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June 4, 2012

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It’s the border with Canada we should fear. Who knew?

By

Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2010 | 2 a.m.

More Dickensheets

I’m having trouble finding an illegal Canadian.

Not for a lack of trying, though. Peering into the trucks carrying work crews and gardeners down the freeways at dawn, I’ve looked. Swinging past the day-laborer gathering points, I’ve looked. Not a single conspicuous Canadian, just the usual Hispanics, or, as Sharron Angle knows them, Asians.

Then again, I’m new to this. I haven’t been too concerned about the Canadian Menace — never thought of it as more than the Canadian Annoyance — until Angle exposed its real importance.

Last week, in the course of telling Rancho High School’s Hispanic Student Union that her anti-immigration ads aren’t race-baiting Hispanics, she dropped some startling knowledge on them.

No, not when she told them, “I don’t know that all of you are Latino. Some of you look a little more Asian to me.” (Her way of explaining that just because some people — say, the kind you might see in a fear-mongering campaign ad — look Latino, doesn’t mean they are Latino.)

No, not when she told them, “I’ve been called the first Asian legislator in our Nevada State Assembly.” (Her way of … aw, hell, I won’t even guess.)

No, I mean when she told them, “What we know is that our northern border is where the terrorists came through. That’s the most porous border that we have.”

Huh. Arizona, you must feel pretty foolish right now.

That her statement contravenes the facts and ignores history shouldn’t surprise anyone, and I don’t mean that solely as a shot at Angle. (Indeed, others, including Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, have made the same mistake.) Reality always takes a heavy beating at election time, from typhoons of spin, brigades of top-shelf liars and a vast floor show of empty spectacle tricked up as meaningful “discussion.” Pretty much every candidate is culpable.

The result is a zero-gravity political environment where facts, counter facts, fictions, exaggerations and slabs of baloney all float around a populace that’s often too stunned (or lazy) or lacking in resources (or lazy) or simply too partisan to wheat/chaff the whole mess down to reliable, truthful, usable information. Just add tea and it gets really crazy.

In that atmosphere, a politician can say almost anything with only a minor risk of consequences. Angle’s series of jaw-droppers, from “Second Amendment remedies” to this, hasn’t cost her much traction in the polling.

Every campaign season I say that the distortion effect is worse than last time. And, well, I’m saying it again. Maybe it’s because the Reid-Angle campaign is right here, in our faces. But no doubt: It’s worse this year.

“This is the most prickly, partisan, toxic atmosphere that I’ve ever served in,” Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., told Esquire.com. “It’s not constructive for democracy, and certainly not constructive to solving our problems.”

Still, sometimes facts are facts:

• The men in Angle’s ad are Hispanic.

• Angle not only isn’t the first Asian Assembly member, she isn’t Asian. (A reporter once said she looked Asian, her campaign explained later, as if that actually explained anything.)

• The terrorists didn’t come through Canada. Here’s Ambassador Gary Doer, from his tart response to Angle: “The 9/11 Commission Report in 2004 and a report on Canada-U.S. Relations of May 15, 2007, by the Congressional Research Service both confirmed that ‘none of the 19 September 11 hijackers entered (the United States) by Canada.’ ” (Full text available on theatlantic.com).

Until the next ridiculous utterance by a candidate, border-jumping Canadians have supplanted Viagra-gobbling inmates as the personification of manipulated truth, circa 2010. I imagine them, fed up with access to health care and Blue Jays baseball, slipping into Wyoming or North Dakota, bent on taking American jobs.

In his letter, Doer pointed out that agencies on both sides of the border work closely on security issues, and noted that Canadian tourists dump plenty of money in Nevada. He closed with a mix of rebuff and wishful thinking:

“I can assure you that Canada takes border security very seriously and trust you will see fit to set the record straight.”

I’m sure she’ll get right to it, maybe around Nov. 3.

Discussion: 12 comments so far…

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  1. By PISCES41 (Jim Weber)
    Oct. 20, 2010
    4:50 a.m.
    Flag

    Unbelievable! Sharron Angle not only spouts nonsense, she has no common sense at all. I'm sure her audience of Latino children were comforted by her assurance that many of them could pass for Asians.

    Now that Sharron has shared her vast knowledge of the terrorist threat to the United States posed by Canada, we can be on the outlook for anyone speaking French or pronouncing the English word "about" in a unfamiliar manner.

  2. By cignettis (Nick Cignetti)
    Oct. 20, 2010
    6:19 a.m.
    Flag

    Here is who we should fear: Well, boys and girls, today the fox is guarding the hen house. The wolves will be herding the sheep!

    Obama appointed two devout Muslims to homeland security posts.

    Obama and Janet Napolitano appointed Arif Alikhan, a devout Muslim, as Assistant Secretary for Policy Development. DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano swore-in Kareem Shora, a devout Muslim, who was born in Damascus, Syria, as ADC National Executive Director as a member of the Homeland Security Advisory Council (HSAC).

    NOTE: Has anyone ever heard a new government official being identified as a devout Catholic, a devout Jew or a devout Protestant...?
    Just wondering.

    "Devout Muslims" being appointed to critical Homeland Security positions? That should make our home land much safer, huh? Do you feel safer already??

    Was it not "Devout Muslim men" that flew planes into U.S. buildings 8 1/2 years ago? Was it not a Devout Muslim who killed 13 at Fort Hood ?
    Please forward this important information to any who cares about the future of our Country. As Pogo so aptly put it WE HAVE MET THE ENEMY AND HE IS US.

