Wither patriotism, whither patriotism?
Jun. 30th, 2021 04:14 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
blogcutter"It's a poor heart that never rejoices."
I don't know who coined that expression. Sometimes it's attributed to Charles Dickens, although I suspect its origins are even earlier. My mother often quoted it too.
So tomorrow will be Canada Day, formerly Dominion Day but this year it looks like lots of folk would prefer we called it Genocide Day. Now, I'm certainly not proud of everything Canada has done as a country, but I honestly cannot think of anywhere I'd rather live. And it seems to me that we still have quite a bit to celebrate: human rights, health care and social programs, high rates of literacy and levels of education and a good standard of living. Cultural diversity. The climate can be challenging, but I enjoy living in a place that has four distinct seasons. I can't imagine living somewhere that was hot all the time or cold all the time.
I say let's count our blessings and celebrate our accomplishments, while still acknowledging our faults and working towards a better Canada for all.
You know, even if we were to transform Canada Day into a coast-to-coast-to-coast Mea Culpa exercise, do you think that would deter our neighbours (or neighbors) to the south from having their own big blow-out celebration three days later?
I rather doubt it somehow. And while they too are entitled to celebrate their national day, do we in Canada really want to go back to pre-Cancon era when our artists and other skilled professionals all felt that to make it big or even to have any fun, they needed to move to the U.S.?
I don't know who coined that expression. Sometimes it's attributed to Charles Dickens, although I suspect its origins are even earlier. My mother often quoted it too.
So tomorrow will be Canada Day, formerly Dominion Day but this year it looks like lots of folk would prefer we called it Genocide Day. Now, I'm certainly not proud of everything Canada has done as a country, but I honestly cannot think of anywhere I'd rather live. And it seems to me that we still have quite a bit to celebrate: human rights, health care and social programs, high rates of literacy and levels of education and a good standard of living. Cultural diversity. The climate can be challenging, but I enjoy living in a place that has four distinct seasons. I can't imagine living somewhere that was hot all the time or cold all the time.
I say let's count our blessings and celebrate our accomplishments, while still acknowledging our faults and working towards a better Canada for all.
You know, even if we were to transform Canada Day into a coast-to-coast-to-coast Mea Culpa exercise, do you think that would deter our neighbours (or neighbors) to the south from having their own big blow-out celebration three days later?
I rather doubt it somehow. And while they too are entitled to celebrate their national day, do we in Canada really want to go back to pre-Cancon era when our artists and other skilled professionals all felt that to make it big or even to have any fun, they needed to move to the U.S.?
