I believe this is the greatest country in the world — with the possible exception of the weather.
asserted
this → believe → weather
The things we have done in the world to help others, whether in war or in peace, have regularly shown that Canada defends freedom and human dignity.
asserted
Canada → do → freedom
Canada has been a haven for people fleeing oppression for generations.
asserted
Canada → flee → generations
It is the result of choices made by men and women who came before us, often with very little, and built something lasting.
asserted
who → make → something
There appears to be a concerted effort, subtle but consistent, to debase our past, make Canadians feel ashamed of who they are and where they come from, and to suggest that our history is mainly a story of oppression and failure.
asserted
history → appear → oppression
Every nation draws strength from its past.
asserted
nation → draw → past
Knowing what our predecessors accomplished gives us the confidence to face our own challenges and to strive to do better.
asserted
predecessors → know → challenges
Canada has grown because people tried to better themselves and their situations for their families.
asserted
people → grow → families
Canada is made up of stories of immigrants leaving hardship behind, farmers clearing land with hand tools and engineers designing bridges across impossible geography.
asserted
immigrants → make → geography
That is no ground for cancelling them from history.
asserted
That → cancel → history
They built a wonderful country with the tools and understanding they had in their times.
asserted
they → build → times
Like it or not, we are in a kind of historical war.
asserted
we → like → war
Our governments and many of our institutions are systematically debasing the foundations of our great country — a country that people worldwide still strive to be part of.
asserted
people → debase → that
Perhaps the goal is to make us look only to our politicians to solve our problems and build our future.
asserted
us → make → future
I do not believe that is wise.
asserted
that → believe → ?
A good example of the need for recognizing our admirable history and the assurance it can provide us lies with our Jewish brothers and sisters.
asserted
it → recognize → brothers
I posed the question to a Jewish friend at lunch recently: “If one removed the history of the Jews, where would you be?”
asserted
you → pose → Jews
My friend said, “It is memory that has sustained us, nurtured us and inspired us.
asserted
that → say → us
It is our collective memory that we can pass onto our children which enables us to move forward with pride and confidence.”
asserted
which → pass → pride
The courage and resilience of the Jewish people through great persecution, rests on how history has guided and inspired them over thousands of years up until now.
asserted
history → rest → thousands
This illustration is also true of other nations and faiths, but the Jews are a powerful example of how tenacity and accomplishment are supported by their past.
asserted
tenacity → support → past
As a practicing Christian and Catholic, I, too, have witnessed our government’s debasing of our wider history as well as our faith basis for years.
asserted
I → practice → years
They were, thankfully, a small minority and should not dominate our historic memory.
asserted
They → dominate → memory
In addition, our so-called efforts at inclusion are, in fact, exclusion and, as a consequence, they undercut our faith in Canada and its future.
asserted
they → call → Canada
We are now “a house divided.”
asserted
We → divide → ?
If one were a conspiracy theorist, it would seem a long-term, organized effort has been at work.
asserted
effort → seem → work
What’s being missed is what is replacing our history — negativity, self-entitlement, division and even hostility.
asserted
what → miss → history
Sadly, the debasement effort seems to be succeeding as Canadians are losing some of the pride previous generations have felt for our country.
asserted
generations → seem → country
Remember, they built the Canada we all now enjoy.
asserted
we → remember → Canada
It seems the excuse of tolerance has, in fact, been a cover for intolerance and even bigotry throughout Canada’s officialdom.
asserted
excuse → seem → officialdom
Canada is now fractured and is starting to appear less like a democracy than a tyranny of special interest groups.
asserted
Canada → fracture → groups
Pride in one’s history is the glue that holds countries together and gives them the confidence to push forward.
asserted
that → hold → confidence
Without nurturing and preserving our history, Canada, as a nation, is doomed.
asserted
Canada → nurture → nation
We can acknowledge mistakes without erasing achievements.
asserted
We → acknowledge → achievements
We can be honest about the past without hating it.
asserted
We → hat → it
If we want a future worth building, we need a past worth remembering.
asserted
we → want → past
The Aporia