  3. By BobbyG (Bobby Gladd)
    Oct. 20, 2010
    7:07 a.m.
    Flag

    Allahu Akbar, 'eh?

    http://sharronangle.blogspot.com

  4. By lericgoodman (Leric Goodman)
    Oct. 20, 2010
    7:20 a.m.
    Flag

    @ cignettis: Not too long ago, people talked about Catholics that way. It is too bad that no one thinks it is important to teach logic anymore. You might want look up the term "false syllogism" and then review your argument one more time.

  5. By jajma (Margie Robinson)
    Oct. 20, 2010
    7:32 a.m.
    Flag

    Not one of these "conservatives" said one word when President George W. Bush sent Imam Rauf to speak in Islamic nations on America's behalf. Now, all of a sudden, Imam Rauf is a "radical Islamic jihadist." This shows more about these "conservatives" than it does Imam Rauf. It shows that they weren't paying attention during GWB's two terms in office, and that they didn't care what he did as long as he was a republican.

    I'd hate for anyone to know that I'm so stupid that I now find what was once okay a few short years ago an outrage, but these folks have zero shame.

  6. By boftx
    Oct. 20, 2010
    8:26 a.m.
    Flag

    Scott, I really think you are being a bit disingenuous with this article.

    Of course the people depicted in the ads appear Hispanic, but anyone who dares to say that the vast majority of illegal immigrants are Hispanic is castigated as being a "racist" (by the way, I was taught that Hispanic was an ethnic group, not a race.)

    So Angle, rightly or wrongly, tries to sidestep that by at least acknowledging that we have illegal immigrants from other areas and gets nailed for that.

    As for the Asian remark, it wasn't the smartest thing she could have said. But I suspect that you might have been unsure about someone's background from time to time.

    By the way, what did you mean by your comments about work crews and day-laborers? Didn't you imply that they are probably illegal because they look Hispanic?

  7. By flyFisherman (Wally Jurva)
    Oct. 20, 2010
    9:44 a.m.
    Flag

    Being from Canada,40yrs ago I really appreciate this article that Scott Dickensheets wrote. Hopefully more Americans would read this and then perhaps learn a little more about Canada. Like Scott said, you don't see a bunch of Canadaians hanging around the border. Canada, and the Canadian people are doing well as they are and they have no reason to cross the border illegally when they have all they need at home, and then some.
    I kind of keep tabs on the country and what is going on, and it looks okay to me. I know a lot of American people would comment, if you like it, go back. Perhaps, like a lot of Americans do.
    I came here legally and America is my home, and I support her all the way, but America is slipping, not the country it used to be.
    Canada, large in physical size, small in population is a world leader in many ways. It is a very multi-cultural country and it works there.
    Granted they have problems like everyone else, but they work on solving them. Not perfect but acceptable.
    Thanks again Scott, and oh by the way, when people cross the border to our country they check in on the American side to enter. Perhaps Sharron Angle should check into customs and see how it is done.
    Don't blame Canada for your downfalls.

  8. By boftx
    Oct. 20, 2010
    9:47 a.m.
    Flag

    flyFisherman,

    Of course we can blame Canada! Haven't you ever watched South Park? :)

  9. By PISCES41 (Jim Weber)
    Oct. 20, 2010
    11:41 a.m.
    Flag

    @cignettis:

    You defintely need to read "Idiot America: How Stupidity Beacame a Virtue in the Land of the Free" by Charles P. Pierce

  10. By flyFisherman (Wally Jurva)
    Oct. 20, 2010
    3:35 p.m.

    Comment removed by moderator. Comment was in all caps.

  11. By Kigan (Kimberley Ganner)
    Oct. 21, 2010
    7:52 p.m.
    Flag

    WOW - I didn't know I was a potential terrorist until Sharon Angle talked 'aboot' it - Thanks, Sharon! I don't "hang around" the border and I am not trying to grab a Yankee job... I just grab an Allegiant Air flight from Bellingham (aboot 3 times a year) and head down to Vegas to spend my socialist earned dollars on a capitalist vice...thankfully I have the money since I don't have to pay an arm and a leg for my universal healthcare. (ouch!)
    I can't believe you are being subjected to such inaccurate garbage! I do read your online news and always take the time to watch the news on tv when I visit, so I try to stay informed about the country, state and city I love to visit most...but, Holy Cow! Asian??? Terrorist? Are you kidding me??? I guess the American dream is alive and well...you can become anything you want in the Good Ol' U.S of A... Hopefully the good people of Nevada will vote otherwise.
    See you in February! xoxo from waaay up North in Vancouver, Canada,eh. :-)

  12. By crazycanuck
    Oct. 22, 2010
    11:48 a.m.
    Flag

    Great article!

    Further to the comments by 'westvegas', we Canadians do tend to say 'eh' a lot too. However, I have yet to hear a Canuck pronounce 'about' as 'aboot'. We also like to insert extra letters ('u') into words like 'colour' & 'neighbour' to confuse everyone. You can also spot us on your streets wearing our summer clothes in the 70F 'heat' while the locals are bundled up in their woolens. LOL

    I hate elections where the 2 front runners are equally distasteful. There really needs to be a box on the ballot for 'none of the above' because casting a blank ballot doesn't quite send the same message. You folks have my sincere sympathy. Regardless of who wins the Senate seat, I do look forward to my next visit to Vegas. I sure hope this economic mess gets sorted out soon & everyone can get back to work & better lives.

    Cheers!

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