Maggie's Farm

Generally speaking, immigrants come to a country because they hope for a better future. Back in the day, when my grandparents came west, they were looking toward having a better life. But they were all prepared to work hard for same. In those days, one did not expect to walk across the border and receive major benefits. My grandparents - and my spouse's grandparents and greatparents - came west with a hope for a better future. But there was no certainty: they might get a grant of land, but with that came the opportunity to freeze to death, or starve to death, or even - in the time or prairie grass fires - burn to death. The survivors won through, and we are grateful for them.

Not so today: the opportunists crossing the border expect hard-working Americans and Canadians to support them and give them benefits most citizens of those countries don't qualify for. They're parasites, not interested in being a benefit to their new country but leaching off it.

When I think of Hong Kong, I think of December, 1941. For Americans, it' Pearl Harbor; for Canadians, it's the defense of Hong Kong.

As war clouds gathered, the Royal Riles of Canada (Quebec City) and the Winnipeg Grenadiers were sent to Hong Kong; both battalion had received only minimal training and were expected that would only see garrison duty. However, the Japanese followed up their attacks on Pearl Harbor with an invasion of Hong Kong on December 8th. The garrison (not just Canadians, but some Brits - the Royal Scots, two Indian battalions and some others), fought valiantly but were overwhelmed. Christmas Day, 1941, the Japanese finally overran the island; on the 24th, they had overrun a hospital and bayoneted the wounded soldiers while assaulting and murdering nurses. The remaining Canadian soldiers ended up in prison camps under conditions of great privation. Many years later, the Canadian government finally acknowledged these privations and granted those who were still living extra compensation. I think widows of the Hong Kong vets were also compensated.