It's the anniversary of confederation. 141 years, I do believe.
A day off work! And a day for "patriotism and sober reflection" (as said by a well-spoken friend on facebook).
I think that we Canadians sometimes forget that we are proud of our country. Compared to the United States, we aren't really expected to be actively patriotic. We go about our day to day business, all the time bombarded by the American media's stereotyped vision of our country. Schools don't focus on Canadian history. In elementary school all we learned about was pioneers, natives, and early explorers. In high school we had one year of Canadian history, and the class was kind of a waste of time.
Why is this? We invented insulin, the telephone, the light bulb, the Wonderbra (lift and separate! - you're welcome guys), the zipper, basketball, snowblowers (of course haha), and many other things. The music world can thank Canada for a host of great musicians and bands (sorry about Keyshia Chante, though). Canada has been revolutionary in the advancement of human and individual rights. In the past, we have had an incredible military with sophisticated technology. Although our military equipment seems to be lacking these days, the skill and patriotism of our military is still very strong (just ask a soldier! haha just kidding, sort of).
We get caught up in the flaws of our country. The education system can be a joke... public education is often a waste of time, aside from the socialization aspect. It takes forever to get in to see a doctor, the health care system is so crowded. Our taxes are prohibitively high, and we are taxed on EVERYTHING. Our justice system is soft on criminals, and many offenders do not get the punishments they deserve.
At least we live in a country where being educated is the norm, and up to a certain level it is free for every citizen. Our health care is free - no one is turned away from a hospital or a doctor because they cannot afford to pay. Waiting lists are based on need, not first-come-first-served. It sucks when you go to the ER with strep throat, but you will be deleriously happy when you are rushed in with a life-threatening injury. Our high taxes pay for our health care system, among many other things. Be glad that every offender is given a chance to prove themselves innocent, and a chance to be rehabilitated into society. It means that YOU will get the same chance if you find yourself in the same position one day.
It is never a good idea to evaluate yourself in comparison to the worst possible alternative. I don't advocate it... just because we are "better" than many countries, it doesn't mean we should just settle with the status quo. However, I don't think that we shouldn't be proud of what we HAVE accomplished. Canada is a great country, and we should remember that, damn it!
Ok, there's my patriotic rant for the year. I'm proud... to be proud to be Canadian!
And I would just like to add: Happy birthday to A.C., who this blog is essentially named after! He's probably... 6 or 7 years old this year. I miss him tons, and still love him lots!
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