Canada, you deserve a medal

Dear Editor:

If there was any doubt that the current actions and rhetoric of the Trump administration regarding Canada are not only off-base but downright disrespectful, one just need to sit through a two-hour performance at the Ogunquit Playhouse to appreciate just one example of how much that neighborly relationship should mean to Americans.

The performance, Come From Away, which wrapped last month, tells the powerful story of how, over five days, the small town of Gander, Newfoundland managed to safely land, house, and feed 7,000 people from 39 different flights beginning on the terrible morning of September 11, 2001. My wife and I had the opportunity to see the show and were both amazed at the quality of the performance and moved by the story.

The elephant in the room, however, is that the performance comes amid a series of disparaging messages from the White House about Canada. After seeing the portrayal of this herculean Canadian effort, how do we reconcile the current rhetoric from Washington?

Canada is our neighbor, our friend, and a valued business partner. We share a long history along our 5,500-mile border, with common interests and values, as well as multi-layered economic ties and security agreements. Recent White House attempts to paint Canada as taking advantage of the U.S. is ludicrous, so much so that CNN recently published a list of nine false claims against Canada.

To be clear, there is no justification for slandering our closest and most important neighbor and ally. The original North American Free Trade Agreement was forcibly renegotiated during President Donald Trump’s first term to great acclaim (by him). But in his second term, his new trade agreement with Mexico and Canada was apparently not good enough. Now the White House is adding punitive tariffs and threatening to annex the entire 3.8 million square mile country into our 51st state.

In our current political environment, would Americans respond to a 9/11-like crisis in Canada with unbridled enthusiasm and sacrifice as our northern neighbors did? Would we welcome thousands of people in need with open arms, or would we want to know their political or religious affiliation, or to scan their social media, before giving comfort? Based on the response of the show’s audience, made up mostly of New Englanders based on their license plates, I believe that they would stand up and provide the necessary assistance and not subject them to a loyalty test.

Over those five days in 2001, Canada more than passed any test of a good neighbor and ally — they deserve a medal, not tariffs and threats.

John Crosby is a retired meteorologist living in New Hampshire. He currently writes articles about how weather and climate affect our daily lives. This commentary first appeared in the Maine Morning Star and is published here with its permission.