I think it is great that newcomers are able to join in singing the anthem as it is now. There is no need to change it unless one wants to see Canadian athletes on the podium unable to contribute a few lyrics.
Posted by Anonymous to Our Town and Its Business at 25 February 2016 at 09:2
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We have social media and can chat amiably about all kinds of things: like the words of an anthem.
We can talk about why we have anthems and what is their purpose?
In the States once ,we had to scramble up from the sand in bathing suits and stand to attention
for the National anthem . Armed police officers stood behind us to complete the macabre scene. The water was too dirty and oily for swimming.
Nazis were big on anthems and salutes and marching in jackboots and instilling in children great pride in the superiority of race.
I read once where Hitler took a leaf out of the Catholic method of teaching faith to children.
So what's in an anthem? If a person lived in a wilderness area without government services, and loved it....would they love it more, if it was Canadian, American, Mexican or Chilean.
I suppose so if one needed to feel secure.....had rights.... and laws to protect them.
I think most people feel the need to belong.
A heart-stirring anthem, familiar since childhood,might provide that feeling of security.
An anthem is likely intended to instill something else as well.
"TRUE PATRIOT LOVE IN ALL HER SONS COMMAND"
Nothing ambiguous there. It means patriotism is required and whatever else may be needed
to protect and defend.
The anthem was written when sons were expected to do what was required. And they did.
In hundreds of thousands. Memorials in towns and villages everywhere bear their names.
There may be women's names among them. They would be few. Nurses mostly.
In WW 2 women were conscripted but the choice of service in the forces was personal. They were not armed. They did not go to theatres of war. They didn't fly planes ,drop bombs ,and get shot down in flames.
They didn't "man" submarines , torpedo ships and depth-charged into oblivion.
If modern women demand their place in modern warfare, firing off heat -seeking missiles indiscriminately killing other women, children and old people, I suppose, in the battle for equality,they should have that responsibility.
But evidence of post traumatic stress among returning warriors, incurable depression and mass suicides numbering more than front-line casualties,offers a different perspective on the story of glory and heroism.
If conscription came to a vote in any future conflict, I believe I might withhold my support.
I don't believe the words of the anthem should be changed either.
Young fathers in uniform being greeted by infants and small children on a return from a tour of duty in some foreign land is hard enough to watch.
Young mothers required to go off to war, leaving their offspring to someone else's care is
entirely unnatural in my judgement.
For either parent to do so voluntarily is beyond my comprehension.
Now....let's see what can be made out of that. .
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12 comments:
I think it is a diversion topic. Sort of like the pot uproar about whether the stuff should be sold at the drug store or the liquor
store. No one really much cares either way. They should just get on with the business of governing.
The only sour note in the pot legalization story is that Blair is in charge of handling the file. I would expect a few of his good
old buddies will do nicely through their links with the medical production. [ That is not speculation, either. It was in the Globe. ]
In the States now, one can have a police officer snarl if you light a cigarette. It is ok, though, to tote a gun into a Walmart store.
The Mavrinac stake-holders were back before Council. They really. really, really do not want any more development there
although they have never had any idea of what they do want beside space of their own. I find it amusing that there is now
talk about it being used by all of Aurora. Once the mantra was that there was already too much traffic in their area so any
plans would be have to be very narrow. Not inclusive at all.
Trumps' supporters act like the Nazis. They scare the heck out of me.
Canadian politiciansc should pay close attention. Characters like Trump will pop up here.
No. 20:09. Even Preston Manning is reduced to a whining article in the Globe. Harpers as scary as we get.
9:39 - Lets hope your right. But from the look of this provincial budget, I have my doubts.
@939 so what's so scary about Harper. Facts please not rhetoric
At the same time where does wynne stand after attacking seniors with her budget
"...so what's so scary about Harper(?)"
Nothing...NOW. Hahaha!
17:04 - Your right. Harper had his time at the helm to give all his pet projects our money. It's now Jr's turn. So your turn has come. It's only fair.
@2229
interesting logic.
Per projects I guess you mean the 25% increase to members budgets so we can hear from Kyle Peterson more regularly
how the libs are helping the middle class not withstanding Kathleen wynne at the other end taking away the benefits plus
Or how about the restored funding to the morally bankrupt UN that just announced Syrian ambassadors reelection to head the committee
on decolonization globally
Let's not even talk about Canada's new role in the fight against Isis training the Kurds who have now picked a fight with Turkey
resulting in the Turks bombing Kurdish positions
We both didn't like some of Harpers largesse but this is ridiculous given Canada's financial position
We have a Liberal majority Federally, we have a Liberal majority Provincially, and we have a Liberal majority municipally. We are in for some long and painful years a head of us.
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