With Friends Like This...

America and Canada share the world's longest undefended border,
and have been allies, in good times and bad, for over two-hundred
years.  It wasn't always that way, few people remember their history
lesson recounting the 1813 invasion by 13,000 American troops that
invaded York the capitol of the Canada territory, now Toronto.  They
sacked and burned the city.  In retaliation, Canadian troops invaded
the United States, and sacked Washington D.C. and burned the
White House.  But let us leave bygones be bygones.

Today, at the western end of the U.S./ Canadian border, straddling
that exact border, between the cities of Blain WA. and Surrey BC,
and over looking the Pacific Ocean, there is a monument called the
Peace Arch.  It was dedicated in September of 1921.  On the American
side of the Arch, is the inscription: "Children of a common mother".
And on the Canadian side, is the inscription: "Brethren living together
in unity".  There are huge metal gates in the center of the Arch, on the
gates are the inscriptions: "May these gates never be closed" and 1814
Open one-hundred years 1914".

At the other side of the continent, some 3100 miles away is another border
marker between St. Stephen NB and Calais ME.  On that marker it reads:
"This unfortified boundary line should quicken the remembrance of the
more than a century old friendship between countries.  A lesson of peace
to all nations."

There are some of you, like me, who remember when travel between our
two countries was uninhibited.  Oh, you stopped at the crossing and the
smiling gentleman asked a few simple questions and then sent you on your
way.  But the hysteria of 9/11 changed all that.  The United States became
suspicious of everyone and the Commission that was formed after 9/11 said
we had to protect our borders.  So, as of 2004, anyone entering the United
States from Canada or Mexico must have a valid passport.  In retaliation,
Mexico and Canada demanded the same from the U.S.

Did we forget that it was Canada that accepted over 200 planes with over
6500 passengers that were diverted from landing in America after 9/11?  It
Canadians who opened their homes and their hearts, Canadians who
showed those stranded travelers the true meaning of compassion.  They
housed them, fed them and sent them home with hugs.

Good fences make good neighbors - as reiterated by Robert Frost in the
Mending Wall - became Americas watch word, and soon to be a reality
on our southern border, but I digress.  It is one thing to be leery of
strangers but quite another to be fearful of your neighbor.  And there is
one man in particular whose is fostering such suspicions, Peter Navarro.
Mr. Navarro, who is President Trumps trade advisor is well known, but
not well liked in Canada.  After a meeting there, several diplomats were said
to have wished Mr. Navarro would be '...sent off to Peru".  Though what they
had against Peru is not known.  But rather than having their wishes granted,
Navarro, an ultra-protectionist, has gained stature and influence with the
President.  Because of his reputation on Trumps team of advisors, he
remains Canadas public enemy number one.

Mr. Navarro - the driving force behind Trumps 'America First' policies - has,
along with his major trade responsibilities, been appointed policy coordinator
for the Defense Production Act.  His recent hostile act was using his defense
authority to try and prevent 3M  Corporation from exporting protective masks
to Canada for it's fight against the coronavirus.  The issue was resolved
following bitter complaints from Canada.

But that is not the last of it.  Navarro recently drafted an executive order that
allows him to use national security to limit imports of foreign medicines, raw
material, and vaccines.  This is reminiscent of what happened a few years ago
when he used the same security rational to justify imposing tariffs on Canadian
steel and aluminum.  It was Navarro who backed Trump on his withdrawal from
NAFTA.  Navarro, like Trump, could care less about any historical special
relationship with Canada.

It is the same Navarro who is now advocating the used of the anti-malaria drug,
hydroxychloroquine, and has been denounced by Dr. Fauci, Director of the National
Institute of Infectious Diseases.  It was Navarro who was behind the stationing of
troops near the Canadian border, which has now been discarded.   It was Navarro
who went on Fox News after the 2018 G7 Summit in Quebec to say of Justin
Trudeau; "...there is a special place in hell for any foreign leader that engages in
bad-faith diplomacy with President Donald J. Trump."

Despite all this rancor, Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, has maintained his
composure, though he has been asked by many how he will hit back at Trump.
Trudeau has repeatedly rejected the idea of retaliation.  He understands that
disrupting global supply chains will harm everyone.  The masks that the United
States withheld from Canada are made with a special wood pulp mix that comes
from a mill in Nanaimo BC, not 120 miles from the Peace Arch.

What Navarro and Trump do not realize is that there are nearly 1600 nurses who
live in Windsor Ont. and they cross the border everyday to work in hospitals in
Detroit, MI.  Detroit is an epicenter of a massive outbreak of Covid-19.  Detroit
has recorded almost as many deaths from the virus as all of Canada.  For example,
at Henry Ford Hospital, 40 percent of the nurses are Canadians.  Without them
the hospital could not function.  These brave health-care workers are risking their
lives and the safety of their families, to help a neighbor in need.  Why?  Because
that is what good neighbors do.

                                                   I'm just sayin'