Cross Border Finger Pointing
Published January 20, 2008
Two seemingly unrelated stories caught my eye in my morning scan through the news at the Globe And Mail newspaper's web site. One was the head of Homeland Security, Michael Chertoff's decision to ignore the wishes of Congress and toughen identification requirements for Canadians entering the United States. The other was the shooting death of an innocent bystander, Hou Chang Mao, on the streets of Toronto.
While at first glance the stories would appear to have nothing in common, there is a certain amount of irony in the fact they appeared on the same day. In the first instance, Mr. Chertoff deemed the threat of terrorist activity with origins in Canada real enough that all Canadians entering the United States, and American's returning to Canada, will not only have to carry identification providing proof of citizenship, but an official document, like a driver's licence, bearing their photograph as well.
While Mr. Chertoff doesn't believe these steps will do anything to prevent terrorists from crossing over into Canada he claims that the steps need to be taken now to protect Canada from any backlash if there were a terror attack against the United States. According to him because steps to beef up security are being taken now, if an event happens that can be traced back to Canada, there won't be an overreaction, a demand to shut the border completely.
While I'm sure all Canadians are grateful for his concern for our reputation - I know I am - I fail to see the logic in his statement. If a terrorists were still able to get through in spite of his so-called beefed up security, wouldn't that increase calls for even tighter security, if not a closing of the border? He freely admits that he believes al-Qaeda is actively recruiting people with Western European and Canadian identities in order to circumvent the very obstacles he is suggesting as stepped up security measures, so his logic escapes me.
Funnily enough, border security is on the minds of Toronto, Ontario area politicians as well. For the second time in a week, an innocent bystander was killed in a gun battle on the city's streets. Not only has this led to calls for the federal government to ban private ownership of handguns, or at least increase prison sentences for crimes committed with them, but for increased border security to stop the flow of illegal weaponry from the States into Canada.
Richard Marcus is a long-haired Canadian iconoclast who writes reviews and opines on the world as he sees it at Leap In The Dark and Epic India Magazine.
- Cross Border Finger Pointing
- Published: January 20, 2008
- Type: Opinion
- Section: Politics
- Filed Under: Culture: Society, Politics: Government, Politics: International, Politics: Policy, Politics: U.S.
- Writer: Richard Marcus
- Richard Marcus's BC Writer page
- Richard Marcus's personal site
- Spread the Word
- Like this article?
- Email this
Save to del.icio.us
Comments on this articleComments
Richard,
A well-written, thoughtful piece.
It is indeed a shame that these two nations, with such close historical ties and which share what has hitherto been the longest unguarded border in the world, can't find a harmonious and amicable path to resolution of these issues.
Richard: I concur with Clavos.
I think the way asking for proof of citizenship might hurt trade is that a lot of business people/truckers/couriers likely don't have passports. And who carries their birth certificate around with them? However, such effects would probably only be temporary, as people bit the bullet and adapted to the new rules.
Arch: It was declaring war on Mexico that started this whole immigration headache in the first place!
Thank you, Richard. How delightful to read a piece that doesn't blame the U. S. for every ill of the world. While 9/11 was a horrible event, I've come to the conclusion we lost much more than 3,000 lives. We lost a lifestyle for the whole world. We provided a victory to those who attacked us far greater than the lives lost that terrible day.
I'm now convinced we should not have adopted even one measure that inconvenienced air travel or commerce. We should not now adopt any procedure to restrict free passage betweeen Canada and the U. S.
At this time, radical Islamists are the enemy. At this time they are identifiable. Concentrate our vocus on them. If we lose a few citizens, including me and my family, it would be worth the return of the freedoms we once enjoyed but have now lost. We have a long history in this country of giving up lives of our citizens for the freedoms we enjoy. Let's not stop now.
Howard
If the lax Canadian security offers pathways that enable terrorist acts in the United States, would that real security problem for the United State be somehow rendered unimportant by the fact that Canadians helped Americans stranded in airports on 9-11? The fundamental problem is that hatred of the United States doesn't extend to Canada and therefore Canada's security interests don't coincide with those of the United States. That makes for unpleasant choices where either Canada has to assume the burden of implementing measures primarily to protect the United States or the United States has to accept that terrorist acts via Canada are an acceptable cost of allowing that country's security policies to be determined only in reference to its own security interests. I expect it to be the latter until the costs to the U.S. are actually realized. It is difficult to get the inherently intangible costs of a possible terrorist attack to trump the quite tangible costs of avoiding one.
Add your comment, speak your mind
(Or ping: http://blogcritics.org/mt/tb/73074)
Forget Iran.....the next nation we need to declare war on is Mexico.
Mexico has done more damage to this nation than Iraq, Iran, North Korea...the whole damn axis of evil combined!