Brianland

This was a letter to the editor, published in The Toronto Star, March 4, 2003.

“A Love Affair With Southern Neighbor Goes Bad”

Growing up as a kid on the prairies in the 1960s and 70s I was instilled with a kind of knee-jerk anti-American sentiment that seemed to be fostered by every person I met.  Then at age 15 or 16, I started reading Rolling Stone and went to California and realized that hmmm, maybe Manitoba wasn’t “God’s country,” and that a whole lot of really cool stuff was going on south of the border.  I went to New York City at 19, fell in love with the place, and never left.

America became my country, my home.  Like many idealistic new immigrants, I was very pro-American and would defend her verbally whenever necessary, and even thought I’d join the army if she needed me.  Since I couldn’t vote, I volunteered for some candidate in every election, and did everything I could to participate and make it a better place.  I wrote about it, nearly preached about it, and my apt. became known as “CentCom” for visiting Canadians like your own Mitch Potter.

Then things changed.  And I don’t mean 9/11.  It was more the “stolen” election in 2000 when Supreme Court justices who normally voted in favour of State’s rights did a one-time-only reversal and voted their party’s moron child as the leader of the biggest arsenal in human history.  It’s pretty much been downhill from there.

This cavalier cowboy rejection of the U.N., NATO, and globally accepted codes of conduct is premeditated murder.  This isn’t disagreeing over Roe vs. Wade.  This is starting WWIII.  I now understand the hatred that the Vietnam-era protesters expressed for their government.  I’ve come home to Oakville to take care of my parents, and I don’t want to go back.  And I just want to apologize on behalf of the many Americans — a majority of whom voted for Al Gore or none-of-the-above — and say that many people south of here are as sickened and frightened by this global White House boot-stomping as some of your government have fortunately been overheard as saying.

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For one of the most historic events in American history — check out my Obama Inauguration Adventures.

For how Woodstock promoter Michael Lang used my reports in his book — check out how Obama’s Inauguration was like Woodstock.

For an account of the most jubilant night in the history of New York — check the Election Night 2008 Adventure. 

For a night in New York that started out just as joyous — check out the Election Night 2004 Adventure.

For the kind of creations that got us across the historic finish line — check out my poem and video for Where Wayward Jekylls Hyde.

For an on-the-campaign-trail adventure — check out the physical altercation I was in the middle of with Al Franken at a Howard Dean rally in ’04.

For my tribute to a great political reporter — check out my Tim Russert tribute.

For a full listing of great reporters and news sources — check out my Political Sources Primer.

For how well these sources work — check out my 2012 election predictions.

… or here’s the 2008 projections — in both, I’m over 98% correct.  😉

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Brian Hassett  — karmacoupon@gmail.com

BrianHassett.com