Very little can be said to be as symbolic of the previously peaceful 5,000-mile border between the U.S. and Canada as the little library that sits straddling the border between a small Quebec town and Derby Line, Vermont. It was just months ago that Homeland Security Director Kristi Noem began bopping back and forth on the black line of tape that ran through the library, crying out “51st state” every time she landed on the Canadian side. Canadians did not ban Americans in reply. But now the American side of the library has banned anyone coming in from the Canadian side. (Please don’t ask how they made all this work before and how they’re shutting it down now, the point is that there is little argument that we’re being the dicks spoiling a cute situation.) Now the entire thing is an international affair that will do nothing but make Canadians that much madder at us.
From a report in CTV news (Great, national Canadian television of all things):
A small town in southern Quebec says American authorities have decided to close the Canadian access to an historic library that sits on the border between the two countries. Inside the Haskell Free Library and Opera House there is a worn strip of black tape on the floor marking the U.S. and Canadian border. For decades Canadians have been able to access the library without a passport or visa by entering the Canadian side of the building.
Is there any border anywhere that is this idyllic and ready for a Hallmark movie with international tangles? Two librarians? Maybe too hot for Hallmark. Let me know in the comments.
The Town of Stanstead said in a news release late Thursday evening that U.S. officials have made a “unilateral decision” to close access on the Canadian side. It’s not clear why the change was made. The library recently made international headlines after Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem visited it in January, stepping over the tape on the Canadian side of the building and referring to Canada as the “51st state” multiple times.
Oh, I think it’s pretty damned clear why the change was made. It is really hard to play the great international villain while continuing to support little public libraries on the border. Put it this way, it’s unlikely a coincidence that it’s happening amongst all this 51st state stuff. Actually, thinking on it. If the Trump administration was really committed to this 51st state move, perhaps they should’ve renovated the library, made it super nice, then said they’ll foot the bill as the federal government for both sides. Make it really tough for Canadians to get angry. Alas, that’s not how this administration rolls.
This is sh*t. Here is a great thing to have on the tip of your tongue throughout the day, it works whether one is talking to neighbors, looking at crazed memes on “X,” or wondering about the Trump administration’s latest moves. Just utter to anyone or no one; “Yeah. But why?” The lack of an answer in nearly every situation will sap your faith in humanity but make you feel less like a sucker.
The “Yeah, but why?” here is very clear. “Because we get to be dicks, now!!” Or something. Where’s that cute librarian when you need her? There’s no situation too complex for a librarian.
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She won’t step across that tape again, or any other border crossing. Animal abusers are not allowed in Canada.
It would be nice if Canada decided to put some police in the library, ready to arrest ANY American who crosses the border without proper papers (but, being VERY selective on who actually gets arrested).
As for Noem’s earlier visit, is there any record of how loud she was being in her little stunt? It would’ve been nice if the library personnel had shushed her for being too loud–with a firm reminder that she IS in a library (and a pointed jibe that she’s apparently never set foot in one before otherwise she’d know how to behave as an adult as opposed to a toddler).
Right move to close the border. Can’t have educated readers from the Canadian side ilegally migrating into The Uselass of A, a literary version of the Underground Railroad. Not to mention the risk of them “borrowing” books and not returning them. They could be up to their elbows in all sorts of skullduggery
Since the U.S. wants to make a point of being dickish I say Canada should return the favor. Find a U.S. Citizen willing to help by live-streaming the following with perhaps another taking a rapid set of stills:
Get a piece of 3/4″ plywood, and also a piece of plexiglass to protect the giant, life-size photo on it. What photo you ask? Ok, this will be distasteful but you’d have Krisit Noem laughing. Hard. If there’s one of her and Trumpty together doing so that would be even better. The ugly, distasteful part would be a dead puppy (people can debate about how graphic it would be) at their feet. And a bubbled-caption that’s a clever zinger along the lines of ‘citizens of a country who chooses leaders like this aren’t welcome on our side of the border.
The Americans would be on our side documenting the Canadians setting up their display an inch into Canada. The U.S. of course would move rapidly to put up some type of cover so people couldn’t see it, hence having someone on hand to live-stream the F.U. the Canadian half of the library can and should give the U.S.
The Repugnicans made gains in Vermont in the last election, but I didn’t think it would be enough to encourage this kind of Trumpian pettiness against their neighbor. We need to know who thought up this bonehead scheme and what body authorised it. Maybe they’re closing the door to Canada so no one will see them removing MAGAt-proscribed books from the library. Maybe some asshole thought this would be funny, get onto Fux News and attract the attention of Trumpler himself.
It is a shared library. He can’t pull this.
I understand that Canadians were illegally smuggling maple syrup into the US through the library, making it look like the paste used to fix book spines. So, it was necessary to shut down the library access to guard against such waffle topping terror. I. Just. Can’t.