an open letter to my american friends

[A Dontigny]

an open letter to my american friends

to todd, eryck, kaia and all the other progressive minds in the 
united states of america: do not despair. i know you will spend the 
next days drowned in the gloating of political pundits and the smirks 
of conservative co-workers or neighbours but do not despair.

we, who are living outside your country, witness the uphill battle 
you face now. the young voters did not bother to vote, right-wing 
christians turned out even more massively for the republicans than 
they did in 2000 and families who face the daily burden of economic 
injustices have voted against their class interest.

i want to tell you that you are not alone. even here, in canada, and 
elsewhere across the world, we are facing the same economic model, 
the same fanatism, the same war on openmindness and freedom of 
choice. your battle is the most important battle because of the might 
of your national army but at the same time, your battle is one of the 
least important because you have eaten today, your neighbourhood will 
not be bombed and you can still voice your opposition to what is 
happening.

please excuse this little admonishment, i just want to make sure you 
will not stop fighting - even if you will need a small rest after 
this 9 month long campain.

but, right now, as a friend living in canada, there are two important 
issues in which i can make a difference and those two issues are the 
reason why i write this open letter.

firstly, i seriously fear you will be drafted. during the vietnam 
war, american deserters automatically obtained asylum in canada. that 
was changed very recently when canada adopted its own clone of the 
patriot act. currently, two american soldiers who refused to serve in 
irak and fled to canada are facing administrative courts in toronto. 
i pledge to you that, even against the laws of my country, i will 
help you and your friends avoid a draft. we will welcome you with 
open arms if you wish to escape that terrible fate. you do not have 
to die for an injust war.

secondly, with supreme court justice rehnquist already ill and others 
waiting to step down, we know for sure that abortion will be again 
outlawed and that gays will suffer an increased persecution. these 
social issues are dealt with very differently here in canada. very 
soon, gay marriages will be fully legal here. the same pledge i made 
for deserters applies to young women who will face an unwanted 
pregnancy: we have good, safe and very affordable clinics here and we 
will do everything we can to help you a life freed from bigotry and 
hate.

i am not encouraging you to abandon your country to its fanatic 
nightmare. you have plenty of resources and opportunitues to fight 
back and help your fellow citizens live a more fulfilling life. but 
when you will face difficult individual choices and you will feel 
despaired, remember that your are not alone and that we are here to 
help you survive.

with all my friendship and compassion,

a_dontigny, montreal, canada