Protecting the Homeland from International DJs

Apparently, this happened back in early March, but I hadn't realized that the enormously talented French DJ Laurent Garnier had canceled the U.S. tour in support of his new album due to difficulties he'd encountered with the U.S. Embassy in Paris. In a statement to his fans, he says,

In order to obtain this new visa, the rules have once again changed since November 2004 and I would now have to not only fill out an exceedingly probing application form, but also be interviewed by a member of the Embassy staff, and provide proof of ownership of my house, details of my bank account, my mobile phone records, personal information on all my family members and more. I consider these demands to be a complete violation of my privacy and my civil liberties and I refuse to comply.

I am horrified by these new regulations and feel really sad that this is what some call freedom and democracy.

He says the new regulations make it difficult for artists to come here and says he won't return until the procedures change. This isn't the first case of artists having difficult coming here that I've heard of either. You may also have heard about the difficulties Cuban artists have had in coming to the United States, even to accept Grammy Awards.