It seems that everywhere I turn to theses days, some icon of ‘Candadian-ness’ is being eroded, poo-pooed or called irrelevant. And that makes me angry.
Why? I happen to like Canada. I am a Canadian by choice. I immigrated here a few decades ago, because I liked what Canada was, its values, its attitudes to its people and peoples. Perhaps that is why I am so upset to see that Canada erased, one little symbol, onle little custom at a time.
Last month, we celbrated Victoria Day: the birthday of Queen Victoria, which also represents the birthday of Queen Elisabeth II, the queen of Canada. Predictably, many people used this occassion to diminish the role of The Crown here, and ridicule our system of government, the constitutional monarchy. I think that John Robson – who used to be a History professor, and understands the workings of political systems (brokien or not) had said it best in his column, where he heaps criticism on those who hurl uninformed abuse in the direction of our monarch:
“More generally, I don’t see what they think are sound constitutional principles. Do they favour a separation of powers, with or without checks and balances? Should the chief executive have a veto over legislation? Should Supreme Court appointments and foreign treaties require legislative assent or remain part of the executive prerogative? Or would they prefer “convention” government by an all-powerful legislature, a quasi-monarchical system where all power rests with an elected executive, or perhaps pseudo-aristocratic government by appointed judges accountable only to their own impeccable political correctness? Do these people have a theory of government at all? Resentment doesn’t qualify, and neither does insolence.”
…
“If people don’t know our history, including why we honour Queen Victoria, they should learn it. Good government isn’t just for dead white males. All Canadians enjoy an enviable constitutional heritage. And while suggestions for refining it are welcome, they require a foundation more solid than ill-informed scoffing and hitting distinguished people in the head with hard objects.”
Mr. Robson is right, as he so often is.
Then, last week, CBC – our tax-payer funded TV corporation, has decided to not renew the rights to a silly little song that it had used for some 40 years to announce ‘Hockey Night in Canada’ – its only profitable show. OK, not a big deal, it’s just a jingle. Except, that is not the point. The point is that so many Canadians identify this song with their childhood and their, well, ‘Canadian-ness’, that the fact this overbloated, condescending, brainwhashing-focused public white elephant (the CBC, in case I lost you) thinks so little of preserving it…well, it is a symptom of their disconnect with the populace they truly think they represent!
The CBC big-wigs think the jingle irrelevant – and by doing so, they are telling a lot of Canadians that their concept of what makes them Canadian is also irrelevan, even unacceptable in this brave new world of theirs.
And, of course, this goes hand in hand with the erosions of our basic rights – our naturual heritage as Canadians and free peoples – like ‘that American concept’ (as a Human Rights ‘inquisitor’, and a public servant, had called it) of freedom of speech.
Yes, these are all connected.
We must start paying attention to the little things, as well as the big ones, because together they weave the fabric of who we – as Canadians, as ‘Westerners’, as free human beings – are.
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