Dismay as cross-border library caught in US-Canada feud: ‘We just want to stay open’
www.theguardian.com
The Haskell Free Library and Opera House sits half in Canada, half in Vermont. Now, the US is planning to cut off main entrance access to Canadians
  • zerofk@lemm.eeEnglish
    17·
    11 hours ago

    “There is only one building in North America, probably in the world, where one can browse bestsellers and children’s books by crossing an international border and then sit for an amateur theatre troupe in a regal opera house with each half of your body in two different countries.”

    Okay that’s a rather stringent set of requirements, written specifically for this library, but there are many buildings across the world that sit on international borders. That includes residential homes. There are people who literally have to cross a border to get from their bed to their shower in the morning.

    Not the point of the article, I know, but really that could’ve been written better.

  • barusu@lemmy.caEnglish
    5·
    11 hours ago

    The only smuggling I’ve ever heard of happening in that library was a guy FROM the US trying to smuggle some guns in to Canada back in like 2010 or so.

  • Australis13@fedia.io
    34·
    17 hours ago

    Of the thousands of books tucked into the library’s stacks, one author has emerged as a patron favourite: Louise Penny, the bestselling Canadian novelist and creator of the detective Armand Gamache. … Penny made headlines in recent weeks after donating C$50,000 (US$36,000) to help fund a new entrance to the library, an “elegant” solution to the diplomatic snafu created in wake of new restrictions. “I have the resources to help because of the support of American and Canadian readers. The least I could do is give back,” Penny said. “Plus, it’s like giving the finger to the current administration: you close one door, we will open another one.”

    This is exactly what I would do - make sure there is an accessible entrance on the Canadian side. Make it so that if the US really wants to be difficult, they have to put up a wall down the middle of the library.

  • ragepaw@lemmy.caEnglish
    413·
    22 hours ago

    Does any power or water or sewage systems come from the Canadian side? If so, they should be cut off. Not to mention, a fence should be constructed inside to block off American illegals from crossing into Canada. Even better, put a border check point there.

    If they want to go stupid, we can go full stupid.

    • Draces@lemmy.worldEnglish
      14·
      17 hours ago

      It would be a much better political statement to not ruin a library. Destroying a library is a bad look. For example, this article.

      • ragepaw@lemmy.caEnglish
        121·
        17 hours ago

        The library will already be ruined. A large part of it is in Canada and is now blocked to Canadians.

        There is no reason to do that beyond the people running the US are petty liars and shit-heads.

          • ragepaw@lemmy.caEnglish
            1·
            2 hours ago

            Serious question… how can you see with your head that far up your own ass?

            I’ll post again something i posted elsewhere. I’m sitting here in 1937 Poland and the Orange Oberbefehlshaber is looking for every way possible to fuck my country over, so as to inflict enough economic harm to weaken us in advance of an attempt to conquer us. When the tanks roll past my house, who many fucks do you think I’ll give whether the driver is “one of the good ones” or a Trump voter?

            And before the “herp de derp de derp… he won’t invade Canada”, you need to understand, “WE CANNOT AFFORD TO DISBELIEVE HIM” when he announces his intentions to try to take us over. Especially when, he didn’t say he wouldn’t, he said, “Highly unlikely”. That’s not a no.

            So, the sitting President King of the United States by saying unlikely, and not no circumstance, has announced that a military attack on our country is possible, while the leader of Vichy Alberta is playing the “we’re struggling under the yoke of an evil Canadian government” and flying to Mar-a-lardo to kiss the ring of Tangerine Palpatine, setting up a scenario nearly identical to the one playing out in Ukraine.

            And you think I give two shits about who uses that fucking library? Resistance at every point, at every opportunity. No inch, no quarter must be given.

            Edit

            https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trump-annexation-destabilizing-canada-1.7479890

  • klu9@lemmy.caEnglish
    28·
    21 hours ago

    Eventually, a Berlin-style wall, with ICE agents gunning down any citizens disloyal enough to try to escape to Canada.