Year 144 as a nation. Sort of.
Legally we are the "Dominion of Canada." We are a constitutional monarchy. We write and ratify our own laws, with a perfunctory stamp of approval from a very nice lady about whom none of us particularly care. Soon that approval will come from one of two equine-featured former military men, one of whom is also an accomplished children's author and perennial loudmouth on every conceivable topic.
The other one just married a lovely girl with an awesome hat collection.
We all drink beer. Even if you don't drink beer, today you claim to love it. Beer, barbecue, patios and the Great Outdoors.
We all either have been to a lake, or are currently sitting on the edge of one - bare feet in the water, guitar in hand, singing something by either Gordon Lightfoot or the Tragically Hip. Maybe Joni Mitchell for the latte-suckers.
For the most part we disagree on what it means to be Canadian. Freedom, universal health care, cultural diversity, fiendish devotion to a particular hockey team, and hatred for the people of Toronto take turns as the defining characteristic of the average Canadian.
One thing we can all agree on though, is that being Canadian at least means NOT being American.
For now.
We complain about the cold all winter, and then about the heat all summer. The heat and the noise from construction.
We celebrate our diversity through the arts, policy, and the annual Pride Parade. Our cultural tapestry is one of the richest and most incomprehensible on the planet. We don't care if it makes sense; it is what it is and we revel in it.
We're unreasonably proud of not massacring our First Nations, even though our paler forebears did everything they could to ensnare, trap , assimilate, and otherwise kill them off. We're better than that now, although bands on reserve ask for flu vaccines and occasionally get bodybags instead. Honest mistake. Could happen to anybody.
Our military is the most respected in the world. Better trained than that of the USA, better equipped than those of Iraq and North Korea combined. The hard work and sacrifices of the Canadian Forces have gone a long way in establishing Canada as the diplomatic powerhouse it is.
It's still a diplomatic powerhouse, right? I mean we've lost our seat on the UN Security Council, but that's just one thing. And our military is still respected. After all, who held down the fort in Afghanistan when the world's pre-eminent military powers were diverting resources to Iraq?
That's right: Those people who, one by one, get trucked down the Highway of Heroes every couple of weeks.
Our military is pretty much still above reproach internationally.
For now.
Environmental groups love us. Except Alberta. And now Ottawa.
I'm rambling. Time to wrap it up.
I do love it here. Been around a bit, and I do love it better than anywhere I've been. You know, so far. And I'm proud to be from here. Wasn't always like that. This country used to embarrass me to no end; good thing it's because I had my head up my ass.
Politically, I often wish I had appreciated what we had when we had it. Good thing a country is more than politics. Strictly speaking, a country is no more than a geo-political entity. But we're talking about a nation here. A nation made of nations. A nation divided on particulars, but with broad common ground. The possibilities are endless.
Don't let's fuck it up any further.
Happy Canada Day.
Legally we are the "Dominion of Canada." We are a constitutional monarchy. We write and ratify our own laws, with a perfunctory stamp of approval from a very nice lady about whom none of us particularly care. Soon that approval will come from one of two equine-featured former military men, one of whom is also an accomplished children's author and perennial loudmouth on every conceivable topic.
The other one just married a lovely girl with an awesome hat collection.
We all drink beer. Even if you don't drink beer, today you claim to love it. Beer, barbecue, patios and the Great Outdoors.
We all either have been to a lake, or are currently sitting on the edge of one - bare feet in the water, guitar in hand, singing something by either Gordon Lightfoot or the Tragically Hip. Maybe Joni Mitchell for the latte-suckers.
For the most part we disagree on what it means to be Canadian. Freedom, universal health care, cultural diversity, fiendish devotion to a particular hockey team, and hatred for the people of Toronto take turns as the defining characteristic of the average Canadian.
One thing we can all agree on though, is that being Canadian at least means NOT being American.
For now.
We complain about the cold all winter, and then about the heat all summer. The heat and the noise from construction.
We celebrate our diversity through the arts, policy, and the annual Pride Parade. Our cultural tapestry is one of the richest and most incomprehensible on the planet. We don't care if it makes sense; it is what it is and we revel in it.
We're unreasonably proud of not massacring our First Nations, even though our paler forebears did everything they could to ensnare, trap , assimilate, and otherwise kill them off. We're better than that now, although bands on reserve ask for flu vaccines and occasionally get bodybags instead. Honest mistake. Could happen to anybody.
Our military is the most respected in the world. Better trained than that of the USA, better equipped than those of Iraq and North Korea combined. The hard work and sacrifices of the Canadian Forces have gone a long way in establishing Canada as the diplomatic powerhouse it is.
It's still a diplomatic powerhouse, right? I mean we've lost our seat on the UN Security Council, but that's just one thing. And our military is still respected. After all, who held down the fort in Afghanistan when the world's pre-eminent military powers were diverting resources to Iraq?
That's right: Those people who, one by one, get trucked down the Highway of Heroes every couple of weeks.
Our military is pretty much still above reproach internationally.
For now.
Environmental groups love us. Except Alberta. And now Ottawa.
I'm rambling. Time to wrap it up.
I do love it here. Been around a bit, and I do love it better than anywhere I've been. You know, so far. And I'm proud to be from here. Wasn't always like that. This country used to embarrass me to no end; good thing it's because I had my head up my ass.
Politically, I often wish I had appreciated what we had when we had it. Good thing a country is more than politics. Strictly speaking, a country is no more than a geo-political entity. But we're talking about a nation here. A nation made of nations. A nation divided on particulars, but with broad common ground. The possibilities are endless.
Don't let's fuck it up any further.
Happy Canada Day.
