I know Canada has it’s own problems but we are working on them. We have a ministry dedicated to serving the people, not their own interests. Unlike some administrations…

“Stay here and fix what’s wrong with this country instead of giving up.”

I will certainly not. That’s like a person on the Titanic saying “Stay here and help fix the hull of the boat instead of running for the lifeboats.” It’s a foolish thing to do.

That’s a broad generalization and very untrue. We don’t have gangs walking around all over the place like you insinuate. If they exist, they are in very big cities and rare. Also, the outlook that “all Americans generally have”? Not at all! That’s insulting to the majority of Americans who do not have that bigoted outlook. It’s just a very few that feel that way about immigrants. Read the polls, please…. facts always help. Canada has its own problems, it’s not utopia. Stay here and fix what’s wrong with this country instead of giving up.

Don’t bet on it… the French have no real love for the Quebecois… In fact, during the last “national referendum” on Quebec unity, a funny thing played out in Paris…

The President of France had a meeting with then separatiste Bloc Quebecois leader, Lucien Bouchard. He spent an hour “discussing” French/Quebec trade relations if there were to be a separate Quebec… in a fantastic “face slap”, President Chirac immediately left the meeting to hand out special medals of “thanks” to Canadian WWI veterans… and made a long speech about how great Canada was… and did a massive photo shoot waving a “Maple Leaf” flag.

What really killed the separatiste movement was Parti Quebecois boss Jacques Parizeau saying on national television (after the vote to separate was defeated) that they lost the vote because of “immigrants and money”… pointing the finger directly at Montreal’s Jewish community amongst others. It was amazing… in defeat, the students and young folk at the Parizeau offices were STILL partying, dancing, and chanting… then Jacques said that and whammo! Instant silence.

Also, last time I was in Paris, I was sporting my maple leaf… and we were in a Pizza Hut (of all things) having lunch when two Quebecers came over to our table… thrilled to see Canadians… they were sporting Fleur de Lis and had come expecting to be treated like “bretheren French”… and no, they were treated VERY poorly… I would imagine like how someone in Mahattan might treat someone from the Ozarks. Through my pathetic French (je parle un petit peut de Francais) and their broke Anglais, we communicated in “Franglais”… and they told us how much they regretted thinking that Parisians would treat “fellow Frenchmen” better… and how they had now wished they’d simply said, “We’re Canadian”. They actually asked if we had any spare flags for their packs! (…and yes, they were serious.)

ANYWAY, I agree with a lot of the thoughts here… It’s NOT that Canada is “better” than America… or that America is “better” than Canada… we’re different, that’s all… and not too terribly different really.

We’re friends and neighbours… and we do help each other… despite our differences.

As a War of 1812 historian… and from a PROUDLY U.E.L. (loyalist) family… even during times of conflict, Canadians and Americans have always supported each other in one way or another…

I’m proudly Canadian… but I still admire and like America. I don’t want to live there… I like it here… much as many Americans don’t want to live here… and like it in the good ol’ US of A!

So CHEERS to our friends and neighbours!

Jessica - Yeah, I am temporarily using the default K2 WordPress theme until I get my theme designed. However, I am a huge fan of dark, night-timeyish layouts so that’s what’ll be displayed here.

Yes, Canada is a great big beautiful nation. As to whether we will be assimilated into American culture is not really the question. I think the question to ask is why in the first place begin comparing the two countries to eachother? American culture is just that; American culture. And Canadian culture is just that; Canadian culture. We both have similarities and differences. It’s fine to have some flow-over of our two cultures. It creates undertsanding and acceptance. We can also learn from eachother. Facts are just facts. Sensationalizing only a few facts such as healthcare and crime to make our country look better is putting the onus on us to always outdue the other.

We are not in a competition here with the US. We are neighbors.

Do unto to others…

Jessica Doyle - citizen of the world. The area of the world i just happen to live in Canada.

The reason why there is such a cry for maintaining English as the main language of the US is because it is the language that this country was built upon, and it is the language people (well, most anyway) learn when they come here in order to secure jobs, interact with others, and basically, live a full life in this country (which was built upon the English language).

P.S. I am a Naturalized American Citizen; I immigrated here when I was 3, and my family and I all learned English. {sarcasm ->} There aren’t enough immigrants from the Philippines to justify having everything translated into Tagalog (language of the Philippines).

kristina

DEFINITELY