To the Editor:
Re “O Canada, Come Be a part of Us,” by Ross Douthat (column, Jan. 12):
Pricey Mr. Douthat,
We learn your invitation to affix the American household, and whereas we’re flattered, we should politely decline.
Consider us Canadians as your favourite cousin who loves poutine over burgers and well being care over havoc. We cherish our pleasant rivalry, like beating you at hockey, however residing collectively? Maybe not.
You counsel we abandon our quaint customs like common well being care, beneficiant parental depart and that cute little factor we name gun management. And as a lot as we love visiting your lovely bustling cities, we love our community-focused, syrup-sweet way of life much more.
We’re a modest bunch, albeit a bit smug about our politeness and the way we handle to embrace everybody, from each nook of the globe. Our mosaic is colourful, our winters are white and our hearts — perpetually purple with maple leaf delight.
So, whereas we recognize the familial invite, consider us because the kinfolk who love household reunions however favor their very own house afterward. In spite of everything, somebody has to maintain the rink lights on.
Be happy to go to Canada anytime, Mr. Douthat — no have to carry a casserole, simply an open thoughts and perhaps a hockey stick.
Richard Wright
Hong Kong
The author is a Canadian writer residing in Hong Kong.
To the Editor:
Oh, sure, Canada, do be part of us! We may absolutely use your civility down this fashion. Bear in mind, although, that the value of admittance to our republic has change into quite steep.
You should pledge fealty — publicly, abjectly — to our incoming pricey chief. You should abandon all pretense of honesty, which is finest achieved by repeating the identical lie at each public discussion board. You should be wantonly merciless to immigrants and deal with them like barbarian pet eaters. You should make nearness to energy your all-consuming quest.
Greater than anything, you should look the opposite manner! No matter your training, nonetheless densely layered your syntax, you should by no means acknowledge the world you’ll be ushering in by your silence.
Mark Jacoby
Cherryfield, Maine
To the Editor:
As a Canadian, I’m gobsmacked that an American — Ross Douthat — would confuse widespread dissatisfaction with a federal authorities with a want to fold up all the nation with a purpose to merge with one other. By that measure, shouldn’t you’ve been knocking on our door to change into our eleventh province years in the past?
Quick-term frustrations apart, we’re tremendous, thanks.
Anthony Wilson-Smith
Toronto
To the Editor:
Despite the lengths that Ross Douthat goes to supply his bona fides as a scion of Canada, his essay is a stark instance of one of many United States’ most distinguished social and cultural exports: predominant character syndrome. Why wouldn’t Canadians wish to “take part within the nice drama” and assist “form the imperium”? The higher query is, Why would we?
So we will pay extra for much less accessible well being care? So we may be saddled with extra training debt? So we may be beholden to extra monopolies, with fewer protections? So we will have even fewer political choices?
Perhaps as an alternative of preening within the mirror, take a look round you. The “shining metropolis on a hill” is collapsing, and we will hear you arguing about who’s value saving from up right here. Considered from the surface, the “nice drama” of America is extra “Actual Housewives” than “West Wing,” and shaping the imperium clearly has a billion-dollar minimal buy-in.
Dave MacLachlan
Halifax, Nova Scotia
James Carville Is Nonetheless Mistaken
To the Editor:
Re “Why I Was Mistaken In regards to the 2024 Election,” by James Carville (Opinion visitor essay, Jan. 6):
Mr. Carville continues to be improper. He sees every thing by way of the prism of the Nineties Clinton years. This election was not some advanced thriller that Mr. Carville needed to ponder, searching for hidden truths. It was purely concerning the candidates, and about underlying racism and sexism.
The roles reviews have been nice, gasoline costs are down, the inventory market was booming and inflation was reducing. None of that basically mattered to voters it doesn’t matter what they might have stated in exit polls. I imagine that the overwhelming majority of Trump voters wouldn’t vote for Kamala Harris or anybody like her below any circumstances. No quantity of political messaging can change fundamental human nature.
Donald Trump appealed to the worst in us, and nearly half of voters fell for it. Sadly, we should face the fact that a big portion of American voters harbor quite a lot of racism, sexism and xenophobia.
Nathan P. Carter
Winter Park, Fla.
To the Editor:
James Carville writes, “Denouncing different Individuals or their chief as miscreants will not be going to win elections.” Sadly, it appeared to work fairly effectively for Donald Trump.
Jeremy Pressman
West Hartford, Conn.
Serving to the Hurting
To the Editor:
Re “When Grief Involves Your Mailbox” (Opinion visitor essay, Jan. 5):
Sloane Crosley writes concerning the onslaught of letters she acquired after she wrote concerning the suicide of a pal. She did her finest to reply, though, as she put it, “On high of not being a grief counselor or somebody a fan of duties, I’ve an allergy to earnestness.”
I could also be too earnest. When my first guide, “Girltalk: All of the Stuff Your Sister By no means Informed You,” got here out, I used to be 28 and totally unprepared for all of the reader mail about despair, issues and stepfathers who entered bedrooms. However I wrote everybody again, 1000’s of handwritten letters. I didn’t see how I may do in any other case.
Electronic mail made correspondence simpler, and the web has given ladies extra locations to share emotions and search info. However I nonetheless obtain letters and nonetheless write again. I do know that sort phrases are a strong balm.
Ms. Crosley explains that many people “refuse” laborious conversations as a result of we worry “less-than-perfect articulation” of turmoil or condolences.
True. However when you recognize somebody is hurting, saying one thing beats staying quiet. Even simply texting “Considering of you” lets the opposite individual really feel your affection and put a coronary heart on it. Should you can say extra (you, not A.I.), higher nonetheless. Whenever you present you care, less-than-perfect phrases add mild to darkness.
Carol Weston
Armonk, N.Y.
The author is an recommendation columnist at Women’ Life.
Why I Don’t Fly
To the Editor:
I applaud “Inexperienced Air Journey Is Nonetheless a Fantasy,” by Mark Miodownik (Opinion visitor essay, Jan. 2).
Once I inform individuals whom I do know to be in any other case involved about local weather change that I’ve, for years, not indulged my love of journey by way of jet transportation due to its extraordinarily disproportionate and damaging influence on the surroundings, they stare at me as if I’ve two heads or sheepishly look away.
Sadly, for many, the journey bug trumps the looming menace of environmental collapse, underscoring the boundaries of most individuals’s willingness to sacrifice their self-enjoyment whatever the environmental prices or to behave as customers by way of flight boycotts to power adjustments within the dangerously polluting aviation business.
Mark Bierman
Brooklyn
