Be thankful

Pause for a moment, sit back and be thankful to have Canada to call home.
Born 141 years ago as the Dominion of Canada, this country has grown to one of the greatest in the world, and we are fortunate to live here.
Taken in the global context, our issues at times seem petty.
Free speech, freedom of the press, freedom of association, freedom of religion, freedom of peaceful assembly, freedom of opinion: we may take these for granted, but we enjoy each and every one of them.
Too many people around the world aren’t as fortunate.
Much consternation arose in Ontario as the provincial legislature spent much of the spring debating the merits of reciting the Lord’s Prayer before its meetings.
In North Korea, religious freedom is a myth, with adherents to organized religions facing arrest, imprisonment, torture and, sometimes, execution.
We could live in Zimbabwe. Dictator Robert Mugabe has imprisoned his political rivals u and tortured and killed their supporters u in an attempt to hold on to power while he withholds food donations from the poor voters of his country unless they vote for him.
In Canada, our political leaders square off in a verbal sparring match.
A debate between Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Liberal Leader Stephane Dion may promise to be as bland as white bread, but it’s far more preferable to Mugabe’s thug tactics.
Rising global food prices are causing thieves to plunder rice paddies in Thailand, and riots in Egypt over flour earlier this year claimed four lives.
In Canada, we gripe about the increased cost of a box of cereal, but put it in the shopping cart anyway.
Protesters in Tibet are brutalized by Chinese government officials for wanting their independence.
In Canada, demonstrators waving placards can be found most anywhere our politicians gather.
When the impoverished and oppressed look to flee their homelands, Canada is one of the nations they look to for a new home.
There is pride in that.
A utopia Canada is not. It is to our international shame that the standard of living for Canada’s native peoples is so far below the average, particularly for natives living on reserves. Apology for residential schools notwithstanding, this is an area where we can and must do better.
But overall, this is a good country to call home. It’s not perfect, but it could be so much worse.
So have a Happy Canada Day. Spark up the BBQ, have a few cold beverages with family and friends, take the kids to see some fireworks, heck, even glue yourself to the TV for the latest free agent signings in the NHL (is it just a coincidence that the free agency period of one of our national games happens to fall on the country’s birthday?). Do whatever makes you feel most Canadian.
Glance at our red-and-white flag, and value the love, freedom and justice for which it stands.
But most important, appreciate all that we share, from sea to sea.
—Courtesy of the St. Catharines Standard