Mr. Harper makes right choice by saying no to anthem change
Posted Mar 12, 2010 By Theresa Fritz
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Tweet ThisEMC Lifestyle - Talk about a buzz kill. Just when I had written this wonderful column criticizing Prime Minister Harper and the Conservative government for wanting to change some wording in our national anthem, something strange happened. He decided not to do it.
Two days after raising the issue in the Speech from the Throne, Harper heard loud and clear from Canadians as well as members of his own caucus - Leave The Anthem Alone!
Now, for those of you who missed the issued, let me give you a bit of a recap.
Just as our wonderful nation was still basking in the glow of its Olympic high, the federal government appeared to have found a way to take all the patriotism and national pride created from the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games and throw it in the dumpster. And they managed to do it just days after Parliament resumed sitting, having been prorogued for almost two months.
And how have they managed to do that? In the Conservative government's Speech from the Throne March 3, it was noted that our national anthem 'O Canada' would be reviewed because of potentially sexist wording. But don't just take my word for it.
"Our Government will also ask Parliament to examine the original gender-neutral English wording of the national anthem," it was noted in the Throne Speech, read by Governor General Michaëlle Jean.
O Canada, with music composed by Calixa Lavallée in 1880, became the national anthem in 1980, replacing God Save the Queen. I was in Grade 9 in 1980 and have no recollection of any other anthem besides O Canada. I do remember learning the French lyrics as well and, as a bilingual Canadian, I can assure you they are not a direct translation of the English ones. But, I digress.
Having said this, it seems the offending portion of the anthem is as follows: "true patriot love in all thy sons command."
I can't speak for all women out there but I can honestly say I have never felt offended, belittled or neglected by my country because the national anthem has a line that says "in all thy sons command." I just assume the anthem and patriotism refers to everybody.
It is Tory Senator Nancy Ruth who is pushing this anthem agenda. She wants the anthem to return to its original, more gender-neutral wording from before 1908, which goes: "thou dost in us command."
Who talks like that in 2010? It's old English to be sure.
I guess Ruth believes the wording was changed from "thou dost" to "in all thy sons" to encourage men to join the military around World War 1. If that is not the case, then she believes the wording needs to be more inclusive because it doesn't reflect women in the military today.
Is this really something our government needs to spend time on? Really?
I am sure I am not alone when I say how much I dislike it when performers asked to sing our national anthem at events try to jazz it up somehow. I did not like Nikki Yanofsky's performance of the anthem during the Olympic opening ceremonies for that reason. Why can't people just sing it as it was meant to be sung - like an anthem and not a pop song?
You would be hard pressed to see the United States of America mess with its anthem. And pity anyone who tried. When performers have tried to make it sound more pop-like, they have been soundly criticized in the media. But not here in Canada.
Those of us who were fortunate enough to be born in this country just don't get it.
I remember my late father, a Hungarian immigrant who escaped from the Hungarian Revolution, was so proud to be a Canadian. He would always tell me that I didn't appreciate how great Canada was and that I really should be thankful for this wonderful birthright.
When I was younger I thought he was crazy but all these years later, I know he was right.
We need to be proud Canadians, defend our nation, support our ideals and stop tinkering with something that is clearly not broken.
Those were my views until last Saturday, when news broke that our Prime Minister had seen the light and had dropped the plan to change the wording in our national anthem.
Apparently, 95 per cent of his own Caucus were against the idea. Surely he can't be surprised.
Let's move on to more important issues. I am sure that after having not been in session for months, the federal government has more important things on which to focus its energies.
As for me, I look forward to the next opportunity I get to sing our national anthem - exactly as it exists today.
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