.C.E. (The I.N.S. Song)"

In the autumn of 2002 I was crossing between Canada and the USA at Port Huron, Ontario. En route to simply visit a friend in Chicago, I was detained at the boarder and hauled into the bleak abyss known in those days as the I.N.S. office (Immigration and Naturalization Service) but more recently (and perhaps appropriately?) renamed the I.C.E. (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement). The fellow there would not accept the validity of my Canadian passport saying "...folks can forge those things." and told me, in no uncertain terms, that for all intents and purposes I had "no reliable proof" that I actually resided or was born in Canada. When I became slightly agitated at his tone and questions surrounding why my name was "Dawud Wharnsby" if I was really true blood Canadian, he attempted to assert himself further by telling me that, if he felt like it, he could cuff me, search me and detain me as long as he wanted with "..no explanation", for the second I stepped in his office I "...had no rights." No regard for human rights? They proceeded to photocopy my entire address book and quiz me about certain names within it. Well - six months later - I had cleared my name, was granted re-entry to the USA and even married a US citizen... to live happily ever after in the sunny foothills of the Rockies in picturesque Boulder, Colorado until 2005... I even went on to obtain a formal US citizenship! But the ordeal of 2002 still upsets me to this day. Each time I pass through airport security while on tour, and witness elderly people forced to comply with nonsensical "security searches" or hear stories from my Arab and Pakistani friends about blatant religious and ethnic profiling at airports and I.C.E. offices, I shudder at what is becoming of "democracy" in America. A friend urged me to write a comical song about my experiences and about what I often see at airports across the country. "In the name of freedom they're destroying freedom!" he said to me, and thus "Welcome to The I.C.E." was born. Some might view the tune as "Anti- American" but I assure you, it is in the name of preserving America, freedom and the true essence of democracy that opinions like this MUST be expressed. It is a sad day for freedom of speech when songwriters can release songs glorifying the bombing of Afghanistan and suggest putting a "...boot in yer ass..." as being "....The American way" of dealing with Afghani and Iraqi civilians, while the strains and songs of singers like Pete Seeger asking "Where Have All The Flowers Gone?" are so quiet amid the noises of modern day music. Feel free to send the song out to your friends or post it on your own websites with my blessing!

Welcome To The I.C.E. (The I.N.S. Song)
(Words & music: D. Wharnsby)

This is America, land of the free,
where everyone is given equal opportunity.
A living dream, a land of plenty, milk and honey, neon lights,
but once you step inside these doors, my friend, you don’t hold any rights.
So go and sit down there and obediently wait your turn,
get familiar with your chair and watch your time and patience burn,

and welcome to the I.C.E.
How long you’ll be here, well it’s all up to me,
’cause we’re working in conjunction with Homeland Security,
so while you’re in this country we’ll decide if you are free.

Your name shows up here in our highlighted file,
says your ex-wife’s cousin’s husband lived in Baghdad for a while.
Says your uncle’s neighbour’s father’s brother-in-law’s nephew’s twin,
delivered groceries to man who looked a lot like Bin Laden.
Though that’s as close as we can get, we’re almost sure that you’re a threat.
Everybody must be checked,
each beard and headscarf is suspect.

Welcome to the I.C.E.
How long you’ll be here, well, we’ll have to wait and see,
’cause we’re working in conjunction with Homeland Security,
so while you’re in this country we’ll decide if you are free.

Though we can’t pronounce your name, let alone correctly spell it,
if there’s a terrorist, fundo, suspect rat our nose is trained to smell it.
So don’t ask why or try to lie.
When we say ‘jump’ just ask ‘how high’.
Don’t underestimate our pomp, prestige or our power,
We’re the highest-paid government pawns at $25 bucks an hour.

Yes, this here is a modern-day crusade.
You’re either with us...or you’re with the Moslems...er...I mean the ‘terrorists’.
We’re gonna route you out, we’re gonna smoke you out,
we’re gonna shine a light on ya!

So you’re old, withered, white haired, blind and you need a wheel chair,
so you’re almost eight months pregnant – well we don’t really care.
Just get up! Faster! Face your luggage! Hands outstretched arms high!
We’ll pat you down and feel you up and it’s treason to ask why.
Just democratically comply.

And welcome to the I.C.E.
How long you’ll be here, well it’s all up to me,
’cause we’re working in conjunction with Homeland Security,
so while you’re in this country we’ll decide if you are free.

In this land of the free,
your fate belongs to me.
In the name of freedom,
we’ll destroy what it means to be free.