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The Crisis on the Border
By: Rosemarie Jackowski  I'm referring to that other border, the one to the north. Derby Line, Vermont and Stanstead, Quebec comprise one tight-knit community.
This border has a long history of neighborliness, peace, and calm. The community is an example of the way that international relations should be. It is also an example of the way that family relations should be - aunts and uncles on one side, cousins and grandparents on the other freely walking back and forth. Need to borrow a cup of sugar, just go down the street to Aunt Jenny's house. No one cared that Aunt Jenny's is across an international border, which up until now has been just an invisible line in the snow. Recently this free and open border has been under attack - not from terrorists but from the Border Patrol. One of the latest proposals has been to install large flowerpots in the roadway to block vehicular traffic. This would create an inconvenience for the residents but that is not the main issue. The negative impact of the symbolism of dividing a quaint and peaceful village cannot be measured. This is the wrong time in history to be creating more division and separation. It might be helpful to display a friendly and respectful attitude toward our northern neighbors. The important point is that this is one unified community. The Library and Opera House are on the border. More than a century ago the Haskell Free Library and Opera House was purposely built with the international border going right through the structure. Some of the books are on shelves in the United States and some are on shelves in Canada. The flower pot proposal falls into the same category as the duct tape plan. Remember that one, in case of attack use duct tape and plastic to seal your windows. To old timers this makes about as much sense as the "duck and cover" days, when hiding under a desk was supposed to prevent injuries from an atomic bomb attack. These red herring type proposals have kept the focus off the big issue - how to prevent terrorist attacks. William Blum, author-historian and former member of the U.S. State Department has a proposal much more likely to succeed than the flower pot tactic. Blum states: "If I were the president, I could stop terrorist attacks against the United States in a few days. Permanently. I would first apologize to all the widows and orphans, the tortured and impoverished, and all the many millions of other victims of American imperialism. Then I would announce, in all sincerity, to every corner of the world, that America's global interventions have come to an end, and inform Israel that it is no longer the 51st state of the USA but now -- oddly enough -- a foreign country. I would then reduce the military budget by at least 90% and use the savings to pay reparations to the victims. There would be more than enough money. One year's military budget of 330 billion dollars is equal to more than $18,000 an hour for every hour since Jesus Christ was born. That's what I'd do on my first three days in the White House. On the fourth day, I'd be assassinated." - Why Terrorists Hate America or Myth and Denial in the War on Terrorism
 Rosemarie Jackowski is an advocacy journalist living in the USA. She was arrested, tried, and convicted for her participation in a peaceful protest of the war. The conviction was appealed and overturned in the State Supreme Court. The government then announced plans to retry the case. Finally, after years of legal proceedings, all charges were dropped. She can be reached at: dissent[at]sover.net Articles by Rosemarie Jackowski at MWC News http://mwcnews.net/rosemarie-jackowski |
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