Friday, October 24th 2014

One note before the weekend: I Love Canada. Nothing in my remarks should be construed as insulting Canada or Canadians. I was a fan of Bob and Doug McKenzie, which is where I got the phrase Great White North. As I remember it referred to snow not race. Anyway, I love Canada. I have seen brave Canadians in Afghanistan. My sister has a house in Canada. My wife spent her childhood there in summer camp and we have many Canadians friends all across the continent. What I wrote was in regard to the relative threat to the U.S. from Muslim extremist infiltration as compared to the Mexican border, which is the obsession of so many here in the States. That obssession flourishes despite the fact that there has never ever been a confirmed terrorist penetration of the Mexican border. The same cannot be said of the Canadian border. The relentless campaign of lies and paranoia has had a negative impact on the lives of many U.S. Latinos, especially immigrants. I was trying to set the record straight on that specific issue: border security.
I remember that you are a sensitive nation, appropriately in these difficult times. But as I said frequently on my radio show, I have nothing but admiration for your nation and her heroes. After reading the cascade of angry response from Canadians to my border security post, often vile and ignorant, my first instinct was to respond with my usual defiance to such challenges. But I love Canada too much. So to anyone upset by my commentary I apologize. I think Canadians rock, especially Kevin Vickers (and Sidney Crosby). I am filled with condolences for the loss of Patrice Vincent and Nathan Cirillo, admiration at how the PM Harper, Parliament and especially the first responders handled the tragic emergencies of the week and I'm sincerely sorry to anyone who I hurt or angered inadvertantly.