Patriotism for Canada Day
- Thread starter Aitrus
- Start date
RE: Patriotism for Canada
I don't want to get caught up in semantics. ....
All I know is that I love the physicality of canada...I love the oceans and I love the mountains and the tundra and the Cambrian shield.
Drive from one side to the other,and you'll know the feeling the land itself generates.
I don't want to get caught up in semantics. ....
All I know is that I love the physicality of canada...I love the oceans and I love the mountains and the tundra and the Cambrian shield.
Drive from one side to the other,and you'll know the feeling the land itself generates.
I love Canada, and I wouldn't live anywhere else.
However, I can't stand our current government, or are governing system all together.
... My thoughts ...
However, I can't stand our current government, or are governing system all together.
... My thoughts ...
I love my country. I don't much like the Liberal party though. It's OK to disagree with the party in power, and it doesn't mean you aren't patriotic.
Patriotism is wishing your country to the best it can be, and doing your damnest to make it that way, even if the government is doing more harm then good. Especially if the government is doing more harm then good.
It means upholding the things that are good, and finding ways to fix the things that are wrong. Critizising what the government is doing is the the most patriotic things you can do, because if you point out what's wrong it may be possible to fix it. If you just stand there waving a flag and saying "My country right or wrong" and papering over the problems eventually they will get bigger and bigger and you will fall into them.
Patriotism is wishing your country to the best it can be, and doing your damnest to make it that way, even if the government is doing more harm then good. Especially if the government is doing more harm then good.
It means upholding the things that are good, and finding ways to fix the things that are wrong. Critizising what the government is doing is the the most patriotic things you can do, because if you point out what's wrong it may be possible to fix it. If you just stand there waving a flag and saying "My country right or wrong" and papering over the problems eventually they will get bigger and bigger and you will fall into them.
If a country is the land, what separates love of southern Canada for the Northern US? Do the Rockies understand Canada? Do the Great Lakes? Are they bound or limited? Why am I to revere "Canadian" lands I have never been to nor seen, but not have the same reverence for other beautiful places around the world? If it is simply the land, the land is not restricted by the idea of countries is it?
If it is the people sharing the land, then that includes everyone I dislike. Every lazy liberal. Every jerk. Every criminal. All the people who agree with me and disagree with me, simply because we share a politically defined territory. All Canadians. Is that what I sing for? Is that what I salute?
Is it our cultural traditions? Which might those be in our pseudo-multicultural society? The traditions of the Italians? the Chinese? the Indian? The French? the Manitoban? Who's traditions? Who's culture? What are the shared cultural traits? Molson Canadian, Hockey, and Poutine? Is that what we celebrate? Is that all we share?
You see, a country is purely political, and a nation is but the shared experience of those politics. All we have in common at the end of the day is our political institutions and political customs. Canada is particularly void of other things as we are a hodgepodge of everybody elses culture. What grand vision for Canada? None. What is the Canadian dream or the Canadian ideal? Nothing. The portugese bring their portugese ideals, the British their british ideals, and so on and so forth in the great "mosaic".
Canada quickly becomes meaningless as an idea. Where should our national pride come from? The only place it can come from is our lie of multiculturalism, for there is no unique Canadian identity save the willingness to be enveloped by other cultures.
Easier to wave the flag and sing the anthem though, then to ask yourself why you do either.
If it is the people sharing the land, then that includes everyone I dislike. Every lazy liberal. Every jerk. Every criminal. All the people who agree with me and disagree with me, simply because we share a politically defined territory. All Canadians. Is that what I sing for? Is that what I salute?
Is it our cultural traditions? Which might those be in our pseudo-multicultural society? The traditions of the Italians? the Chinese? the Indian? The French? the Manitoban? Who's traditions? Who's culture? What are the shared cultural traits? Molson Canadian, Hockey, and Poutine? Is that what we celebrate? Is that all we share?
You see, a country is purely political, and a nation is but the shared experience of those politics. All we have in common at the end of the day is our political institutions and political customs. Canada is particularly void of other things as we are a hodgepodge of everybody elses culture. What grand vision for Canada? None. What is the Canadian dream or the Canadian ideal? Nothing. The portugese bring their portugese ideals, the British their british ideals, and so on and so forth in the great "mosaic".
Canada quickly becomes meaningless as an idea. Where should our national pride come from? The only place it can come from is our lie of multiculturalism, for there is no unique Canadian identity save the willingness to be enveloped by other cultures.
Easier to wave the flag and sing the anthem though, then to ask yourself why you do either.
"O Canada"
O Canada! Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.
With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North, strong and free!
From far and wide,
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
Refrain
O Canada, glorious and free!
We stand on guard, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee!
O Canada! Where pines and maples grow.
Great prairies spread and lordly rivers flow.
How dear to us thy broad domain,
From East to Western Sea,
Thou land of hope for all who toil!
Thou True North, strong and free!
Refrain
O Canada, glorious and free!
We stand on guard, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee!
O Canada! Beneath thy shining skies
May stalwart sons and gentle maidens rise,
To keep thee steadfast through the years
From East to Western Sea,
Our own beloved native land!
Our True North, strong and free!
Refrain
O Canada, glorious and free!
We stand on guard, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee!
Ruler supreme, who hearest humble prayer,
Hold our dominion within thy loving care;
Help us to find, O God, in thee
A lasting, rich reward,
As waiting for the Better Day,
We ever stand on guard.
Refrain
O Canada, glorious and free!
We stand on guard, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee!
O Canada! Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.
With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North, strong and free!
From far and wide,
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
Refrain
O Canada, glorious and free!
We stand on guard, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee!
O Canada! Where pines and maples grow.
Great prairies spread and lordly rivers flow.
How dear to us thy broad domain,
From East to Western Sea,
Thou land of hope for all who toil!
Thou True North, strong and free!
Refrain
O Canada, glorious and free!
We stand on guard, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee!
O Canada! Beneath thy shining skies
May stalwart sons and gentle maidens rise,
To keep thee steadfast through the years
From East to Western Sea,
Our own beloved native land!
Our True North, strong and free!
Refrain
O Canada, glorious and free!
We stand on guard, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee!
Ruler supreme, who hearest humble prayer,
Hold our dominion within thy loving care;
Help us to find, O God, in thee
A lasting, rich reward,
As waiting for the Better Day,
We ever stand on guard.
Refrain
O Canada, glorious and free!
We stand on guard, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee!