This is the story of a library like no other. A rich widow Martha Stewart Haskell had the idea to build a library right on the border of the United States and Canada to serve small communities in southern most Quebec and northern Vermont. It opened in 1904. The Haskell Free Library and Opera House became a symbol of friendship and provided equal access to both Canadians and Americans. There is a 400 seat opera house on the two upper floors. When I say on the border, I mean sitting on the border. There is a black tape running through the center of the building with the US on one side and Canada on the other. Sounds like a great idea.
For decades, Canadians walked down a sidewalk next to the library to the main entrance on the US side and walked in. No passport required. Then came Trump. He threatened to make Canada the 51st state and and punish it with tariffs. He managed to get the friendliest neighbor any country could have to recoil in disbelief and anger. They were even booing our national anthem at hockey games. Somehow he found out about the library and sent Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to check out this potential national security threat in January.
Noem and her staff stood on one side the black tape and faced the library staff on the other. She described illicit border crossings through the library. She them stepped back and forth over the tape a couple of times saying, “51st state, US”. Library staff were stunned at the humiliating and embarrassing display. US Customs and Border Protection claims the library has been used for illegal smuggling. They have installed surveillance cameras.
The US has restricted Canadians from the main entrance. They now use a back door on their side to enter. Starting in October, Canadians wishing to use the main entrance on the US side will have to go to the US border crossing and show their passport to enter the United States meaning the library. There will be no more family reunions in the building. Library officials have promised to increase security and plan extensive renovations to the Canadian side entrance. A GoFundMe campaign has already raised $200,000 for the renovations.
The Haskell family has donated the library to the two small towns, Stanstead, Quebec, and Derby Line, Vermont that share the building in the heart of their community. The towns even share their drinking water and sewage facilities. They fly each others flags. This library is an example of the the kind of country we should want to be, welcoming, neighborly and sharing. That country is quickly fading before our eyes. We are quickly becoming a country closed off to the world, closed to other cultures, vengeful, and yes, ugly. A library should be a place of learning and enjoyment in a peaceful environment. A place that expands our world. A place to teach children.
The United States has a history of dealing with bullies who threaten the nature of our country. We are facing one of the most serious threats today. We should look to a similar time for an example. In 1954, Senator Joe McCathy was holding hearings to expose alleged Communists in the government. Lawyer Joseph Welch was defending the US Army. McCarthy exposed the name of a young lawyer in Welsh’s firm claiming he had ties to the Communist Party. Welsh knew it was not true. He famously challenged McCarthy during the televised hearings. “Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last?” Many believe that was the beginning of the end of McCarthy.
Who will stand up to Kristi Noem and Donald Trump when they crossed the line at the free library?
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