I am, officially, sick of fighting the Canadian invasion. Slowly and methodically the underpinnings of freedom and liberty are gnawed from beneath this nation by a host of foreign interests who prefer America's failure to their own success, and the line begins with Canada.

They have come silently, almost humbly, in the night to take our posterns and slip beneath our watches. Even as our Senators proclaim the benefits of socialized medicine, Canadians cross the border to be healed in our "failing" free market system. Often wearing the less than credible mantle of entertainer (as though such a thing would lend veracity to intellectually bankrupt opinions resurrected from the scrap heap of historic failure), assimilated Canadians preach their ideologies of socialism while earning their wealth in our "evil" industries. Like roaches in the darkness they scurry about, whispering all manner of social commentary into our sleeping national consciousness. They suckle from the full teat of American bounty, hiding behind the security of American strength bought with American sweat and blood. Do they set aside the nation of their birth to embrace this new mother who has taken them to her bosom, who gives them what Canadian socialism cannot? Indeed, no—better that they enjoy all the benefits of this free nation as if they were one of us, all the while preaching socialism and multilateralism in our political arenas.

Behold, by constitutional freedom, this land, these United American States, gives freedom of press and speech. And now behold as the foreign invader turns this very freedom back as a weapon against itself. Most Americans do not realize that the overwhelming majority of news broadcasters and reporters are actually Canadians. Their effect is subtle but intrusive. Evil men who fly planes into buildings are only "alleged" terrorists; heavens forbid that we should rightly name them murderers. The nation Iraq, sworn enemy of the western world (Canada included) is only alleged and presumed to have weapons of mass destruction—facts be damned. Slain Palestinians are children, but Israeli babes are only statistics. Murdering Arabs must be understood but nationally sovereign Jews protecting their homes must be roundly condemned.

Behold the new priests of socialist fascism, the Canadian media draped in the American flag.

Already come the rumbles, vile whispers from presumed experts—"Amend your Constitution. It is foolish to require your President to be born upon your soil. Open your arms, be fair, let our transplanted agents ascend to your highest office." Even as we see the secret failures of the Manchurian President bear bloody fruit, these voices urge us to plunge headlong into a greater and newer insanity. No more, my fellow Americans, I urge you to tolerate no more. We shall not amend that revered document which has made us a great nation, merely to serve the jealous intents of a lesser nation.

We bear no animosity to these poor unfortunates born onto a foreign soil. Hear the voice of a nation:

Come to me, embrace my dream and become great with me. Leave behind the chains which have burdened you and cling to my torch and flag; there is room for all, for I am the land of plenty. Come and let us grow great together. Or stay within the land which you have chosen and suffer its fate. I respect this choice as well and wish you all the success in the world. Even if we disagree, I will aid you. Have I not done so in the past? Have I not been the shining beacon of hope and the defending shield of a world in need? Trust in me for I am a nation filled with generous love, even to my own detriment.

But hear also the grim tidings of those who must guard freedom and steward liberty with every breath and sinew:

If you do not stand with me, you stand against me. My patience is long but so, too, is my memory. Mock me at your peril. I warn you, for both our sakes, do not make me remind you that, without me, you are a small and frightened people who have failed in the struggle for true independence. Resent my success if you will, but do so silently and with respect, for all the resentment in the world cannot change the facts.

In truth, there are other nations, many others, who subvert this land and many who do so more overtly than Canada. I believe in my heart that the men and women of Canada view my nation with love and I, in turn, have a deep affection for them. But for better or worse, only Canada stands as a vanguard in the intellectual invasion of America. If they would stand beside this nation and proclaim us brothers then it is only right to expect filial support; but it is hard to look at the actions of the Canadian government over the past year and not wonder at her true allegiance.

Canada's foreign ministers vote against us and call our leaders morons, idiots, and fools. Canada's Prime Minister, in the wake of the greatest civilian tragedy—no, not tragedy, but premeditated act of war—proclaims the we, the United States of America, deserve these murderous attacks, that it is somehow justice that innocents should die. These are not the words of family but the rhetoric of an enemy and so I wait, watching northward, to see if the Canadian people will arise and demand better of their leaders. The silence speaks volumes to an America waiting to hear.

Are we alone, then? Must America again stand abandoned by those closest to her? Be they bound by fear or hatred, it yet remains that we, these United States of America, are again alone. This is no cause for concern; this is the way of these things. In the service of liberty there is only loneliness. Each nation, each state, each city, each household—in the end, each man stands alone in the war to preserve freedom. It is the individual, the one, unreasonable man, who must stand, alone and forlorn, and say to himself, "No more. I am free." No other can say this for him, no other should. We, my fellow citizens of the republic, are together in our isolation. We stand first as individuals and then united, not by decree of government but by duty of the heart and individual choice, and take arms in this war, this unending battle to remain free. The state is no separate entity; it is us, together in resolve. Let us stand alone together then against all who come to do us harm. Let them come, armed with weapons or honeyed words. United in our separation we shall stand.

M. Keaton

2002