A Gentle Nation

Watching the last hours of the 2010 Winter Olympics accentuated for me just how gentle our good neighbors to the North are. From listening to the post game comments of the Canadian Hockey Team to watching the whimsical antics of the closing ceremony program, I could not help but think of that self-effacing humility which characterizes Canada. I called to mind their history with its marvelous human rights record. When our country shamelessly made broke treaties with its Native population, Canada welcomed them with more liberty and justice than they could ever receive south of the border. The same held true for African-American slaves seeking asylum. Canada became for them a Promised Land, a virtual Zion of freedom out that Egypt that was the United States of America. Over time, Canada obtained its independence from Great Britain, not by violent revolution, but by a gradual process of transfer of power from London to Ottawa. Canada outdid its former British overlords in its treatment of its French speaking population, offering them a significant portion of self-governance within the nation as well as linguistic equality with English. And for many disaffected Americans, Canada has always offered a home.

Now don't get me wrong. I love the US of A and wouldn't live anywhere else. But I would lie if I didn't admit that I'm a bit shamed by Canada's superior performance of what we would consider American ideals. Is Canada a perfect place? Of course not. The same foibles that plague humanity everywhere may surely be found there. But somehow, a gentle demeanor marks that polite society to our north. And that gentleness may very well disclose a strength of character we Americans would do well to imitate.

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