I crossed the border from Quebec into Champlain, NY after having spent part of the weekend in Montreal visiting friends - hard-working, law-abiding, intelligent, God-fearing people - and visiting my childhood home (I was born in the US, but moved to Canada at the age of 3 months.) As usual, the customs official questioned me about how I had met the people I visited. It seems that everyone now is a suspect. Am I to be faulted for visiting the city that holds for me many positive childhood memories and still fills me with a sense of optimism? Do frequent crossers attract more suspicion? Why can't they see us as unofficial ambassadors from the U.S.? I speak French fluently as my second language and know a lot about Canada, especially Quebec. Why do these stupid border checkers hold so much power? Do they have a right to know who we associate with - especially if we are returning home to our own country?