So some guy at the SOTU address looked like someone on the Secret Service watch list was detained for “close to an hour” and then let go because it was a case of mistaken identity. I see nothing at all unreasonable about this action, and yet Time is howling about his rights being infringed upon.

But on the same evening that President Bush was lauding democracy and freedom, there was one other person in attendance whose rights were infringed upon. The man, who did not want his identity revealed after the disturbing incident, was a personal guest of Florida Democrat Alcee Hastings. He is a prominent businessman from Broward County, Florida who works with the Department of Defense-and has a security clearance. After sitting in the gallery for the entire speech, he was surrounded by about ten law enforcement officers as he exited the chamber and whisked away to a room in the Capitol.

For close to an hour the man, who was born in India but is an American citizen, was questioned by the Police, who thought he resembled someone on a Secret Service photo watch list, according to Capitol Police Chief Terrance Gainer. Eventually, the police realized it was a case of mistaken identity and let him go. Gainer has assured Hastings that the Capitol Police, Secret Service and FBI will investigate why the man was detained for so long, and try to “sharpen our procedures.” But the man was “very, very scared” by the incident, says Fred Turner, a spokesperson for Hastings. On Tuesday night, he told the congressman that the experience was “maybe just the price of being brown in America,” Turner says.

“Close to an hour.” It only took them, say, 45 minutes to figure out they had the wrong guy. Not bad if you ask me.

“The price of being brown in America.” No matter what color you are, if you look like someone on the Secret Service watch list of those that would harm the president, I don’t think it’s unreasonable that they stop you for a brief bit of time to find out if it is you or the bad guy.