I Stand on Guard for Thee... as long as it is safe
Yesterday Canadian border guards at four out of the five British Columbia entry points (into Canada from the US) walked off of the job for several hours. The guards received word that a suspect in a California homicide case was making his way to Canada, so fearing for their safety, they acted on their right to refuse to perform their duties for reasons of personal safety.
What really gets me, is that before the guards at the Peace Arch crossing walked off the job a car with California licence plates failed to stop at the crossing station.
So, it is entirely possible that the Canadian border guards allowed a homicide supsect into the country... not because they were not at their posts... but because the crossing points are not built to actually prevent a vehicle from proceding past the inspection/questioning point. Our borders basically work on the honour system. "Do you promise to stop your car on this line and talk to the nice man or lady in the booth? OK, then you may proceed." Usually there are a few RCMP cars waiting past the line... but who is to say that anyone is actually in the cars at all times? They could be inside getting a coffee, using that facilities, whatever... once a car passes the inspection stations there is no way of stopping it short of chasing it down. Saying "please" generally doesn't work.
I like having undefended borders. I'm not sure how I feel about PM Stephen Harper's promise to have Canadian border guards armed by 2008. Knowing Canadians and Americans trust each other enough to not put guns in the hands of our border guards is calming. Those people get cranky enough as it is, I don't know if I want them packing heat.
That said, I do think the system is somewhat lacking.
What really gets me, is that before the guards at the Peace Arch crossing walked off the job a car with California licence plates failed to stop at the crossing station.
So, it is entirely possible that the Canadian border guards allowed a homicide supsect into the country... not because they were not at their posts... but because the crossing points are not built to actually prevent a vehicle from proceding past the inspection/questioning point. Our borders basically work on the honour system. "Do you promise to stop your car on this line and talk to the nice man or lady in the booth? OK, then you may proceed." Usually there are a few RCMP cars waiting past the line... but who is to say that anyone is actually in the cars at all times? They could be inside getting a coffee, using that facilities, whatever... once a car passes the inspection stations there is no way of stopping it short of chasing it down. Saying "please" generally doesn't work.
I like having undefended borders. I'm not sure how I feel about PM Stephen Harper's promise to have Canadian border guards armed by 2008. Knowing Canadians and Americans trust each other enough to not put guns in the hands of our border guards is calming. Those people get cranky enough as it is, I don't know if I want them packing heat.
That said, I do think the system is somewhat lacking.