I have a cousin among them. He left after graduating college. His father was a career Army officer, serving during three wars.
My cousin was never drafted, so he could freely return to the US, but stayed and changed to a Canadian citizen.
He is about 62 years old today, but intellectually he has not developed beyond 60s hippie anti-war nonsense. He can rant all the predictable left-socialist mantras.
I met and spoke with him five years ago, a few weeks before 9/11/2001. It was disappointing.
At the time I got my draft notice in December 1968 I knew of my cousin in Canada. Unlike him, I reported and served my time. To this day I consider my service as a one of the few but most defining times of a lifetime.
I'll give him one thing. He is a western individualist, making his home in Kelowna, BC. Cold winters with wood burning fires. He is an artist. It is hard to make a good living as an artist, so I expect it is comforting to have socialized medicine, for example.
His son studied business at University of British Columbia, and stayed on to live in Victoria. I can see why somebody would stay in Victoria--nice place.
The son could become a US citizen, as both parents were US citizens at the time of his birth.
I live in the West Kootenays, home to thousands of these characters. Almost every community here has a large faction of "watermelons" led by these Yankee "idealists".
At least they aren't erecting a statue to the 'dodgers in Nelson. That was last year's plan.
In the Believe It Or Not file, I actually meet the odd old hippie who likes George Bush.