What If Arizona Were Quebec?

By Michael Filozo
AmericanThinker.com

Suppose for a moment that 15 million Americans -- the population of Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, and Connecticut combined -- sneaked across the border into Quebec. Suppose that these illegal immigrants refused to learn to speak French, that they applied for Canadian welfare, that they reproduced at a rate higher than Quebec's residents, and that they bankrupted Canada's socialized medical system. Suppose that they sent their children to Canadian schools in such large numbers that Quebec's school system had to teach "French as a Second Language" courses.

Suppose that the 15 million illegal American aliens included large numbers of criminals, drug dealers from Vermont, and arms traffickers, causing Quebec's crime rate to soar; that they comprised 20% to 30% of Quebec's prison inmates; and that they routinely evaded capture by Canadian authorities by sneaking back across the border, where they engaged in gang warfare.

Suppose that the illegal Americans congregated in packs on Montreal street corners, looking for day labor for which they did not pay taxes, and drove through the streets of Quebec without driver's licenses or motor vehicle insurance. Suppose that the illegals marched openly in the streets of Montreal, waving the Stars and Stripes, celebrating the Fourth of July, and demanding amnesty. Suppose that illegal American college students formed radical pro-U.S. organizations on Quebec's campuses and demanded resident tuition discounts and affirmative-action preferences.

Let us further suppose that when the Montreal Canadiens played the Washington Capitals at the Bell Centre, large numbers of illegal Americans waved the American flag, booed, hissed, and doused Canadiens fans with beer when "O, Canada" was sung in French prior to the opening face-off.

How do you suppose Canada would react? Would Quebec City and Laval declare themselves "sanctuary cities" and refuse to cooperate with federal authorities seeking to deport the illegal Americans? Would Quebec offer driver's licenses to the illegals? Would the province refuse to ask voters for identification and proof of citizenship?

If Quebec's provincial parliament passed a law allowing the police to demand proof of citizenship from suspected illegals, would the Prime Minister call it "misguided"? Would the Bishop of Montreal accuse the province of "Nazism"? Would residents of Calgary and Winnipeg call for a boycott of Quebec? Do you suppose the federal parliament in Ottawa would propose legislation to grant citizenship to the illegals (thereby allowing them to sponsor the emigration to Canada of their relatives back in the Unites States)?

Of course not. Anyone remotely familiar with Canadian politics knows exactly what would happen. A situation like the one described above would cause the province to explode.

At the very least, you can bet that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Customs Canada would have tactical units all along the border from Massena to New Brunswick. At worst, there would be war. Francophones would be screaming "Arrêt!" and "Non!" to illegal immigration at the top of their lungs. Canada's leading pundits and politicians would be demanding the preservation of Canadian culture against the onslaught from the United States. All of the obnoxious moral priggishness about "human rights" and "multiculturalism" that Canada has become so famous for would go out the window in a heartbeat, and the Canadians would spare no expense in rounding up and deporting the illegal American invaders.

French-Canadians are extremely prickly about their cultural heritage. Quebec has legislatively forbidden stores to advertise in English and mandated the use of French in public schools. French-Canadians have their own political party, the Parti Quebecois, to promote their interests. In 1995, the province held a referendum and came within one percentage point of voting to secede from Canada.

It is utterly mind-boggling to see the reaction of the cultural and political elites in the United States to the law passed by Arizona last week empowering the state to enforce immigration laws. Cardinal Mahoney of Los Angeles characterized the law as "Nazism," and Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano called it "misguided" and "not ... good."

The Constitution grants Congress the authority to "establish a uniform Rule of Naturalization" and to "repel Invasions." But prominent congressional leaders like Speaker Pelosi and Congressman Raúl Grijalva have taken positions opposing the enforcement of the immigration laws Congress itself has passed.

Even the president has criticized Arizona's law, calling instead for granting citizenship to illegals. What else would you expect from a president who spent his childhood in Indonesia, bowed to foreign emperors, gave a campaign speech as a citizen of the world in Berlin, and who currently has an aunt living as an illegal alien on welfare in Boston? Certainly it is unrealistic to expect that he will serve the interests of the United States.

No sane country has ever elected elites who have systematically undermined their own culture and erased their national borders. Even the French-Canadians know how to stand up for themselves. Who will stand up for the United States and demand, without apology, that the border be sealed and the illegals deported? The Republicans won't do it, the Tea Party is impotent and rudderless, and the Democrats are actively aiding and abetting those who seek to undermine us. If we are unwilling to police our own borders, we are doomed.

I'm not certain what it will take to preserve the United States, but we had better come up with something effective -- and soon.