(Photo by Tanya Harrison)
This was written way before talk of the Trump Mexican Wall
Hot off the CBC news yesterday was an item that the United States is ‘mulling over’ building fences along the border with Canada to help keep out terrorists and other criminals. “The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency has proposed the use of “fencing and other barriers” on the 49th parallel to manage “trouble spots where passage of cross-border violators is difficult to control.”
Does a fence really keep anyone out? I remember watching Ange work on one for almost a day years ago to keep our dog from running away. Hours later as the dog had also watched “the builder” intently, I clapped my hands for Zarry Boy to come. The dog took a long slow look at the new 12 ft. fence and within three seconds he cleared it and was free.
While I applaud anything that will keep our countries safe I wonder if this is the right way to go. There are no proposed drawings and they do not provide details about what the fence might look like. Will it blend in with the neighbourhood and “complement the natural landscape” and might Yogi Bear or other wildlife have problems migrating? Of course like most neighbours when someone is upgrading their yard there are many views on this subject and I though that I might share some:
“Will Americans build the fence? Or will they outsource the panels to China and use cheaper Mexican immigrant labor to install it?”
“Can we put ramps on both sides so that cars can jump the fence?”
“Maybe they can fence my backyard first?”
“It’s sad, when the fence goes up, no more cardiologists will be sneaking across in the middle of the night with H1 visas.”
“It won’t work in the wintertime because once the snow builds up around those things, sports minded terrorists can just snowmobile right over the top.”
”Some of the country the border passes through has not seen any human contact since the last time the U.S. Customs guy (landscaper) came through.”
(photo: CBC News)
“Just one thing, can we have the Canadian feds and their followers who agree to this on the OTHER side when it’s completed!”
“Shouldn’t the US be focusing more resources near the violent border on the south end instead? I mean a few Canadian moose on the loose crossing the border never hurt anyone.”
“If they build a fence we can keep out all the illegals out as well…..like Randy Quaid!”
“Does the wildlife get a say in this? Will they have tunnels for toads and hedgehogs?” Won’t this fence kill more birds than wind mills and God forbid it should be electrified. It will just end up becoming a giant wildlife zapper.”
“Whats next a shark ditch?”
“While they are at it they might as well build a fence around Hawaii too!”
“I can’t even keep cats out of my backyard with a mega-fence!”
“Will the fence extend over the top of the country so people won’t throw rocks on the other side?
“Are they afraid more Canadians will cross the border to buy cheaper booze?”
“Remember the movie ‘Escape from New York’? You just know Snake Plisskin will beat this!”
“Which will they build first, the fence, or the Keystone Pipeline? Well, I guess they’ll have to find a way to get that big oil pipeline over the fence. Not to worry we will install a number of shut off valves in the oil pipe.”
“All in all, its just another brick in “the wall”…
Photo by Linda Seccaspina 2011- Thousand Island Bridge- US/Canadian border
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