Perhaps Lynn Crosbie would find it easier to "seduce" Americans like me to Canada if she were to stop insulting us. The rude tone of her article (Should Someone Finally Break Down And Write: 'This Land Is Your Land, This Land Is Your Land?' -- Sept. 23) purporting to offer attractions to increase tourism is more likely to keep Americans home than entice us to visit. But we are not as stupid as she believes. Americans recognize what hides behind her polite Canadian smile: "Welcome to Canada, you idiot."

Jabs against Americans are prevalent in this newspaper. To see this, flip to Jeffrey Simpson's column (Neutralizing The Oil Sands Carbon Emissions -- Sept. 23), in which he says, "Canada's record, put simply, is a national disgrace for a country that lives to bathe in moral superiority about its wonderful international reputation. Even the Americans have done slightly better." No wonder we stay home.

Canada has, as Ms. Crosbie suggests, a "genuine allure." Rather than blame Americans for not knowing about it, maybe it's time for Canadians to ask themselves why they don't, and to educate them -- with genuine good will -- one tourist at a time.