The Hidden Face of Terrorism

Curling is a sport which has been rather in vogue the last few years, mostly, we think, because of its appearances in the more recent Winter Olympic Games. It is a fun sport; we fully understand the allure which it holds for many Americans, especially here in the Detroit area. With our proximity to Canada, the attraction is all the closer. Americans can go to Canada to try out the game.

But not very easily. One of the more minor (yet still important) ramifications of the War on Terror has been the effect it has had on the chance for Americans to curl. The Roseland Curling Club in Windsor, Ontario, right across the river from Detroit, reports that its ice rentals are down by 80%. The main reason is because Americans aren't crossing the border to play. The main reason for that is that it has become difficult to, well, not cross the border, as our Canadian friends allow us into their country without much fuss. Yet American border guards, our own countrymen, are making it too hard to return home.

This isn't to blame the guards themselves; they're working on order and have little leeway in what they do. It has all to do however with our approach to the threats which, to be fair, are very real in our world. Yes, terrorism is a true and potentially violent evil which may cause harm to us. Yet, as has been said many timers by many people, when we must change our way of living because of it, the terrorists have won anyway.

Our borders must be secure. But can it be seriously argued that the average American who simply wants a night out trying something which looks like fun is any kind of threat to our security? Are we actually helping the situation when we make it tough for our Canadian neighbours to make a buck or two while offering the convenience to try curling? No; we're just making our own lives and that of our Canadian friends less enjoyable. To be fair, there in our case a local rookery: the Detroit Curling Club. But that facility rents its ice time out very quickly, and that point itself fails to address the question of the free movement of law abiding American citizens.

It is high time to rethink our border policies. If a guard has reason to suspect someone of evil intentions, then make them pull over for a more thorough investigation. Less than that, if the paper work is in order and nothing raises an alarm, no one should sit at the guard shanty more than a minute or two. When we make a day out hard on everyone, we only build resentment. Eventually that resentment may turn from the terrorists towards those right in front of us. Turning us against ourselves may turn out the terrorists' greatest victory.