With all the raised voices and slamming doors, our family seems pretty troubled these days, doesn’t it?
asserted
it → raise → voices
It’s tough to be an impassioned Canadian in this best-of-times/worst-of-times moment.
asserted
It → ’ → moment
Collectively, there’s an energizing determination to fight the trade war every way possible, from buying Canadian (or at least not American) to vacationing here or anyplace except you-know-where.
asserted
you → ’ → where
On the global stage, we get to bask in the spotlight as Prime Minister Mark Carney earns standing ovations, Anne Carson wins the Nobel Prize in Literature and half the American population apologizes to us for the bozo eruptions of their idiot-in-chief.
asserted
population → get → chief
Furthermore, like most of the rest of the world, we appreciate knowing what we’re not: a nation in love with guns, the death penalty and live-streamed executions by firing squad.
asserted
we → appreciate → squad
Being Canadian feels good — until you start hearing those raised voices and slamming doors inside the house.
asserted
you → feel → house
Quebec’s recent election, returning the separatist Parti Québécois to power, rings alarm bells.
asserted
election → return → bells
And next Monday, the whole country will be watching Alberta.
asserted
country → watch → Alberta
As if that weren’t enough, news reports lately are peppered with stories of Canadian far-right extremists, white nationalists, antisemites and Islamophobes, the whole vile bunch of them spreading their gospel of hatred as far and wide as they can.
asserted
they → pepper → hatred
A new anti-immigration group based in Ottawa wants to enforce mass deportations to “reclaim our homeland.”
asserted
group → base → homeland
It’s all disgusting, of course, and cause for concern — but it’s no reason for a nervous breakdown.
asserted
it → ’ → breakdown
Hatemongers have always been with us, carbuncles that need to be treated with each eruption.
asserted
that → need → eruption
But they’re nasty, not terminal.
asserted
they → ’re → ?
A dose of perspective also goes down well for national-unity anguish.
asserted
dose → go → anguish
Take Quebec, where PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon has already deferred his promised separation referendum until after the U.S. president is gone.
asserted
president → take → referendum
Polls show an overwhelming lack of enthusiasm for a referendum generally, reflected in the fact that the PQ’s minority government is built on an unprecedentedly low 28 per cent of the vote.
asserted
government → show → vote
Current polls on Quebec separation itself hover around the same number, hardly a ringing endorsement.
asserted
polls → hover → number
There are, of course, pundits who just won’t let go of the scary breakup scenario, hanging on to it like a dog with a juicy bone.
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who → be → bone
It’s more comforting with Alberta, too.
asserted
It → ’ → Alberta
Polls there suggest an overwhelming number of “No” votes next Monday to holding a separation referendum, because there are clearly as many proud Canadians in Alberta as anywhere else in this country.
asserted
Polls → suggest → country
But the malcontents — a branch plant of MAGA Inc., which has thrown them its support — will keep at it.
asserted
which → throw → it
Like the Quebec minority, they’ll try to wear everybody out with their relentless complaining.
asserted
they → try → complaining
Instead of suggesting solutions to perceived irritants, separatists seem to prefer sloganeering and kvetching.
asserted
separatists → suggest → sloganeering
They won’t win, but they do threaten the hopes of the rest of the country for nation-building, strengthening our defences and reaching out to other nations for new alliances and investment.
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they → win → alliances
Divisive chatter from within only plants seeds of doubt in potential allies and investors.
asserted
chatter → plant → allies
But let’s cheer up.
asserted
’s → let → ?
Most Canadians — including in Alberta and Quebec — are not whiners, racists, malcontents, or tiresome troublemakers.
asserted
Canadians → include → Alberta
Apart from having a prime minister with smarts and more energy than a Duracell warehouse, we have a large resilient economy, a highly educated population, vast natural resources and an enviable international reputation.
asserted
we → have → economy
No, we’re not perfect, but as Governor General Louise Arbour noted, “We have a remarkable capacity to pause, to examine our failures and to learn from them.”
asserted
We → ’re → them
Examining our past, we’re continually moving forward to correct mistakes, right wrongs, heal injustices.
asserted
we → examine → injustices
In short, we have reason to take heart.
asserted
we → have → heart
Despite headwinds, we’re still strong and free.
asserted
we → ’re → headwinds
We’re still the same diverse, boisterous, decent jumble of people we’ve always been, squabbling and celebrating.
asserted
we → ’re → people
We’re still one big family.
asserted
We → ’re → ?
Our noisy old house always seems to need fixing.
asserted
house → seem → ?
But we’ll see to it, because it’s where we live.
asserted
we → see → it
The Aporia
