Americans (I know that's wrong, America is the continent, the country south of Canada is the United States, but what else do you say? United Statesers? Ye gods!) believe that a the word for the little tiny animal that lives under your kitchen counters and your cat is always hunting and failing to catch, and the word for the huge animal with antlers that lives in swamps and eats moss and such, have different vowel sounds; and that the word for the building you live in, if you don't live in a multi-family apartment or on the street, rhymes with the little animal.

Canadians appear to believe in the government as their master, rather than their servant. Americans (except the liberals, who should all move to Canada forthwith, they'd be much happier) believe in government as their servant. Unfortunately, a lot of Americans have lost track of the fact that you can't have a free society without all or most of the people accepting that they have obligations as well as rights. We are all the government, ergo, we are all each others' servants.

There's gotta be a way to make it work. If I figure out what it is, I'll let you know. I've wondered if I shouldn't emigrate to Canada myself. In some ways, they seem to make it work better. But:

1) It's cold enough here in Vermont, and

2) They wouldn't let me bring my .44 magnum, and I'd be nervous without it.

Peter.