What If Arizona Were Quebec?
By
Michael
Filozo
AmericanThinker.com
Suppose for a moment that 15 million Americans --
the population of Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode
Island, and Connecticut combined -- sneaked across the border into Quebec.
Suppose that these illegal immigrants refused to learn to speak French, that
they applied for Canadian welfare, that they reproduced at a rate higher
than Quebec's residents, and that they bankrupted Canada's socialized
medical system. Suppose that they sent their children to Canadian schools in
such large numbers that Quebec's school system had to teach "French as a
Second Language" courses.
Suppose that the 15 million illegal
American aliens included large numbers of criminals, drug dealers from
Vermont, and arms traffickers, causing Quebec's crime rate to soar; that
they comprised 20% to 30% of Quebec's prison inmates; and that they
routinely evaded capture by Canadian authorities by sneaking back across
the border, where they engaged in gang warfare.
Suppose that the illegal Americans
congregated in packs on Montreal street corners, looking for day labor
for which they did not pay taxes, and drove through the streets of
Quebec without driver's licenses or motor vehicle insurance. Suppose
that the illegals marched openly in the streets of Montreal, waving the
Stars and Stripes, celebrating the Fourth of July, and demanding
amnesty. Suppose that illegal American college students formed radical
pro-U.S. organizations on Quebec's campuses and demanded resident
tuition discounts and affirmative-action preferences.
Let us further suppose that when the
Montreal Canadiens played the Washington Capitals at the Bell Centre,
large numbers of illegal Americans waved the American flag, booed,
hissed, and doused Canadiens fans with beer when "O, Canada" was sung in
French prior to the opening face-off.
How do you suppose Canada would react?
Would Quebec City and Laval declare themselves "sanctuary cities" and
refuse to cooperate with federal authorities seeking to deport the
illegal Americans? Would Quebec offer driver's licenses to the illegals?
Would the province refuse to ask voters for identification and proof of
citizenship?
If Quebec's provincial parliament passed
a law allowing the police to demand proof of citizenship from suspected
illegals, would the Prime Minister call it "misguided"? Would the Bishop
of Montreal accuse the province of "Nazism"? Would residents of Calgary
and Winnipeg call for a boycott of Quebec? Do you suppose the federal
parliament in Ottawa would propose legislation to grant citizenship to
the illegals (thereby allowing them to sponsor the emigration to Canada
of their relatives back in the Unites States)?
Of course not. Anyone remotely familiar
with Canadian politics knows exactly what would happen. A situation like
the one described above would cause the province to explode.
At the very least, you can
bet that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Customs Canada would have
tactical units all along the border from Massena to New Brunswick. At
worst, there would be war. Francophones would be screaming
"Arrêt!" and "Non!" to
illegal immigration at the top of their lungs. Canada's leading pundits
and politicians would be demanding the preservation of Canadian culture
against the onslaught from the United States. All of the obnoxious moral
priggishness about "human rights" and "multiculturalism" that Canada has
become so famous for would go out the window in a heartbeat, and the
Canadians would spare no expense in rounding up and deporting the
illegal American invaders.
French-Canadians are
extremely prickly about their cultural heritage. Quebec has
legislatively forbidden stores to advertise in English and mandated the
use of French in public schools. French-Canadians have their own
political party, the Parti Quebecois, to
promote their interests. In 1995, the province held a referendum and
came within one percentage point of voting to secede from Canada.
It is utterly mind-boggling to see the
reaction of the cultural and political elites in the United States to
the law passed by Arizona last week empowering the state to enforce
immigration laws. Cardinal Mahoney of Los Angeles characterized the law
as "Nazism," and Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano called
it "misguided" and "not ... good."
The Constitution grants
Congress the authority to "establish a uniform Rule of Naturalization"
and to "repel Invasions." But prominent congressional leaders like
Speaker Pelosi and Congressman Raúl Grijalva have taken positions
opposing the enforcement of the immigration laws Congress itself has
passed.
Even the president has
criticized Arizona's law, calling instead for granting citizenship to
illegals. What else would you expect from a president who spent his
childhood in Indonesia, bowed to foreign emperors, gave a campaign
speech as a citizen of the world in Berlin, and who
currently has an aunt living as an illegal alien on welfare in Boston?
Certainly it is unrealistic to expect that he will serve the interests
of the United States.
No sane country has ever
elected elites who have systematically undermined their own culture and
erased their national borders. Even the French-Canadians know how to
stand up for themselves. Who will stand up for the United States and
demand, without apology, that the border be sealed and the illegals
deported? The Republicans won't do it, the Tea Party is impotent and
rudderless, and the Democrats are actively aiding and abetting those who
seek to undermine us. If we are unwilling to police our own borders, we
are doomed.
I'm not certain what it
will take to preserve the United States, but we had better come up with
something effective -- and soon.