Letters to the Editor
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US Canada Border Situation is Shameful
My father was an American who joined the Canadian war effort before Pearl Harbour. When peace came, he stayed in Vancouver to raise a family. Partly because of my American roots, I condemn U.S. Government actions to harden our border.
Throughout my working life, I travelled regularly to the US for professional reasons. I also crossed the border often with my children because of their involvement in sports.
Shared hospitality was a positive influence for many and border crossings were seldom problematic. They usually involved a short conversation with an affable agent, an ID check and perhaps a cursory inspection, occasionally a more detailed one. Border agencies staffed crossing points according to the flow of traffic. Delays were rare.
Today, the border is different. Extended holdups are commonplace, sometimes intolerable. People are adversarial instead of neighbourly. Tempers rise and formerly polite exchanges are contentious.
Canada and the U.S. have long been active trading partners. In fact, our trade is the largest ever between two nations. We are interdependent in many ways but have stop behaving as friends.
Driving in southern France last year, I turned south instead of east. We eventually noticed that the road signs were in Spanish, not French. Sure enough, our misdirection had taken us to Spain across an unmarked border. In fact, people travel throughout the nations of Europe with almost no involvement of government officials. This takes place in a land with a long history of warfare between the peoples.
The current situation across the USA-Canada border is shameful.
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Tick, Tick, Tick - - - OIL + COAL + TIMBER + EMPTY REAL ESTATE + ALMOST NO PEOPLE TO SPEAK OF = A MOST GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY ! !
The inept Colonel Burr blew it Big Time at Quebec when he failed to snatch the 14th Colony on Christmas 1775 ---
38 years later, Dearborn, Winder & Co. forsook Old Glory when they failed to pluck the Cherry in a followup - - - haven left the Parliament buildings in Toronto in ashes --
The Mexico City squabblings betwixt the Generalisimos Scott & Taylor Down South of the Border resulted in a Missed Opportunity North of the Border when Our Great & Glorious Army placed the Conquest of Canada on the Back Burner.
And Yet - - - - the Clock is still-a-tickin - - - and the Clock, - - it don't never stop tickin - - - never.
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So long, USA
I have a major news flash folks. Canada IS a foreign country!!
And the vast majority of us totally prefer to keep it that way.
The wall at the border is very welcome in my view, and will only reinforce this concept to all concerned.
Now, we just have to get rid of NAFTA, and all will be well.
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Please
Find a quiet spot and meditate. See your therapist.
Yes you have been suffering from night terrors; remember the one parental figure you still trust who advised you to cultivate the "better angels" of your nature.
From here your contagion is heartbreaking and frightening. Get well America. Take your meds.
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Re: as confucious says
Never ever ever think that Canada will do what it is in its own self interest.
Most Canadians (and I speak as one of them) cannot see beyond their noses.
We allowing Americans to come in and poison large tracks of our country and our water supply in the name of extracting oil from the 'oil sands'.
We signed Nafta.
Apart from Medicare, we're really stupid and we enjoy getting kicked in the balls by Americans over and over again.
And it makes me sick.
Enjoy your cross border shopping.