“The welcome mat is out,” was the concluding sentence of the letter circulating last week by Sen. Joseph E. Martin (R-Rumford) to leaders of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Urging “adoption — welcoming home kindred spirits who were born under a different flag but who desire to live under our Constitution and accept our responsibilities, customs, and traditions,” the senator’s invitation for these provinces to “come into the fold” of the U.S. (“without Canadian political baggage”) raised the ire of many.

Mainers voted for this guy?

The galling decision by Maine Republican Sen. Joseph E. Martin to send Canadian politicians a letter vilifying our way of life and telling us our freedom is “an illusion” can, we assume, stand as a general statement from the people of Maine toward the people of Canada. After all, you elected him.

My understanding, having lived in Quebec’s eastern townships earlier in life, was that people in Maine and Vermont were pretty square, decent folk. But you’ve allowed this bloviating to suggest otherwise. For shame.

Jeremy Loome
Edmonton

***

A stunning display of arrogance

I (and every other Canadian I’ve spoken to on this) are stunned by the arrogance and audacity of Sen. Martin. To write to elected Canadian representatives and essentially request them to commit treason is truly astounding.

To believe that we in Western Canada would want to leave the “True North, strong and free” and join the USA only deepens the animosity brewing here toward American politicians. It appears Sen. Martin is trying to fast-track his way to a Trump posting. His stupidity is leaking through his audacity.

Embarrassing, Maine. Embarrassing.

Harvey Bauhs
Sidney, B.C.

***

A laughable proposition

I understand that Americans, especially a large number of Republican politicians, have minimal levels of education, just like their leader. What your Sen. Joseph Martin doesn’t understand is that Canadians are completely opposite to Americans.

We consider it to be extremely sick and disturbing to openly and publicly celebrate racists. We consider it to be horrifyingly repulsive to lend support rapists or pedophiles, like so many of the GOP seem to be doing right now. The delusion that Sen. Martin has about Canadians wanting to join a country that is politically corrupt, socially stunted and morally bankrupt is laughable.

Canadians don’t even want to travel to the U.S., let alone become a part of such a sick, nauseating, defective country. Until Trump and the majority of the GOP are long gone, we will not be going anywhere near your country.

Marie E. LeBlanc
Victoria, B.C.

***

I will never return to the States

So, once again, at the worst possible time, a U.S. politician (Sen. Joseph Martin) has taken it upon himself to interfere in Canadian politics. This is at a time when tourism from Canada is at a dramatic low and is continuing to drop.

I am writing you expressly because I intend to take Martin’s highly offensive letter and bring it to the attention of as many Canadians as I can, from coast to coast. It is offensive enough that even more Canadians, French Canadians and Maritimers will choose to no longer visit the USA. What gives Americans of any ilk the right to interfere in another country’s politics when they live in a failing democracy? It is almost mind-boggling if it hadn’t become the norm. His behavior is deplorable and unforgivable.

I address not those who live in District 19, but all Americans. If you are looking for a reason why you have lost forever Canadian tourism, look no further than Sen. Martin, who reinforces that skipping the USA and working to boycott all things American makes perfect sense.

As someone who has visited your state a dozen times in the past, I will never return, nor will any member of my family, thanks of Sen. Martin. It is imperative to remind all Americans that, between cross-border shopping and tourism, the U.S. will lose over $40 billion in much-needed revenue that will affect employment and the health of small businesses.

What is sad and should be underscored is that letters like his do nothing but ensure the divorce from Canada becomes permanent.

S. Frame
Bowmanville, Ontario

***

A message from my Uncle Eddie

This is in response to state Sen. Martin’s recent unsolicited approach to Canadian legislators, attempting to recruit them to abandon their oaths of office and loyalty to Canada. It is apparent he sent such a letter to entice them to follow a path that would see some of our provinces break up Canada, to join the U.S.

I will share with you my Uncle Eddie’s phrase, which he picked up while serving during WWII aboard his Canadian ship in the North Atlantic as he was protecting U.S. troop ships and merchant mariners on their way to England: “Well, he can bloody well kiss MY ROYAL CANADIAN …”

I live in the Maritimes. After Sen. Martin’s terribly tone-deaf letter, you can be sure I, and all of my extended family that I can convince, will not be going to Maine again until he and his ilk, at both the state and federal levels, are no longer in a position to act so stupidly.

Maureen Pendergast
Darnley, Prince Edward Island

***

A few choice adjectives

I am very rarely at a loss for words, but the recent assertion that Canada’s four Western provinces should separate and join the United States of America left me close to speechless. Thankfully, some words did come to mind. They are: arrogant, ignorant, rude, stupid and supercilious. I suspect that you will need a dictionary to help you with the meaning of these adjectives.

Perhaps I should remind you of some of the benefits that we Canadians enjoy and that a majority of Americans envy. We have universal health care, gun control, very low rates of crime, incarceration and poverty, have higher levels of education, experience little racism and homophobia, etc. We also embrace diversity and equity.

Presumably Sen. Martin is an avid supporter of President Donald J. Trump. It would seem that he has knowingly chosen to forget that he is a twice-convicted felon, a misogynist and considers the U.S. Constitution as a set of “guidelines” as demonstrated by his arresting and imprisoning of countless innocent immigrants while showing a complete disregard for “due process.”

Gary J. Forma
Peterborough, Ontario