When I did something kind of un-American last week by apologizing to Canadians for the Trump administration香蕉视频直播檚 hostile imperialism toward them, I knew I was going to get pilloried by some here at home.
On cue, the 香蕉视频直播渓ove it or leave it香蕉视频直播� types did not disappoint.
香蕉视频直播淵ou should move to Canada you traitor, or better idea, we should deport you,香蕉视频直播� wrote a reader from Colorado 香蕉视频直播� one of several hundred emails I got suggesting that when it comes to me, America might no longer be the land of the free.
More compelling for U.S. readers to grapple with were the many hundreds of responses that poured in from British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and other far-flung parts of our northern neighbour (as they spell it).
It turns out many Canadians aren香蕉视频直播檛 really into diplomacy or making nice right now.
Summed up an emailer from Yellowknife, a town way up in the Northwest Territories: 香蕉视频直播淵ou can take your sorry and stuff it where the Arctic sun don香蕉视频直播檛 shine.香蕉视频直播�
The column got reprinted in papers across Canada and shared on Canadian social media. The most, uh, colorful thread about it was on the country香蕉视频直播檚 largest subreddit, r/Canada, which has 3.4 million members (10% of the country香蕉视频直播檚 adult population).
One Canadian there hinted at the pile-on to come: 香蕉视频直播淛ust because we apologize a lot does not mean we forgive easily.香蕉视频直播�
Said another: 香蕉视频直播淭o quote an American, 香蕉视频直播榊ou can stuff your sorries in a sack!香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈
Said a third: 香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檙e kind of pros when it comes to sorries, so Yanks telling us sorry is like gifting a loaf of Wonder Bread to a Parisian.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淎pologizing to us is just as useless as 香蕉视频直播榯houghts and prayers,香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈 echoed a fourth.
香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 not our 香蕉视频直播� job to make you feel better. This 香蕉视频直播榚motional support Canadian香蕉视频直播� is done,香蕉视频直播� said a fifth.
香蕉视频直播淭hey香蕉视频直播檒l still be saying sorry when the American 1st Armored rolls into Ottawa,香蕉视频直播� said a sixth.
It went on like this for nearly 800 comments. I felt like a Mariners fan at a Toronto Blue Jays game. I have to admit they have a knack for the gentle insertion of the savage barb.
I especially appreciated the many copies of a meme sent to me showing a beaver dragging a tree branch across a road, with the caption 香蕉视频直播淐anada begins construction of a wall at US-Canada border.香蕉视频直播�
Other Canadians, though, said the oppressive level of threat coming from the U.S. government is no joke.
香蕉视频直播淲e are so pissed and anxious right now,香蕉视频直播� wrote Tom Levesque of Halifax, Nova Scotia. 香蕉视频直播淲e feel forgotten and laughed off. The 51st state stuff is NOT funny up here.香蕉视频直播�
Wrote Gord Gilmour, from Manitoba: 香蕉视频直播淐ongratulations on your speed run to try to position yourself as a 香蕉视频直播榞ood German香蕉视频直播� prior to whatever it is that your dear leader gets up to in the next four years 香蕉视频直播� But your apology is hollow and meaningless 香蕉视频直播� At this point in history, you are a nation of gangsters, thugs and confidence men.香蕉视频直播�
The 香蕉视频直播済ood German香蕉视频直播� slight does sting 香蕉视频直播� he香蕉视频直播檚 referring to those who claimed not to have supported Hitler or the Nazis, but who stayed silent about it and did nothing to resist.
I香蕉视频直播檝e been arguing for years that Donald Trump is an anti-democratic charlatan, to the point that he shouldn香蕉视频直播檛 have even been allowed on the ballot, let alone elected. I don香蕉视频直播檛 think I qualify as someone who has stayed silent.
But I香蕉视频直播檓 also a believer in democracy, and Trump did just win the election. One has to respect that 香蕉视频直播� even though he didn香蕉视频直播檛 in 2020 when he lost. This means that until there香蕉视频直播檚 another chance to vote, resistance is going to be more about lawsuits when Trump strays outside legal bounds (which is frequently), as well as objecting and speaking out.
There were more than a thousand protesting outside Seattle香蕉视频直播檚 Federal building Monday, so that香蕉视频直播檚 a stirring. Better yet would be Republicans remembering some of their professed conservative principles, instead of genuflecting like cowed supplicants.
Many Canadians reported they are feeling less angry than wistful watching all this.
香蕉视频直播淚 appreciate you capturing the feeling of loss that so many of us here feel for what is happening in the U.S.,香蕉视频直播� wrote P. Gerry Nixon, of British Columbia. He said he has been listening to Aaron Copland香蕉视频直播檚 orchestra work Appalachian Spring 香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播渂orn of the Depression and the hope of a new deal. That is the America I keep in my heart.香蕉视频直播�
Wrote Jude Kornelson, also of B.C.: 香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 nice to be reminded that the death of the friendship I thought existed between our counties is mourned by you as well, so thank you.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淵ou need a Martin Luther King type person to reinvigorate the people to stand up once again and fight,香蕉视频直播� advised Laurel Rousseau of Vancouver Island. 香蕉视频直播淵our present Democratic leaders in the House and Senate should be ashamed of themselves.香蕉视频直播�
Added Lexie Angelo of Alberta: 香蕉视频直播淩eading your article has been the first moment where I have felt as though one single person in America understands the collective sentiment.香蕉视频直播�
But: 香蕉视频直播淵our apology, while appreciated, can香蕉视频直播檛 be accepted in good faith. I hope you know this. Things are about to get worse for both of us. I can only wish that at some dark juncture, Americans with a sense of things-gone-terribly-wrong, admit so much.
香蕉视频直播淨uiet and cowardly is no way to live. It香蕉视频直播檚 an even worse way to let a nation die.香蕉视频直播�
Tough but fair. We need to hear what others think of us, so I香蕉视频直播檓 grateful for all these responses. Even the 香蕉视频直播渟un don香蕉视频直播檛 shine香蕉视频直播� ones. That香蕉视频直播檚 probably what I would say (or think) if I was them.
What was most unnerving though? Hearing how much more invested Canadians are in the idea and promise of our democracy than we often seem to be ourselves.
