Canada is...

Canada is:

Amazing not because the UN tells me it is in the top five quality or happy places in the world in which to live, or because it has the longest undefended border with our strange neighbours to the South who we both love and hate and try to define our identity by distancing ourselves from their identity, for example we don’t carry guns in public places,  regularly shoot students in high schools, in parks, theaters and other public places, nor do our policemen brutally act on racist notions to beat minorities, we are not a perfect nation nor do we profess to be but our elections are run with a minimal of mud slinging and at budgets that would shock the monied American system, we are more caring of our needy and offer universal health care and tuitions that students can more afford making us the most educated country in the world with still much to strive for as we treated our natives badly and still do and must improve, always improve on how we treat the weakest and most vulnerable in our society, we allow abortions, religious freedom, freedom of the press, even from our leaders, we can express ourselves and bitch about everything even though relatively speaking we have it so good and have come so far, we don’t wrap ourselves in flags and repeat patriotic platitudes to mask horrific deeds in other lands, we honestly try to get it right, yet frequently fall short of our goals, we are not perfect, we have politicians and lawyers and such with a legal system that doesn’t always get it right, there is a gap between rich and poor and that must too be addressed, we will not be bullied by our southern neighbours even when they no longer act like friends or neighbours, we retain our sense of humour, we have our sports and diversions, our pride and integrity and our incredible geography, space and environment, we are diversified, learning and ever growing, we are Canada with an imperfect past and a general will to make it right…eh