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Parliament to consider changes to "O Canada"

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Colin P said:
I am more worried this is to distract people from more important matters

Like the purchase of a very expensive flying vehicles?
 
Interesting that there's no discussion about the French lyrics, which sound like a recruiting ad for the Crusades.  "Car ton bras sait porter l'épée, il sait porter la croix" a rough translation "You're ready to carry a sword and the cross".
 
dapaterson said:
Interesting that there's no discussion about the French lyrics, which sound like a recruiting ad for the Crusades.  "Car ton bras sait porter l'épée, il sait porter la croix" a rough translation "You're ready to carry a sword and the cross".

I've always wondered about that.  Is it that the Franco population just doesn't care?  Or has there been a movement to change those too in the past but squashed?
 
Don't even roughly translate Dapaterson, the clear meaning of this part properly translate is "We shall evangelize, even by force".

And for those who do not know the history of this "anthem": It was composed as an Ode for the Saint-jean-Baptiste celebrations before even Confederation was conceived. It was considered a French-Canadian rallying song for the French Canadian Nation. It had five verses - the current wording used for the National Anthem is just the first verse.

Their was no doubt or discussion when it was written: "Canada" and "Canadian" in that song only referred to French-Canadian - descendant from the original French colony - and only to the territory of what had been New-France (so for instance, it did not include the Acadians). The "anglais" were not considered "Canadians" at that time but British, and almost occupiers.
 
The word sword is clearly offensive to some.  Let's change that to hockey sticks or pens... ::)

The motto of carrying the sword was also used in a pretty cool ww2 propaganda poster. 
 
Oldgateboatdriver said:
Don't even roughly translate Dapaterson, the clear meaning of this part properly translate is "We shall evangelize, even by force".

And for those who do not know the history of this "anthem": It was composed as an Ode for the Saint-jean-Baptiste celebrations before even Confederation was conceived. It was considered a French-Canadian rallying song for the French Canadian Nation. It had five verses - the current wording used for the National Anthem is just the first verse.

Their was no doubt or discussion when it was written: "Canada" and "Canadian" in that song only referred to French-Canadian - descendant from the original French colony - and only to the territory of what had been New-France (so for instance, it did not include the Acadians). The "anglais" were not considered "Canadians" at that time but British, and almost occupiers.

Therefore racist too... tsk tsk tsk
 
Weir's original lyrics from 1908 contained no religious references and used the phrase "thou dost in us command" before they were changed by Weir in 1914 to read "in all thy sons command"

I can accept that if it were changed back to that.
 
Sheep Dog AT said:
Weir's original lyrics from 1908 contained no religious references and used the phrase "thou dost in us command" before they were changed by Weir in 1914 to read "in all thy sons command"

I can accept that if it were changed back to that.

I sure can see why Weir changed his original awkward phrasing.  No matter how this plays out I (and probably 10's of thousands) will never sing the words now being proposed.

Really, it's very similar to when some minister or church hierarchy people decide they need to revamp how people say the Lord's Prayer. What gives with these do gooder Idea Fairies?
 
Seems others are asking the same question I did:

Changing O Canada: Is God next?

Pity the poor Pagans. Don't they have rights?

And what about the Rastafarians? To say nothing of the Satanists.

Such questions won't seem so weird once the attention turns away from Liberal MP Mauril Bélanger's heroic bid to update the rusty words of the national anthem. That's because his bill leaves untouched some other words.

Those concern — can we talk about this? — an even touchier topic: the Christian God.
 
What about the Pastafarians?  The FSM shouldn't be left out in the cold void of space in this.  ;)
 
jollyjacktar said:
What about the Pastafarians?  The FSM shouldn't be left out in the cold void of space in this.  ;)

Praise be to the Spaghetti Monster, it is through him we remain al dente.
 
ModlrMike said:
Seems others are asking the same question I did:

Changing O Canada: Is God next?

Pity the poor Pagans. Don't they have rights?

And what about the Rastafarians? To say nothing of the Satanists.

Such questions won't seem so weird once the attention turns away from Liberal MP Mauril Bélanger's heroic bid to update the rusty words of the national anthem. That's because his bill leaves untouched some other words.

Those concern — can we talk about this? — an even touchier topic: the Christian God.

From my point of view God should not be removed from O Canada. Not for any particular religious inclination, or the prevention of blasphemy or anything like that no, but because of history.

There is a reason countries don't change their national anthems often. The long an anthem remains the same the more it becomes ingrained in the culture of it's citizens. O Canada offers us insights into the political state of Canada in the early 19th Century. With "O' Canada, we stand on guard for thee. God keep our land, glorious and free." we see how Canada began to change and adapt to it's new status in international politics in the early alliances of what would later become the founding members of NATO. Through World War One and Two Canada changes to meet it's allies abroad, and we can still see how Canada, a vast and multicultural country, banded together far better than some more culturally stringent countries would.

The words should not change, not because of ending any godly appeasement, but because reframing the snapshot of Canadian history granted to us in our anthem to reach a wider audience isn't making it more welcoming or more effectual, it's diluting it. We look and see Canadians reaching to the highest power they know to ask for Canada's continued freedom and sovereignty in the period of political turmoil making up the meat of the 19th century. Canadians looking to the highest power they know for their country isn't about divinity, it is about patriotism. No matter what race, class, or creed is presented to Canada we still manage to adapt and perform on the international stage because of how our country knits itself together for self preservation, and this instinct to hope at the deepest level for the country's betterment is what O' Canada is bringing about.

O' Canada is about keeping well, and getting better. In my opinion, the message doesn't need to be changed. 
 
I agree with your comments Dija.

Through many influences (government interference, gender and language politics), our nation has rebranded itself more often in the past 50 years than most corporations.

There is no need to change O'Canada.
 
dapaterson said:
"Car ton bras sait porter l'épée, il sait porter la croix" a rough translation "You're ready to carry a sword and the cross".

Ehhh... that's a pretty brutal translation.  It can be taken as "since your arm knows how to carry the sword, it also knows how to carry the cross"

You can interpret that a few ways, one being "sure you can fight, but you can also bring peace"  But yea, good point.
 
PuckChaser said:
Praise be to the Spaghetti Monster, it is through him we remain al dente.

Change the flag colours to match a rainbow.  Pot leaf instead of maple leaf.  Remove God from the lyrics so it doesn't upset other religions or us atheists.  Remove sons so it's gender neutral.  Remove command  because it's an example of the fascist dictator government trying to control the people.  Include an apology to the first Nations,  remove 'our land', because that's settler talk,  mention safe spaces.   

Sounds about right.   

My future plan for the anthem and flag aside, for some reason changing the anthem doesn't surprise me but it also doesn't bother me. 

What does bother me is all the other issues we could be tackling instead,  which are arguably more important,  are in limbo.
 
What's that saying again....

Oh yeah, bread and circuses.

Plenty of both thus far in this government.
 
Jarnhamar said:
Include an apology to the first Nations,  remove 'our land', because that's settler talk

"O Canada! Our home on native land".

It only requires changing one vowel and dropping one consonant.

Pretty low cost to mask another huge increase to the deficit or something similar being snuck through...
 
Using a small but acrimonious controversy to hide the larger move: Gerald Butts could teach Hilary and Donald a thing or two....
 
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