Flag Day (politics)

 

One of the big differences I see between Canadians and USians, is that Canadians aren't generally big flag wavers.  

As such, we wound up mounting a smallish Canadian flag over our front door during one Flag Day, when they were being given away to anyone who wanted one.  We mounted it that year, and then left it because it was such a great 'landmark' if anyone was looking to visit - 'white house, flag mounted over the front door'.  At the time we were the only house flying a flag in our neighbourhood. and since then it has faded and been replaced.

We nearly took it down when the 'convoy' folk grabbed the flag for their 'parades' as they coal-rolled down the streets, but we figured we were flying the flag long before they were, so we kept it up.  Now the entire nation appears to be metaphorically flying the flag, and the 'convoy' folk are being out-numbered.  

In point of fact there are still very few private homes that fly the flag, so our direction to strangers is the same 'flag mounted over the front door'...

If the US administration continues the way they are going, I will speculate that once the current cold spell is over, there may be more private homes with flags flying.

And that's the thing that happens all the time - people who are not Canadian tend to underestimate us.

Unless they have benefited from Canadians serving them.  As we have benefited from service from others - most recently the exchange of fire fighters between countries.  We have seen crews from African countries, also battling wildfires during their hot season, usually able to come here during ours.  We have had Australian and Mexican crews, too.  And just last month Canada sent crews to California.  We know that being a good neighbour is to help each other.  Something lost on the current administration, who isn't doing their own citizens any favours.

We are in a time of upheaval, and where it will all end, no one knows.  Let a bully win, they will keep pushing.  Keep punching down.  We are in the fight for our country's survival right now facing huge odds.  Maybe Canada should thank the current president for the unification?  For being a 'bad' example?  

Let's just have a moment to think about Canadian author Margaret Atwood's observation that The Handmaid's Tale was a warning of what could happen, not meant to be a playbook...