...passed out way too much cheese for my doggies.

But I can't help it.  Something happened today that made me sick to my heart.  I have been crying ever since.

A friend of mine -- someone I've known most of my life, a good decent family man and a loyal friend, forwarded on to me some email about Mexicam illegal immigrant workers.

Sorry, I just can't believe it's come to this!

I know things are tough in the US right now.  They're tough here too.  But I can't believe that anyone would believe that all their problems boil down to some illegal immigrants who come willing to work harder than most of us would for way less pay and no benefits or legal protections.  These aren't enemies.  They're desperate people.  Who among us has ever felt that we had to leave our homes and families, travel many hundreds of miles, live under the shadow of illegitimacy, just to work?  Probably none if any reading this blog have ever felt that was an option for them. 

I ask people to stop for a minute and consider what it would feel like to be in that position.

I have had friends, over the years, who accepted contracts on oil rigs in the sea or foreign lands because they were worth a lot more money than they could ever hope to make here in Canada. And I have known many military and paramilitary/security types who have accepted contracts far from home. That's about the closest I can come to imagining the frame of mind that someone would have to be in to choose what your average Mexican illegal in the US would choose.  But let's not forget that they don't usually have the same types of protections and contracts.

I think that illegal immigration is a huge red herring in the US right now -- something to keep populist rage distracted.  The reality is that "illegal" immigration has been an issue in every nation, in every time.  From the first time someone somewhere conceived of a border, there was someone else who felt he could cross it without recognizing the former's authority.  This isn't something unique to the US at this point in time.  I also find it telling that most of the stuff I read about the illegal immigration issue in the US barely make mention of those who seek to employ illegal workers -- if at all.  Wouldn't this be the most effective place to target illegal workers in the US??

But none of the angry people seem to care much about the employers.  They seem focused on the workers.  And that suggests to me that this is more about racism, bigotry and hatred than practical social issues.

I just can't believe that this man, whom I've admired all these years for his qualities and good-heartedness, could be sucked into such hate-mongering!

It wounds me to my soul.

I had a horrible dream the other night -- I think the night after I read that the Americans are now employing unmanned drones of the same type implicated in the deaths of innocent civilians in Pakistan and Afghanistan, to patrol our border.  In my dream, we were being attacked by the Americans -- they were uisng missiles to destroy Ottawa's airports & runways, government infrastructure, hospitals, roads, schools.  I woke up sweating and icy cold!  My first thought was to tell myself that it would never happen.  It could never happen here.  

But I've gotta admit that, deep in my heart, there was a tiny little voice that reminded me that I've seen a lot of things happen that I never ever thought I would in recent years.

Now what? Drink more.

I think we have enemies -- don't get me wrong!  But if we want to find our enemies, I think we need to follow the money.  Who's gotten rich in recent years?