canadian for a day

[trochee]

This story about my friend Melanie will be on the front page of the NYT tomorrow morning[update: here], along with a picture of her!

Melanie Redman, 30, assistant director of the Epilepsy Foundation in Seattle, said she had put her Volvo up for sale and hopes to be living in Toronto by the summer. She and her Canadian boyfriend, a Web site designer for Canadian nonprofit companies, had been planning to move to New York, but after Nov.2, they decided on Canada instead.

These facts aren't quite right -- the bf is a tech consultant, not a web designer; M is an associate director of the Epilepsy Foundation Northwest, but close enough. I'm sad she's leaving, but I'm happy for her: she's in love, and she's happy to be moving to a country that isn't busy crushing the rest of the world under its enormous ass:

"I'm doing it," she said. "I don't want to participate in what this administration is doing here and around the world. Under Bush, the U.S. seems to be leading the pack as the world spirals down."
"I'm originally from a poor, lead-mining town in Missouri, and I know a lot of the people there don't understand why I'm doing this," she said. "Even my family is pretty disappointed. And the fact is, it makes me pretty sad, too. But I just can't bear to pay taxes in the United States right now." Compared with the other potential immigrants interviewed, Redman was far along in planning.

She's getting hatemail for it already. Much of it is in the "go back to Russia" vein; except that it's "go on to Canada, we real 'mericans don't want your kind here anyway". Amazing that some of us Americans think of Canada the enemy now.

Comments

[exterra.livejournal.com]

so she found out it will be in tomorrow's paper?

[trochee.livejournal.com]

yep; the original thought was today's but it got pulled.

[ex-caracola454.livejournal.com]

Waita second, I think I know her...
Does she go to Samadhi yoga? Is she friends with Matt Cacho? Is she tall with wavy sandy hair and a nice big smile?

Just checking.

[trochee.livejournal.com]

yup. that's her.

[ex-caracola454.livejournal.com]

After all, the world's pretty small.

I am sure she feels even more justified now...

[boobirdsfly.livejournal.com]

Yup. The world is pretty small. God, I have been frustrated all day at all the idiots who have sent her hate mail. It's sad that :
* A/ people have nothing better to do than harass a stranger.
* B/ that people are such idiots
* C/ that they can't admit they are envious...
Fame comes with downsides I guess...
Oh Melanie... We love you !

[exterra.livejournal.com]

I wonder if she gets any non-supportive mail of the other kind, "How do you think deserting America is going to help make it any better, we need people like you fighting from within!"
These are thoughts I sometimes grapple with when I hear of people fleeing the country.

[trochee.livejournal.com]

That's exactly what imtboo said to me this morning.

Well, not exactly. But very much the same thought.

A long lost friend searching for Miss Melanie

[(Anonymous)]

Hello, I'm not sure who'll see this, but I've been wanting to reconnect with my fellow Truman Alum for some time. Melanie, hi, it's Jason (Probst). Just googled you. Found out you are Canada bound.

You are one of the people that has truly stood out in my journey, would love to hear from you again. If anyone who knows Melanie sees this, please tell her to email me her current info: jprobst@businesspartner.com or cell: 314.775.6599

thanks