Frank Schaffner – 2/4/05

This page was last updated on February 5, 2005.

Reasons to move to Canada; Frank Schaffner; Beaver County Times; February 4, 2005.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.

“Shall the radicals religiously and politically dominate our day to day lives?

“Islamic fundamentalism is obviously apparent in our world. Christian fundamentalism has swept through the executive, legislative and judicial branches in my nation.”

[RWC] Which nation is Mr. Schaffner’s? His premise that “Christian fundamentalism has swept through the executive, legislative and judicial branches” doesn’t fit the United States.

“Economically, communistic China is the most expanding economy in the world. The ultra capitalists in my America are outsourcing jobs for the immediate profits that capitalistic corporations demand.”

[RWC] Though still totalitarian, Red China doesn’t really fit the traditional communist mold anymore, at least economically. For the most part, today’s Red China economy is much closer to capitalism than communism. That’s why it is expanding, much to the chagrin of Democrats and other socialists.

What is an “ultra capitalist?” While complaining about outsourcing, which is very small despite the publicity it receives, Mr. Schaffner completely ignores “insourcing.” One local example is Sony.

“I would love to live in a nation where fundamentalist Islamic and fundamentalist Christianity don’t dominate my day-to-day life.”

[RWC] Whatever Mr. Schaffner is trying to describe doesn’t dominate my life, or the lives of anyone I know.

“I would love to live in a country where fundamentalist communism and fundamentalist capitalism don’t dominate my life and the world.”

[RWC] If Mr. Schaffner kept up with current events he would learn communism is approaching relative extinction and has been for quite awhile. What is “fundamentalist capitalism?” I’ve never seen this two words together before.

“Maybe I should move to Canada.

“If I move to Canada, I would live in a nation where 30,000 people won’t be murdered each year, a country where there aren’t more than 40 million people without health care. The only disadvantage is I might have to wait six weeks for surgery. If I do need immediate surgery, I get it without incurring $60,000 worth of debt.”

[RWC] I wonder which country Mr. Schaffner is referring to. Though a very small percentage of Americans don’t have healthcare insurance, no one goes without healthcare itself because of a lack of private and public programs.

Regarding murder, I wonder where Mr. Schaffner got his data? According to the FBI, the total number of murders and non-negligent manslaughters was 16,503 in 2003. I don’t claim that’s good, but it’s 45% lower than the figure cited by Mr. Schaffner. The figure for 2004 isn’t available yet, but the rate per 100,000 was consistent from 1999 – 2003.

The U.S. murder rate is roughly 5.7 per 100,000 citizens. The Canadian rate was about 1.7 per 100,000 for 2003.

“If an all-star Little League or lettered athlete, Eagle Scout, B-plus junior high, B-plus senior high, B-plus college student, honorably discharged veteran and fourth-generation American is seriously considering moving to Canada, something has got to be going wrong in America.”

[RWC] Of course something must be wrong with America. After all, the view of the person described couldn’t be wrong, could it?

“For all the letter writers who say, ‘Move to Canada,’ I say this: At least I might not live in a nation that doesn’t have 30,000 murders a year and 20,000 suicides a year, and littering is almost nonexistent.”

[RWC] Again the letter’s figures appear to be in error. According to the CDC, there were 30,622 suicides in 2001. Regarding suicide, Mr. Schaffner might want to consider the fact that Canada has a marginally higher suicide rate than the United States. The rate for Canada in 1997 was 12.3 suicides per 100,000 citizens and in the U.S. for 2001 it was roughly 10 per 100,000.

“The more letter that tell me to move to Canada, the more I receive the more I will know I’m right. If there is one letter, responds that asks a fourth generation American, Eagle Scout, honorably discharged veteran to give the United States a little more time, I might stay, ‘I’ll stay.’ Beaver County people, you choose.”

[RWC] Though much of the letter was poorly written, the last paragraph is a doozy. The paragraph appears exactly as it did on the Times web site and in print. I don’t know what it’s trying to say so I’ll leave it alone.