Last Thursday was a dark day in the harmonious relationship between the United States and Canada, as members of our own armed forces stood before television cameras and apologized for the killing of Canadian soldiers by American bombs in another friendly fire incident.
Just a few days later, the Canadian national anthem was met with a steady stream of boos by a sold-out crowd at The Palace before the Detroit Pistons and Toronto Raptors played Game 1 of their first-round NBA playoff series Sunday night.
The crowd included a few thousand Toronto fans, who were decked out in Raptors gear and were waving Canadian flags. When Toronto made a run toward the end of the first half, the crowd chanted, "USA, USA!''
"That was pretty sad. That was something I wouldn't have expected from a city like Detroit. It was disheartening,'' said Toronto forward Jerome Williams, a former Piston, after Monday's practice. "It was a total lack of respect, and I was just disappointed we didn't get a win after.''
The display came on the day funerals began for the four Canadian soldiers killed when an American F-16 mistakenly bombed Canadian troops in Afghanistan.
Some Toronto Raptors, however, said the team was the intended target of the crowd's wrath, including coach Lenny Wilkens.
"I think they were more booing the Raptors than they were booing Canada,'' said Wilkens. "The mob is easily led.''
The United States has no greater ally than our neighbors to the north. Rather than booing at all, the fans - and all Americans - should have observed silence during the Canadian anthem both out of respect for the soldiers and as a gesture of deep regret. Respect for human life transcends sporting events and national boundaries.
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