It wasn’t that long ago when a trip to the USA was considered routine. Only a decade ago I’d travel to Phoenix every three months for work, and going through customs was a breeze. Once in the US, you felt you were in a place with similar standards as Canada. What a difference a decade makes. So far this year, 150 Canadian travellers have been detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the USA, double last year’s pace. This includes two children, both under the age of four, who were detained at a remote Texas facility. A facility, by the way, that has been the subject of a legal complaint alleging inadequate access to safe drinking water, medical care and legal assistance. One Canadian, Johnny Noviello, has died while in custody for unknown reasons. Now, some may just chalk this up to increased border security… but many of these visitors claim that criticism or mockery of President Trump on their personal electronic devices are the actual cause. With the wide discretion given to US customs agents to detain tourists, you’d have to conclude that for many Canadians, travel to the US simply isn’t worth the risk of lengthy detainment for political reasons. But it’s not just being Canadian that should make one reconsider a trip to the USA. Perhaps you’re a Canadian who leans to the right, politically speaking? Well, you might read the news lately and hear that Charlie Kirk, a right-wing podcaster, was just publicly assassinated. There were the famous shots taken at Trump, threats to multiple parades and gatherings from left-wing groups, and many other attacks. Maybe you’re a more progressive-minded Canadian? Well, in June Democratic Congresswoman Melissa Hortman, her husband and loyal family dog were assassinated by a right-wing extremist with a “hit list” of various left-leaning targets. Paul Pelosi was brutally attacked with a hammer because his wife is a prominent Democrat. Gretchen Whitmer was the target of a kidnapping plot. Esther Salas, a Hispanic judge, had her son assassinated. The list goes on. Perhaps you’re not political, and more religious-minded? Violence against religious organizations in the USA are reportedly near an all-time high. Maybe you’re an atheist? The non-religious report higher than ever levels of violence and persecution, and many are afraid to even admit their beliefs publicly for fear of violence or persecution. Maybe these things don’t matter to you, but you belong to a different minority group - maybe you’re a member of the LGBT community? Hundreds of trans, gay and other queer people have already been assassinated, just this year. Reports of violence and persecution are, you guessed it, are at an all-time high. Perhaps you don’t belong to any of these groups? Well, you’re still traveling to an unsafe country. You are three times more likely to be murdered in the USA. You’re nearly twice as likely to be seriously assaulted or kidnapped, and about a third more likely to be robbed. If you’re an American, your life expectancy is a ridiculous 4 years shorter than a Canadian’s. The US actually has a lower life expectancy than that of much poorer countries like Albania or Panama! We’re talking about a country with some of the worst entrenched inequality issues the world has ever seen, a place where (as they actively cut scientific funding and vaccinations) the only growing industry is in health care. It’s a place where the education system is crumbling, science and reason being quickly replaced by politics and religion. It’s a place where the quality of life is dropping, the people are miserable and unhealthy, and two-thirds of the population are at each other’s throats over what are, in reality, relatively minor political differences. In short - if you love someone, don’t let them visit the USA. They have some stuff to work out first.