Mexico vs Canada: Where should a political refugee go?
It was August 5th, 1971. The government was conducting a draft lottery for young men to determine who would be eligible to be drafted. It was a big deal because the good old USA was still sending troops to fight—and die—in Vietnam. This was the day for people in my age group.
Surprisingly, I don’t remember what my exact number was—it was in the 250 range—but it was high enough that I never had to worry about being drafted into the Army.
A few minutes after it ended, my mother called me. She was crying and said, “I’m so happy because you don’t have to go to Vietnam.” I somewhat snarkily replied, “Mom, I told you many times I wasn't getting drafted. I was going to Canada before that happened.”
And, I really was. It was either Toronto, but more likely Montreal. Yeah, I didn't speak French but I like the Canadiens hockey team better than the Maple Leafs.
It was August 2022. We were on a cruise to Alaska. The final stop was in Victoria, Canada. We took a nighttime walking tour. On the home stretch back to the ship I was chatting with the tour guide, telling him this was one of the prettiest cities I had ever been in. Then I again snarkily asked him, “If the politics get bad in the U.S., do you think this would be a great place to live?” He laughed and told me that was one of the reasons he moved to Victoria more than thirty years earlier. He also said he’s asked that question almost every day.
It’s now two years later. Since Tuesday night, the politics of the United States have turned bad for about half the citizens who voted in the election. I texted a friend who I knew would be broken-hearted and pissed off about the election results. I asked if she was getting ready to move to Canada. She told me that Canadians don’t really like Americans and that maybe I should choose to go somewhere else. Damn her—a fifty-year escape plan is shot to Hell. And I was hoping to make that tour guide my new BFF, too.
Hmmm…where else is there? How about Mexico? It’s warm in the winter, that’s a plus. Plus, their President is Claudia Sheinbaum, a Jewish woman—how progressive of them. It can’t be too bad, can it? Now a James Taylor song is playing in my head:
Oh, Mexico
It sounds so simple, I just got to go
The sun's so hot, I forgot to go home
Guess I'll have to go now
Inauguration day is a little more than two months away. I better do some research and make some plans—-FAST!!!! See you in Cabo or Rosarito this January.
Oh, Mexico
It sounds so sweet with the sun sinkin' low
The moon's so bright, like to light up the night
Make everything all right
