Be proud of our Commonwealth past
Having just returned from several weeks in England I can attest to the astonishing depth of feeling and patriotism that swept the United Kingdom upon the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Frankly, it was wonderful to see such love of country and unabashed pride. Yesterday I heard that four billion people watched the queen’s funeral around the world, making her a figure of global importance. This left me with two thoughts.
First, that the kind of patriotism I saw could probably no longer take place in Canada. Yes, I know that Canadian tributes to the Queen took place, but the trend of our society, under the influence of radical politics, is away from our historic identity and national pride and toward condemning patriotism. The call for abolition of the monarchy by the leader of the Bloc, condemnation of the monarch by identity based groups, subtle and overt, and the cancelling and trashing of Canadian customs and history are a step backward, not forward. Canada has a historic connection to the monarchy and the Commonwealth. It should be honoured and the connections to it shouldn’t be denied.
Second, the shame, guilt and blame culture that has recently infused Canadian life must stop. While watching the celebrations, I became sadly aware of the fact that from the highest levels of government down to everyday Canadians, the idea that Canada is reprehensible, evil and a criminal nation that should be ashamed of itself is endemic. It is also untrue, yet propagandists have already begun the task of labelling patriots as extremists and those who have national pride as delusional or dangerous. Trashing the monarchy is just one part of this process.
Sorry people, but our history is linked to our Commonwealth past. No amount of exaggeration or shaming can change that. We should be proud of it, something the rest of the world has already demonstrated in its universal praise for Queen Elizabeth II.
Perry Foster
Duncan