Spooky <S> thanks for the post.
The Canadians and the US share a special relationship. Our borders until tuesday were lightly guarded. I've traveled to Canada a great deal. I've even attended McMasters University in Hamilton, Ontario.
Those of us in the US who visit and travel Canada a lot, think it a beautiful country, with great people, and the northern part of the United States. And, my Canadian friends regard the US as being southern Canada LOL.
This is something hard for those who live in Europe or elsewhere, where there are many bordering countries, to understand. It is hard for those that do not live in the US to understand the freedom we have, not only in religion etc. but in travel as well. We are a unique country to be sure. We can go on our north border to an Arctic climate, to a tropical one in Florida and stay on the same continant. We really don't need to travel the world to see mountains, deserts, oceans, we are bordered by two of them, and we are blessed enough to also have the largest body of fresh water lakes in the world, the great lakes.
We have some of the most beuatiful Parks such as Yosemite, the Grand Canyon and so forth.
We have truly been blessed. But also never forget that we did earn it. We have fought for freedom initially to get it. We have fought wars to preserve it. We have also fought wars so that others could have the same freedoms, and fought with them to preserve the freedoms that they earned.
My father, like many served during World War II from Africa to Italy. He saw many friends and allies die fighting for the same freedoms.
Several years ago, during the early 80's, just when Poland was starting to break the hold of Communism a friend of mine who is Polish had his parents visit him in northeast Ohio. They obtained the permits etc, which was a laborious task at best. They were I believe permitted to stay 4 weeks, I don't quite remember. What sticks in my mind the most is the first time we took his parents to a grocery store, a Giant Eagle here in Youngstown Ohio. To this day I will never forget the look in his mothers' eyes when she saw all of the food, the oranges, lettuce, bread, pastries, meat and so forth. The first question she asked was this. "How much are you allowed to have?"
We answered as much as you can afford, in otherwords as much as you are willing to pay for. The tears welled in her eyes and she said "so it's true what you've told your father and I about America!" The only phone they had access to was the one phone on the floor of the apartment building they lived , and they could only use it certain times during the day.
Americans take these things for granted. We wish only that all people around the world have the same opportunities we have. And that's the truth! We may seem fat and lazy, hard to anger, and apathetic to what goes on in the world around the US. That is not the case! To earn what we have many fought and died for. Too many! And so that others could also have and keep their freedom Americans have fought around the world, and died for them also. For we know that freedom is worth dying for, as have other countries that are democratic. And to let one democracy fail, would mean that others would soon follow. Thus the falling of Communism in Russia, a country of great people, and I predict the fall subsequently of Communism in China, and when Mr. Castro no longer holds the reins in Cuba, the people there will also call democracy their form of Government. All three of the above countries have great people, as all countries of the world do! It's a shame the differences in religious ideology ( forgive the spelling) can make people mortal enemies. This defies logic! We after all are of one world, and it's no longer that large. Let's hope in the future, logic and wisdom prevail. Man has never learned that killing only temporarily solves the problem.
In the case of the attack on the US, alas because of the hatred some have, killing will have to be done, not just by the US, but by the majority of countries that inhabit our earth I'm afraid. Let's hope this is the last. I'd rather only be concerned about raising my children, and giving them a safe world to live in, rather then giving them a world they have to fear.
Hajo
