My sister sent me this email...
Once in a while someone does a nice job of describing a Canadian, this time it was an Australian dentist.
An Australian Definition of a Canadian
In case anyone asks you who a Canadian is . . .
You probably missed it in the local news, but there was a report that someone in Pakistan had advertised in a newspaper an offer of a reward to anyone who killed a Canadian - any Canadian.
An Australian dentist wrote the following editorial to help define what a Canadian is, so they would know one when they found one.
A Canadian can be English, or French, or Italian, Irish, German, Spanish, Polish, Russian or Greek. A Canadian can be Mexican, African, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Australian, Iranian, Asian, Arab, Pakistani, or Afghan.
A Canadian may also be a Cree, Métis, Mohawk, Blackfoot, Sioux, or one of the many other tribes known as native Canadians. A Canadian's religious beliefs range from Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, or none. In fact, there are more Muslims inCanada than in Afghanistan. The key difference is that in Canada they are free to worship as each of them chooses. Whether they have a religion or no religion, each Canadian ultimately answers only to God, not to the government, or to armed thugs claiming to speak for the government and for God.
A Canadian lives in one of the most prosperous lands in the history of the world. The root of that prosperity can be found in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which recognize the right of each person to the pursuit of happiness.
A Canadian is generous and Canadians have helped out just about every other nation in the world in their time of need, never asking a thing in return. Canadians welcome the best of everything, the best products, the best books, the best music, the best food, the best services, and the best minds.
But they also welcome the least - the oppressed, the outcast, and the rejected.
These are the people who built Canada. You can try to kill a Canadian if you must as other bloodthirsty tyrants in the world have tried but in doing so you could just be killing a relative or a neighbour. This is because Canadians are not a particular people from a particular place. They are the embodiment of the human spirit of freedom. Everyone who holds to that spirit, everywhere, can be a Canadian.
6 comments:
I love it Dana! This is so true! I'm proud to be Canadian! And also Korean! And yet my last name is Norwegian - again - a reflection of good ol' Canada :)
Hi Northern. I'm still curious about the balancing line between your social/political views and your religious views...will you be answering this soon?
Just Asking Questions:
First, I want to make two things clear. 1) I hate electronic discussion as it is impersonal, often misinterpreted and misunderstood. 2) It makes me very uncomfortable that you know me, but I do not know you.
With that being said, I balance my religious views with my political views quite easily. I don't think they conflict at all. The basis of being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is simply love of all. I feel that. I feel that strongly for the minorities and other peoples that make up the voiceless populations.
The trick is that people look to politics as an interpretation of their religious beliefs - but the leadership in my church represents a vast political spectrum and yet are completely unified in doctrinal teaching. How can this be? Because political policy or how one applies "love one another" will be different - but it doesn't mean that individual interpretation is wrong.
God, I believe, is much more open-minded than we give Him credit for being. He loves ALL His children and I am trying to do that also in the best way I know how. Because I love someone does not mean I lose my principles. Look to Jesus Christ's life. He hung out with the people that others despised and rejected, and yet He remained perfectly principled. Who am I, but a maker of mistakes just like all. I use these ideals to guide my policy choices, realizing that there is compromise in politics.
A free, democratic government's role is to protect the minority.
ps. If there is a specific view that you believe conflicts with my religious standing, or one that you can't see how I reconcile, let me know.
And also know, I generally am tongue and cheek and very sarcastic in my writing which offends people greatly - sorry if it has done that.
Northern,
Thank you for addressing the question. I have not been offended by your blog, just curious about your stance. I think your explaination was very informative and I appreciate it. Do you agree with the pro-life stance of your church? What about all of the funding given to various states, especially California, to keep homosexuals from the right to marry?
JAQ:
Good questions. Re: prop 8 and my views on the issue at large...refer to my earlier post about marriage rights vs. rites. I don't believe in the designations of "pro-life" and "pro-choice". They inadequately describe decisions that lead to abortion and due to a politicization of this issue, causes an inherent "line drawing" which is an arbitrary line with a subsequent public decision for one or the other. But I can't emphasize enough that I would love to continue talking - but please email me. I will not have these discussions any longer with one-sided anonymity. I really love these discussions, but lets do it in an honest setting.
Thanks. I look forward to hearing from you.
allison.dana@gmail.com
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