This week is filled with North American birthdays. America’s birthday is July 4, and Canada’s birthday was July 1.
Being a Canadian, I’m always proud to honor and celebrate Canada Day – July 1. But upon further reflections, I’m wondering if being American isn’t slightly better. . .
When I was a kid, everyone – EVERYONE – celebrated Canada Day in some form. There were fireworks, people wearing red and white, people proudly boasting maple leafs drawn on their faces, and Canadian flags everywhere – on cars, apartment balconies, houses, even little ones in cute kids hands.
This past Canada Day, as in previous ones, there have been considerably fewer and fewer symbols of celebration for our nation’s birth.
There were fewer people decked out in our national colors, virtually no one painted on maple leafs, and the Canadian flag is outnumbered by various other national flags in this country.
And that is where our nation’s greatest problem lies.
Canada has always welcomed those from other lands. We are proud to open up our arms, and warmly greet those any nation. We have a lot of freedoms which other countries just don’t have. We have clean air, and water, and we provide free universal health care to all our citizens. Clearly, we are a nation which takes care of each other.
So, for as long as I can remember, people from other countries come here to get a better life. A life away from a dictatorship, society, where nothing is free – not even one’s own freedom. A life away from poverty and disease. Even just a life where the air and water are safe, clean and clear.
It used to be, the few immigrants that managed to come here from their great journeys instantly fell in love with Canada. They would become great citizens, role models even for those who already called this place home. They would go on and on about how wonderful this country is, proudly fly our nation’s flag, and wear our nation’s red and white colors during Canada Day.
Not any more.
I suppose all good things, come to an end. And the age of innocence of our growth as a nation has come to an end. Now, immigrants take for granted the freedoms, liberties and rights which we give them upon arrival.
We never stop anyone from practicing their beliefs, their culture, their way of being. But we certainly never expected to have our own values, our own uniquely Canadian beliefs, culture and way of being tossed back in our faces either.
And that is exactly what has and is happening.
Those from other lands are starting to outstrip and over populate those who were born here. Far worse, those who are now born here often are immediately tossed into a world from which their parents came – never even learning our official languages of English and French.
What other nation on earth can you survive in, without speaking the language of the people there?
Only in Canada.
And that is wrong, wrong, WRONG.
Where else in the world can you go, leave your home country, and settle down in some other distant land, but never participate in the new land’s way of life?
Only in Canada.
And that is wrong, wrong, WRONG.
Over time, we’ve seen the error of our ways. Crime is way up, murder is up, poverty in the poor is increasing and the rich are getting richer. We are seeing less Canadian-like values prevail over our once highly valued and respected ones.
Even the Mounties are now allowing changes in uniform, to accommodate those whose culture incorporates specific dress items. The Mountie is a truly noble, heroic, and highly visible Canadian image – to allow any change of this image is a black mark on the mirror that is Canadian society.
When I go out to buy some milk from the corner store, I hear many languages, none are English or French.
I hear others talking about how wonderful their homeland is, and how they miss it. But they never mention how wonderful Canada is, not like they used to. They just complain about our weather, our taxes, our this and that . . . but back home . . .
But America – ah – that place rocks. When you move to America, you become American. No questions as to what you are, what language you will speak, or what culture you will participate in. You are American. In the States, on the Fourth of July, everyone flies American flags, red, white and blue is worn by most, and stars and stripes are painted on many a face – even those not originally from America.
Why can’t we be like the American’s and be a nation united for nationhood? Why do we let those into this once great land of Canada desecrate it so? Why indeed?
Being a Canadian, I’m always proud to honor and celebrate Canada Day – July 1. But upon further reflections, I’m wondering if being American isn’t slightly better. . .
When I was a kid, everyone – EVERYONE – celebrated Canada Day in some form. There were fireworks, people wearing red and white, people proudly boasting maple leafs drawn on their faces, and Canadian flags everywhere – on cars, apartment balconies, houses, even little ones in cute kids hands.
This past Canada Day, as in previous ones, there have been considerably fewer and fewer symbols of celebration for our nation’s birth.
There were fewer people decked out in our national colors, virtually no one painted on maple leafs, and the Canadian flag is outnumbered by various other national flags in this country.
And that is where our nation’s greatest problem lies.
Canada has always welcomed those from other lands. We are proud to open up our arms, and warmly greet those any nation. We have a lot of freedoms which other countries just don’t have. We have clean air, and water, and we provide free universal health care to all our citizens. Clearly, we are a nation which takes care of each other.
So, for as long as I can remember, people from other countries come here to get a better life. A life away from a dictatorship, society, where nothing is free – not even one’s own freedom. A life away from poverty and disease. Even just a life where the air and water are safe, clean and clear.
It used to be, the few immigrants that managed to come here from their great journeys instantly fell in love with Canada. They would become great citizens, role models even for those who already called this place home. They would go on and on about how wonderful this country is, proudly fly our nation’s flag, and wear our nation’s red and white colors during Canada Day.
Not any more.
I suppose all good things, come to an end. And the age of innocence of our growth as a nation has come to an end. Now, immigrants take for granted the freedoms, liberties and rights which we give them upon arrival.
We never stop anyone from practicing their beliefs, their culture, their way of being. But we certainly never expected to have our own values, our own uniquely Canadian beliefs, culture and way of being tossed back in our faces either.
And that is exactly what has and is happening.
Those from other lands are starting to outstrip and over populate those who were born here. Far worse, those who are now born here often are immediately tossed into a world from which their parents came – never even learning our official languages of English and French.
What other nation on earth can you survive in, without speaking the language of the people there?
Only in Canada.
And that is wrong, wrong, WRONG.
Where else in the world can you go, leave your home country, and settle down in some other distant land, but never participate in the new land’s way of life?
Only in Canada.
And that is wrong, wrong, WRONG.
Over time, we’ve seen the error of our ways. Crime is way up, murder is up, poverty in the poor is increasing and the rich are getting richer. We are seeing less Canadian-like values prevail over our once highly valued and respected ones.
Even the Mounties are now allowing changes in uniform, to accommodate those whose culture incorporates specific dress items. The Mountie is a truly noble, heroic, and highly visible Canadian image – to allow any change of this image is a black mark on the mirror that is Canadian society.
When I go out to buy some milk from the corner store, I hear many languages, none are English or French.
I hear others talking about how wonderful their homeland is, and how they miss it. But they never mention how wonderful Canada is, not like they used to. They just complain about our weather, our taxes, our this and that . . . but back home . . .
But America – ah – that place rocks. When you move to America, you become American. No questions as to what you are, what language you will speak, or what culture you will participate in. You are American. In the States, on the Fourth of July, everyone flies American flags, red, white and blue is worn by most, and stars and stripes are painted on many a face – even those not originally from America.
Why can’t we be like the American’s and be a nation united for nationhood? Why do we let those into this once great land of Canada desecrate it so? Why indeed?
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