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This letter was submitted in response to the June 25 Voice of the City by Killa Atencio (“Why I can’t celebrate Canada Day”). With the author’s permission, it has been edited for length.
Dear Killa,
I am upset by your recent article in The Coast. It contains many negative assumptions and bears an accusatory nature. Your letter has rattled me so that I do not quite know where to begin responding.
I should first acknowledge the truth in your words. You are of course correct when you refer to Canada’s “dark and fragmented history.” Our nation, in the global scheme of things, has disturbing and shameful atrocities in its past, and perhaps is still not entirely cured of making horrible mistakes. You can say that about Canada.
But you must also look to the histories of every other country in the world. There may be a handful of small nations, peppered around the globe, who have entertained utopian ideals and practices within their histories, but I am unaware of any examples to discuss here with you. I am to understand that whether you have British, French, German, Spanish or Portuguese in your genealogy, you can study a great many evil deeds manifested by your forefathers (if that is how you wish to spend your time).
I would like to share with you why I do indeed celebrate Canada Day with all of my heart. I was born here and raised in a typical public school system. From kindergarten to college I enjoyed learning and growing alongside peers, descended from just about every country there is. By the time I was 16 years old I had a deep understanding of multiculturalism and our country’s ideals, and soon came to respect that the most fortunate of these bears the name: Freedom.
I suspect from your article that you have strong opinions within you. You challenged us, your fellow Canadians, in the very first paragraph of your article to reflect for a minute on what we are really celebrating on Canada Day. Personally, I celebrate the freedom we have to share our opinions with one another publicly, just like we are doing now.
Here in Canada, we are free to speak our minds. We are free to write our thoughts and even enjoy being published. We are free to make choices. We are free to join in politics and activism. We are free to set goals and see them through. We are free to fall in love, and we are allowed to be happy. We are free to pray how we believe is right. We are free to reach to ourselves.
So don’t tell me that on Canada Day—when you can smell the burgers flipping; when you can watch the children having their faces painted; when you can enjoy a drink with friends and listen to the roaring cacophony of fireworks—don’t tell me you cannot find a single reason to celebrate a day that says you are free to be you! And you can be you from St. John’s, Newfoundland all the way to Beaver Creek in the Yukon.
We cannot go back in time. This is natural law and unfortunately there is little we can do to alleviate the sordid past. The early European explorers (or better yet: conquerors) did what they did, and there is absolutely nothing any of us alive today can do about it. No matter how advanced we become, we cannot erase the way our ancestors once treated endless groups who have suffered immeasurably under heinous acts of oppression and the likes. Indeed, the human race—of which you are a part—has killed countless times for simply sharing a truth as you have with us in your article.
I love my country and all the good people (like yourself!) in it. So for goodness’ sake—on Canada Day, and on as many days as you can—do what you love while our gigantic free-borders hold! There is darkness in humanity without question, but in our country a great many of us prefer to celebrate the light.
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Voice of the City is a platform for any and all Halifax individuals to share their diverse opinions and writings. The Coast does not guarantee the accuracy of, or endorse the views of those published. Our editors reserve the right to alter submissions for clarity, length and style. Want to appear in this section? Submissions can be sent to voice@thecoast.ca.
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This article appears in Jul 2-8, 2015.
I’ve been waiting for days where are the Mansplainin’ comments!?
Fine, I’ll post a constructive comment.
I celebrate Canada Day. We have a lot to be proud of. I don’t think you’re condoning this, Michael, but blind patriotism is not a good thing. Know that our government (whether liberal or conservative, NDP too but they haven’t even had a shot yet) will still do shitty things.
Since they’re in the news and worse than Canada more often, a similar article to Killa’s appeared in Vice on the US. Worth a read.
http://www.vice.com/en_ca/read/on-flags-fi…
I do appreciate that your comment is constructive. The Facebook thread from this article is horrible, very similar to those comments under Killa’s letter – mostly hostile, careless and destructive. It makes me think that folks would prefer to participate in a fight than to work at understanding each other. I like the idea that we are here, in the lower comment threads of the local media, to express opinions and share perspectives, rather than call each other names. I suppose you need both for a genuine freedom of speech, but it would be nice if more people, on both sides of a sensitive debate, put a bit more thought into their rebuttals.
The opinion letter above was originally 2500 words, whittled down to a fifth of that, but I don’t suppose it would have made much difference had it been posted in its entirety. Some of what is missing has to do with perspectives from other countries. Doesn’t matter what country you’re from, there’s a whole lot of bad out there. Everywhere, everyone, and all over history… and as you say, our government (and most others) will continue to do shitty things. Acknowledging past transgressions and being respectful of those who have survived tragic circumstances is important, but for us to move on I think we need to be happy for what we do have in the present, rather than what we feel we should have had. This debate is frustrating for many of us who are not indigenous because the last thing we would ever want to do is make things worse, or god forbid, hurt anybody.
I agree that blind patriotism is not good. That’s why I am glad to be a Canadian, instead of say, a US citizen, where they have to be excruciatingly more and more careful with ‘unpatriotic remarks’. Most of the time, in this country, we can say what we like (about that prick Harper!) and not worry about it.
Thanks for sharing the article. And I catch the common thread, how can we celebrate our patriotic holidays when the past (and present) is so filled with horror? I guess I like summer, fireworks, and I can’t stand Christmas, so what’s a body to do?
I too was upset with the original article but not because I have blind patriotism. I work with youth on a First Nation reserve. I love my work and I love the people I work with. I know they got a bad deal and continue to get one but, like Michael, I do see changes happening. I’m a grandmother and when I celebrate one of my children or grandchildren’s birthday I don’t ever say – “You know what? You sucked this year. You told lies and hurt people’s feelings – so we’re not going to celebrate your special day.” I say – “I love you – I know you want to do better and let’s celebrate the growth you’ve had and the kindnesses you’ve done.”
Just saying.
I don’t think everyone is free to be themselves here in Canada. And yes, I’m speaking of the Indigenous population. How are they free to be who/what they want when the system is systematically against them? Not to mention the cultural genocide. Their children are placed in care and do not learn their culture. They are placed in care because things like “lacking resources” even though those resources are supposed to be provided by the Government. You make it clear you think these atrocities ended with early European settlers, but you couldn’t be more wrong. The last re sidential school closed less than twenty years ago. Wake up! There are an extreme amount of Indigenous men and women being killed and nobody is even listening! The sixties scoop is another example of trying to stop people from being who they want to be.