If only

A great outcry roared across the land last week.
No, it wasn’t over whether Foreign Affairs ministers should be dating women linked to organized crime. It did not revolve around legislation aimed at curbing greenhouse gases or the Liberals repeatedly skipping confidence votes in the House of Commons to avoid triggering an election.
Skyrocketing gas prices? Nope. Crumbling infrastructure? Wrong again. The war in Afghanistan? Yeah, right.
The hubbub, of course, was sparked by news the CBC was ditching its “Hockey Night in Canada” theme song—that catchy little ditty known to cause men to walk in a trance towards their TV sets most Saturdays for the past 40 years.
The outrage was immediate: radio call-in shows were swamped; online petitions were started. No doubt someone, somewhere, even wrote a letter to the editor.
In a nutshell, Canadians were moved to action. It was enough to bring a tear to the eye.
Fortunately, all was not lost. CTV came to the rescue Monday by purchasing the rights to the music in perpetuity—or at least until the NHL folds because the only way teams could afford to travel from city to city was by covered wagons.
Youngsters will crawl up on their grandfather’s lap to hear him recount yet again where he was when the news broke. Books will be written, and movies made, about the Great “Dum-de-dum-de-dum-dum” Debate. Dolores Claman will be hailed as the most influential Canadian woman of the 21st century.
If only Canadians were as passionate about voting in elections, whether federal, provincial, or municipal. Or about peeling labels off of cans so they can be recycled instead of tossed into the garbage.
If only we were similarly stirred so people don’t die waiting to see a doctor, so seniors can afford to buy food, and so we all have clean air to breathe and clean water to drink. If only spending $2.5 million-$3 million to help fight child poverty was greeted with the same collective relief as coughing it up for a hockey theme song.
If only.