The Underground Blogway

The Underground Railway is a famous example of humanitarian support raised against an immoral society, whereby slaves in the U.S. South in the middle part of the 19th Century were helped by many caring people to make their way north, eventually crossing the US – Canada border. They were then helped to settle in Canada and begin new lives, adding another rich chapter to the development of a multicultural society of immigrants.

I’d like to believe otherwise, but I sense that GWB will win the American presidential election on November 2, 2004. In that case, my fear for all Americans (and also us Canadians) is that daily life will become much more uncomfortable, in the sense of various aspects of authoritarian control being imposed.

What would make me think that? Well, in addition to Ron Suskind’s recent NY Times Magazine piece titled Fear, Certainty and the Presidency of George W. Bush, more and more assertive (polite Candian term) mutterings are being floated each day. For example … whilst in Ottawa this morning I read that both Israel’s Ambassador to Canada (Alan Baker) and the US Ambassador to Canada (Paul Cellucci) stated yesterday that “Canadians must realize additional restrictions on rights and freedoms are necessary to counter the relative ease with which terror groups can now infiltrate Candian society and launch attacks here, against the United States or on Israel and other foreign interests in Canada”.

The Internet, the Web and the interconnected information systems which pervade and surround our lives used to be called the Information Highway a few years back.

I think it may be time to plant the seeds for a new version of the support provided by the Underground Railway to beleagured people … I am calling this the Underground Blogway.

I will undertake to help, in whatever way I can, anyone who wishes to explore the possibilities of moving to Canada. This help may consist of information, links, connections to people (I know people who may be helpful in Toronto, Montreal, the Maritimes, Vancouver), shelter for periods of time (if I can get enough people interested who would be willing to share a bedroom, a spare garage, a vacant house or apartment, and if it comes to this, food and money.

There are seriously troubling times a’coming, I think. I hope not, but I am worried … for you, my American friends. And probably … dammit … for us up here in Canada.