America doesn't care anymore, detains beloved children's book author
Imagine how America would react if Australia was mean to the late Maurice Sendak or even Eric Carle, author of The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
That's how the latter feels now, after hearing that beloved children's book author Mem Fox was apparently left in tears after being detained for hours at Los Angeles Airport and accused of having the wrong visa in early February.
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Author of such subversive texts as Possum Magic and Ten Little Fingers, Fox told the Advertiser the experience was traumatic and humiliating.
"The way I was treated would have made any decent American shocked to the core, because that's not America as a whole, it really isn't," she said. "It's just that people have been given permission to let rip in a fashion that is alarming."
Latest book by Australian Mem Fox - detained and questioned at LAX - is about welcoming #refugees and #immigrants pic.twitter.com/c1trfRCqI1
— Parrot Of The Day (@ParrotOfTheDay) February 25, 2017
Fox, who claims she had a valid visa, has reportedly received a written apology from the United States embassy in Canberra. The Embassy and U.S. Customs and Border Protection have been contacted for comment.
She told the outlet she was aggressively questioned, and suggested President Donald Trump has created an atmosphere in the U.S. that makes such behaviour acceptable. Fox now doubts she'll ever return.
"I am old and white, innocent and educated, and I speak English fluently," she added. "Imagine what happened to the others in the room, including an old Iranian woman in her 80s, in a wheelchair."
Really America? The woman literally wrote a book about magic possums called little Hush and Grandma Poss — there's nothing nicer than that. Naturally, Australian Twitter reacted with outrage, and plenty of jokes about the location of known trouble maker, "the green sheep."
Children's author Mem Fox detained by US customs. Treated horribly. Didn't give up the location of green sheep.#memfox @realDonaldTrump pic.twitter.com/onQHb7zFXT
— Paul Martin (@StoccTweet) February 25, 2017
How sad to hear about #memfox . She is my boys favorite author. I guess possum magic is too extremist? Or 10 fingers and toes too diverse?
— Genevieve Padalecki (@realGpad) February 25, 2017
Of course #PossumMagic is a metaphor for Islamic extremism. Grandma is really training Hush to be "invisible" to the watchful CIA.#MemFox
— Nick Milligan (@NickMilligan_) February 24, 2017
Oh yeah, Mem Fox is a REALLY big threat to America. "Where is the Green Sheep?" is sooooooo dangerous! https://t.co/sIQQ4HmctJ
— Kimberly Trusty (@kimberly_trusty) February 24, 2017
With friends like these
70yo Mem Fox #Aus kids author detained & interrogated by our close friend#auspol#uspolihttps://t.co/iamypWObtK pic.twitter.com/2C7wUbdJtf— Prof Ray Wills (@ProfRayWills) February 24, 2017