By JOSE RODRIGUEZPosted on 07/04/2005 5:19:42 PM PDT by ConservativeStLouisGuy
Not today.
Because even those of us lucky enough to be in the opinion industry (read: professional whiners) know a good thing when we see it.
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It's Canada Day and despite the chronic criticisms that clacks from this keyboard all the other days of the year, today is a day to toast the Maple Leaf and raise a beer to Mother Canada.
So bottoms up -- we have plenty to celebrate.
If it wasn't for Canadians, the world would be without insulin, sonar, pablum and the zipper.
There would be no basketball, five-pin bowling and, quite predictably, no snowmobiles, snowblowers or goalie masks.
We invented the telephone, the TV camera, Trivial Pursuit and the Walkie Talkie.
The first Caesar was poured in downtown Calgary and though we didn't invent beer, we perfected it.
Contrary to what our American cousins might say, the lightbulb was first invented by Canadian Henry Woodward who sold the rights to his patent to Thomas Edison.
As Canadians, we don't need a military parade or a war to affirm our patriotism -- which comes in the quiet confidence of tolerance.
As a result, we are free to travel the world with our flag proudly displayed on our backpacks, our clothing and even our skin.
Our heroes tend to be common folk with uncommon determination.
We prefer Terry Fox to Paris Hilton and Wayne Gretzky to just about any other human being on the face of the planet.
We'll take a Tim Hortons double-double over a Starbucks Grande half-caff frapuccino any day.
We believe in freedom, but understand that freedom is never free.
The blood of young Canadians helped liberate Europe in the two big wars.
The battles at Dieppe and Vimy Ridge stand as testament to our bravery and sacrifice.
We have the longest coastline in the world at 243,000 km and inside that coastline we share our forests, mountains and lakes with moose, geese, bears and beavers.
We have our own language with uniquely Canadian words like pogey, poutine and toonie.
We say zed, not zee, chesterfield, not couch and we ride toboggans, not sleds.
We wear toques out of necessity, not fashion.
The 32 million-plus who call Canada home boast almost 100% literacy and can expect, on average, to live past our 79th birthday.
We bicker about our differences with Quebec, and at times, some of our francophone brothers and sisters threaten to leave.
But in the end, destiny and a referendum always keep us together.
There are many of us, this humble scribe included, who were not born in this country.
We are Canadian by choice and proud to call ourselves Canucks first.
So, no matter how much guys like me groan about government, whine about the weather or harp about the headlines, we're not dumb.
We know this is the best country on Earth.
There's no place I'd rather be -- or be from.
At the risk of sounding like a beer commercial, thank you Canada and happy 138th, eh!
never compare the men who serve in their military with the type of government a nation has---Canadians were as brave and sacrificing as any at Normandy--I was there with them in a US Coast Guard naval unit and have the greatest respect for their navy and army men---God Bless the Canucks
I just read your profile ... God bless you.
Thank you for your patriotism, honor and service. May God bless you.
And they should be justly honored for their sacrifice.
But in the grand scheme of things, Canada's burden was light. It has always been light. The United States has always done the heavy lifting. It was US industrial might that defeated the Nazis in World War II and the Soviets in the Cold War. Canada's contribution, although welcome, was relatively modest.
Canada was already committed to defend Great Britain before the US ever got involved in World War II. But Churchill never said to the US, "We're okay. We don't need help. The Canadians are here and have everything under control." But when the US declared war on Germany Churchill was ecstatic beyond belief. He said he knew at that moment that the Nazis would be defeated.
Canadians can move without insult through Western and Northern Europe because there is a common socialist conceit that binds Canada to these dying cultures. US citizens are insulted because the US is the most powerful nation on earth, unafraid to use its power to oppose tyrants, and power tends to inspire resentment among the failed and formerly powerful.
Canadians are ignored because Canada is considered inconsequential and harmless by tyrants the world over.
I pray the US will not follow Canada into decline.
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