Peace and amity between the US and Canada is the foundation of the stability of our Detroit-Windsor international metropolis. We take it for granted. And why not? Our countries have stood side-by-side through wars, conflicts, good times and hard times.

Stand back and look from space. We are one huge metropolis with river passing through it with the same oddball NW to SE roadways.

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It wasn’t always this way. From 1812-1815, when Canada was still under British rule, a nasty war was fought along these borders. Towns were burned, massacres occurred and Detroit was enemy-occupied for 18 months. An America army marauded across Southern Ontario and no shipping was safe in the Great Lakes waterways.

But we overcame that past, became good friends, then allies, then business partners. We prospered, grew together and our international family of communities became the auto capitols of our countries. Together we built our North American security, prosperity and democracies.

I find very disturbing the level of insult and vile discourse the current US administration and President has chosen to direct at Canada—our closest friend and ally. I, as one American, do not share those views and condemn such remarks as not only insulting to our friends and neighbors, but to Americans as well.

This behavior calls for us who know our histories and value our friendships to pull closer together as friends across the border and not allow the bad behavior of a few to destroy what took so long to build and so benefits us all.