US Air Patrols Along Montana-Canada Border

No problem, as long as they stay on their side of the border and respect Canadian sovereignty.





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Perception is two thirds of what we perceive reality to be.

Difficult decisions are a privilege of rank.

I agree. But, so much for the world`s longest undefended border.

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Dave Ruston

Please excuse me if this question comes off sounding ignorant, but exactly what do we gain from being able to claim the world's longest undefended border? And exactly what criteria must be met in order to be considered undefended?
To my mind a "defended" border is one in which there are walls, miles of razor wire, and military assets deployed at all access points in addition to the kind of monitoring we're seeing along the Alberta border. Our undefended border has long had various forms of monitoring including air patrols and marine patrols being conducted by both coutries. This does not neccesarily mean it is no longer undefended, but rather that sovereign nations wish to exercise their right to controll who and what moves across the international boudaries. If anything, this is an area where Canada could stand some improvement. Afetr all I think Canadian communities along the border have more to fear from our neighbors than US communities do what with all those Charleton Hestons and believers in a warped interpretation of the first amandment to the US constitution out there.

Sailor2Surfer ->

Amendment I:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

I'm sorry, but I don't see how this relates to the topic at hand. Perhaps you mean the second amendment?

Amendment II
A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.


In which case I don't see how any view other than "the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed" is perverse.


Regardless of semantics, I do agree with you that we likely have more to fear from free border movement northwards than they do from us.

Rico AB.

>"the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed" is perverse<<

I wouldn't doubt that originally it was written " the right to BARE" arms". Such as when one readies for hard work. Perhaps the write was not right but those who prefered it as "bear" would eventualy become actors and portray in a movie where the world is devistated by mans desire to kill one another. Then Darwin and his theory steps in. Unfortunatly Apes can't bare arms without shaving and the slogan "bear arms" takes precedent.

Just so - please excuse my ignorance of the US constitution. However, the point being that this seems to have morphed into some bizzare belief that anyone and everyone can run around the streets with guns tucked under their belts. I live on the border with Maine where anyone who is lucky enough to have lived to the ripe old age of 18 and has no felony record will be approved for a concealed weapons permitt - quite frightening when you stop to think about it. I have also heard stories of American tourists threatening to sue Canada customs should they be assualted, or in some other way aggrieved while in Canada because the Canadian officials wouldn't let them carry their .357 magnum under the seat of their car for protection. Guess they would feel safer knowing anyone can carry a gun?

Sailor ->
I know that the belief "seems" bizarre to those of us north of the border that people feel that "anyone and everyone can run around the streets with guns tucked under their belts", but that is indeed what is intended, and written, in the Constitution.
Admittedly, the framers of the Constitution could not fathom "modern" society, but they did want to ensure that every person would be free to defend him/herself from enemies within and without.

Regarding suing Canadian officials - wouldn't fly. While the law is on their side down there, it has no bearing on Canadian law (until Harper says otherwise).

Are you on the Quebec or New Brunswick border with Maine? I've been through both and I love those parts of the country.

Rico AB.

Rico -
I live in Southern N.B. and I have just returned home from a long walk in the woods near my home with my dog. The weather is cool, clear and sunny and it is indeed a wonderful part of this great country. Having said that, I have also travelled from coast to coast and lived on both coasts as well as the North West Territories and I find it is tough to not be in awe of the beauty wherever you go in Canada.
Your point is well taken. Surely the framers of the US constitution believed - with good reason given the era in which it was written - that this was a right worth enshrining in the constitution, but as you have quite correctly pointed out, this amendment lacked vision. Understanably so, since who could have imagined that this would evolve into the current state of affairs where youth are being killed in their classrooms and on many, perhaps most street corners, where being a convenience store clerk is one of the most dangerous jobs in America and where sadly gun violence is so common that it has virtually no shock value?
No matter how passionately advocates of the 2nd amendment argue their case it is stunning that a modern and supposedly progressive country seems unable, or perhaps unwilling to concede that this is a bit of history in need of moderization. Unfortunately there are far too many guns in america to be able to do much about it, but clearly it has gotten out of hand. Worse still is the fact that this tragedy has been slowly but steadily invading Canadian society as well. I say leave the duck hunters alone and focus efforts at our borders on clamping down on guns. This should be among our highest priorities.
I personally have given away the three shotguns I once owned because it is too costly and complicated to keep them for the sake of going out bird hunting once or twice a year, yet any American with $25 in his pocket can come into Canada to go hunt those very same birds. Alas it is the legacy of the Liberal government and Mr. Rock.
So patroll the borders I say, and keep those American guns in America while the Americans keep home grown Canadian bud in Canada!

The last time I heard, Saskatchewan farmers were running grain through the US border, in defiance of the Canadian Wheat Board regulations. I believe this has stopped.

Does the US really need helicopters to stop grain trucks?

Down here in Windsor the Detroit river is being patroled by American Coast Guard boats, and mounted on these boats are fifty caliber machine guns. Not since the war of 1812 have any part of the Great Lakes been patroled by gunships. Our Southern neighbours???? I assume that's called gunboat diplomacy!!