So what about Canada?

I find it interesting that I recently was speaking about the proposed fence at the Mexican border, and how attention needs to be averted or maintained to the north. Lo and behold news comes out about 17 terrorists at the Canadian border. It seems that this revelation confirms my thoughts.

It’s not that I want America to become an isolationist nation. Nor do I wish us to be fearful of our borders and those that cross them. But if we are to posture about security and claim a need to patrol and defend the southern border, no less attention needs to be directed at our neighbors to the north. And I would wager that if 17 were caught, many more have already crossed without incident.

Mr. Carlos Mencia joked that the Mexicans are more diligent in preventing terrorists from crossing from the south due to our probable reaction to such an event. With yet another confirmed capture of a group of terrorists from Canada what is the reaction going to be?

If this were a situation where we caught terrorist in Mexico, do you doubt that the national guard would be called to patrol the border? That fences of all types would be erected from donations of Americans from across the nation before even 1 federal dollar was allocated to such a measure? But what is going to happen now with Canada?

I don’t notice a cry to call out the National Guard in Montana. I don’t see statements of a need for a fence with Canada. Considering the far larger dimensions of the border to the north, and the fact that far less people populate most of that area wouldn’t a fence or some more directed patrol be a wise choice? And if no call for any changes come, what are we saying?

Are we to infer that Latinos are more dangerous than the defined, and repeated, threat we have observed from the lighter skinned northern neighbors. Is spanish the language of all evil any less than french or brithish english spoken in Canada. Are permanent tans, which cost nothing to maintain, evidence of mistrust?

And what is our reaction to be? Are we to be so afraid as to close all our borders and hide from the worlds that we have encouraged and need trade from? No nation is free of terrorism. It can reach any country in many forms. Every nation needs to be vigilant of its appearance and effect. But to ignorantly assume that only one avenue is available to those misguided enough to devalue human life, is an invitation to even greater problems from another source.

The government may wish to stick its head in the sand, and assume that if we protect one border all are safe. The public at large may wish to assume that one culture is more dangerous than another. But the fact is, and is shown to be again, that such precepts are both false and dangerous.

Fences don’t work, not by themselves. Nor does ignoring obvious and accessible alternatives. Nor is hiding from the facts at hand. There is no culture or religion more dangerous than another. And in trying to assert that such a priority may exist we will create more potential problems and enemies than we could ever possibly stop.

This is what I think, what do you think?