Re: Protecting our borders is priority one, Feb. 27

Protecting our borders is priority one, Feb. 27

I may be wrong but the handful of crippled refugees limping across our border in response to Trump’s directives hardly pose a threat to our national security. In his letter, Brock Turner implies that barring their entry would somehow be an expression of our “foundational truths” that our ancestors fought for. Canada’s acceptance of these people is neither a sign of weakness or misguided judgment.

The notion that our country is built on a foundation of protectionist statutes contradicts our recorded history. We are a nation of foreigners. Toronto in particular has more ethnic groups within its borders than almost anywhere else in the world. As Mr. Turner states, Donald Trump was not placed in the White House on a whim. He was elected because he managed to harness fear and hostility in the American electorate towards various “enemies” — everything from illegal aliens to large corporations that export American jobs.

Regrettably inciting a culture of fear and hate can only lead us down a path of violence and destruction. This is not the Canada that I know and love and, if Mr. Turner thinks otherwise, maybe he should head south.

John Fraser, Toronto

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