On Friday I had a day off from my other job (the one that pays for this one, the one I want to do) as an opportunity for national pride. American readers are probably getting today off for a similar reason.
National pride is a weird thing to me. Don’t get me wrong, I love my country and I am very, very grateful that I was born and raised here instead of many other countries with more regressive or oppressive governments. But part of pride in one’s country is the understanding of what sucks about it, and I gotta be honest… there’s a lot that sucks about Canada. We have a long and ignoble tradition of genocide, colonialism, and a military budget that way, way outstrips our theoretically pacifistic identity… and, like many places around the world right now, we have a serious problem with certain political factions within our nation that are stretching for every iota of power they can grab. Dangerous, at the very least.
Which isn’t to say there isn’t a lot to be proud about. There absolutely is. But part of that pride should be funneled into trying to make the country great, rather than just assuming it is already as good as it could possibly ever be. It involves looking at other nations and figuring out how they got to be better at the aspects they are better at, and how they are worse in the areas they are weaker. It’s a moment for reflection and understanding, rather than jingoistic screaming about our ‘superiority’ without any consideration for what those kinds of messages say about us, as people, and our nation as a whole.
But, hey, don’t let me get in the way of whatever plans you may have for today. I hope it’s a great day, no matter where you live or how you show your appreciation for the flag you were born under.
Hope everyone out there stays safe and healthy!