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I Am A Canadian… |
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| London, Ontario - Friday, March 15, 2002 - by: Chris Blackman | |
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great |
Well friends, we tried to go national this week over an important issue. I sent a brief commentary out to more than one hundred newspapers across Canada, and even hit some of the biggies in the United States. (You may read a copy of the commentary ‘Doing what they wouldn’t tolerate’ at ‘http://ensign.ftlcomm.com — a great website for reading news, and opinions). |
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important |
Lets be fair here, I don’t think the letter was necessarily terribly well written. The point is, the brief letter sends a message that should be important to Canadians, that they should take some time to consider carefully, and that we only too rarely do. |
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wrap |
There was a time in this country, though it admittedly was before my day, when people could wrap themselves up in the flag, and be accepted as Canadians raising legitimate concerns about the health of the Dominion. Now, even wrapped up in the flag, many will shoot at you with little regard for the holes they may leave in their nation’s colours. Others may ignore you altogether. |
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Why? |
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lost |
It’s most likely because we have lost something in this country. We have lost an appreciation for what it means to be Canadian, and for just how special that is. |
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John |
Probably the last era in which it was ‘ok’ to be Canadian was during the Diefenbaker period. John Diefenbaker was a great Canadian who really had the ability to make Canadians conscious of their love for the country. He made us aware, that as Canadians, we owed a certain collective loyalty to the land. On top of that, he encouraged us all to respect that. Besides the memories, the wonderful snapshots frozen forever in time that allow young Canadians to remember Mr. Diefenbaker, and his legend - he also left us with some great codified history — he gave us our very own Canadian Bill of Rights. That Bill of Rights, greater than any other document was able to make Canadians recognize their debt to this special place. And it should be able to have that same effect again. |
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It’s time to take the Bill of Rights off the shelf, dust it off, and make Canadians aware of the important message it conveys. |
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"I am a Canadian, |
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The Rt. Hon. John Diefenbaker, from the Canadian Bill of Rights, July 1, 1960. |
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heritage |
“This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind,” words worth repeating. |
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dithering |
Canadians are doing so in Afghanistan today. Engaged in actual kill or be killed warfare. Canada’s Prime Minister is not doing so in regards to Zimbabwe. He temporizes over an election where voters were intimidated, polls closed, and opposition members erroneously charged with treason. |
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debate |
Here in Canada, for the 75th time debate in the House of Commons has been cut off by the government majority. What was once a most unusual move taken only on matters of urgent, and pressing necessity is now Standard Operating Procedure. |
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anthem |
The other day a friend of mine described to me the ritual that would occur at the end of a movie. When there was a rush for the exits, and the anthem started to play, he’d stop and stand at attention. The rush would stop as all others would follow his example. I wonder what would happen today? |
| We are creatures of habit. Over time, what was once shocking, becomes accepted. | |
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Worth |
It’s time to look back forty years, and more to John Diefenbaker’s pledge. To look each of us into ourselves to see how we square with it, and to suggest it might well be recited by our children as they open school each day. |
| References: | |
| Centre of Freedon and Democracy web page on John Diefenbaker | |
| A Brief Biography of John George Diefenbaker | |
| Point form biography of John Diefenbaker | |
| More detailed synopsis of the life of John Diefenbaker and what he stood for. | |
| The text of the Molson Commerical "I am a Canadian" | |
