Things I'm Thankful Four, Eh?

[captainsblog]

Since it's Thanksgiving weekend over in West Buffalo (also known as South Detroit), I thought I'd start my list early this year of the things I should express gratitude for, particularly those connected to the nation giving the thanks on this occasion.

I'm thankful I live next to a country which embraces the diversity and intelligence of its leaders. Its Parliament just elected a Prime Minister who not only lived in the USA right before standing for office, but who actually worked at Harvard while doing so, and voters did not consider either of these to be a bad thing.

I'm thankful I live next to a country where wealthier people don't bitch incessantly about paying higher levels of taxes if they receive higher levels of service in exchange.

I'm thankful I live next to a country which embraces the history and traditions and even the languages of its immigrants while still not being afraid to apologise as a nation to the natives who were displaced by the ancestors of those current generations of former immigrants.

I'm thankful I live next to a country which, despite having a comparable number of firearms per person, has much lower incidences of the unlawful use of those weapons and none of the Second Amendment hysteria about it being unconstitutional to rip an AK-47 from a gun nut's cold dead fingers.

I'm thankful I live next to a country which neither defined a large portion of its population, not only legally but constitutionally, as "three fifths of all other Persons," nor ever treated such "Persons" as chattel, then as de facto second-class citizens, and even now as somehow not entitled to hold high office or even an ounce of respect.

I'm thankful I live next to a country that would welcome, and laud, a Nobel laureate from within its borders instead of minimizing and mocking him for the accomplishment.

I'm thankful I live next to a country that would be thrilled, and in fact is thrilled, to be hosting an upcoming Olympiad rather than applauding the loss of such an international event as a political victory against one of those "Persons."

Speaking of sports, I'm thankful for its invention and continual embracing of hockey as its national indoor sport, which combines skill, grace and violence in a way that no smashing of thug 300-pound football players can ever achieve, and which continues as a national treasure in that country and its close environs despite all efforts by its major league to send franchises from those cities below the USA's Mason-Dixon line and then to oppose efforts to move them back when they fail in those places.

I'm thankful for Jazz.fm and Hockey Night in Canada and SCTV.

I'm thankful for Great Big Sea and Melanie Doane and Moxy Früvous and a half dozen other musical treasures you probably have never heard of.

I'm thankful they're our Allies and partners in peace. I'm thankful that they tolerate our overwhelming of their politics and culture while still retaining unique flavours of both for themselves. I'd be more thankful if we could learn by example from them a little more.

Finally, I'm thankful for the many of you whose friendships have been born and cultivated in places like this, even if they don't have a dot-ca on the end of them.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all, from the turkeys to your south (or in our case, east).

Comments

[digitalemur.livejournal.com]

Tomorrow is no Ordinary Day, that's for sure.

(Sorry. Had to. I don't know Melanie Doane but I know the other two, AND Leahy, AND dangit where are my Due South DVDs, I need a Paul Gross fix!)

[thunderemerald.livejournal.com]

What you said. But mostly the part about GBS.

[captainsblog.livejournal.com]

:)

[headbanger118.livejournal.com]

I'm NOT thankful for Celine Dion, though. They could've kept her.

[(Anonymous)]

That was absolutely beautiful and right on !!!!

[luckycee.livejournal.com]

Very nicely done, Ray! And "ditto".