Our northern neighbor surmounts old stereotypes .
By Rudabeh Shahbazi
Assistant Perspectives Editor
Some people know the second largest country in the world for its breathtaking landscapes, natural resources, tolerance and diversity. But more often in the United States, my peers meet the knowledge of my Canadian citizenship with mockery.
Clearly, as the American logic goes, the country is not powerful, which means it is inferior and therefore laughable, even if it does have one of the highest standards of living in the world. Months of news coverage concerning a variety of communicable diseases such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, West Nile Virus and Mad Cow Disease compound this negative perception of Canada.
But perhaps the people with the ridiculous accents should not be disregarded so quickly, ay?
While the United States seems to be lurching backward toward the antiquated polices of the 1800s, our neglected neighbor to the north is placing itself on the map with its pride in progressive drug laws, its passage of gay marriage and its open immigration policy that have produced a nation of open-mindedness.
Judging from one Canadian teenager’s reference to the United States as “Canada’s cocky big brother,” it is interesting to note that Canadians are not without criticism of their own.
“We look at you Americans and see the National Rifle Association, rigged elections, Christian fundamentalists and pre-emptive wars,” best-selling author David Perkin wrote. By contrast, Canada is a place that prizes “peace, order and good government. It’s a social welfare state where we raise taxes to pay for transit, housing and more.”
But while the two countries poke fun at each other, they have stakes in each other’s economic and national security. There is, no doubt, a dynamic relationship between Canada and its southern neighbor. This bond was strengthened in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks two years ago, when Canadian schools organized fund-raisers and blood drives for their American neighbors, and residents across the country provided shelter to more than 6,000 passengers whose flights to the United States were redirected.
The attacks also paved the way for more cooperation on border issues. More than three-fourths of Canadian citizens live within 100 miles of the U.S. border. As the United States’ largest trading partner (more than $1.9 billion goods annually), its economy is now actually growing faster than that of the United States. It also shares the longest non-militarized border in the world.
Quality of life can hardly be ridiculed in what the United Nations has frequently declared home of the best quality of living in the world. The country provides free health care to all citizens and is the subject of U.S. heat for its low prescription drug prices and excellent health-care system. People who speak only one language are just as rare as homeless people. The literacy rate is 99 percent for both men and women. And, according to a recent poll, Americans are twice as likely as Canadians to worry about crime, ethnic conflict and moral decline.
Despite an abundance of pop culture icons that America celebrates, (Pamela Anderson, Chris Farley, Avril Lavigne, Alanis Morrisette, Mike Myers and Shania Twain, to name a few) another American view of Canada is that it is becoming a “hippie culture.” Thousands of conscientious objectors flooded the border during the draft of the Vietnam War, where participating in overseas violence was not a requirement of citizenship. Recently Canadian leaders have been vocally opposed to the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq. It is home to tough gun control laws (every gun in the country must be registered), and has not, in recent memory, been the target of highly publicized, tragic incidents, such as school shootings. Abortion is legal, the death penalty is illegal and there have always been strict campaign spending laws to restrict candidates from winning elections just because they have the most money.
Following Belgium and the Netherlands, Canada is the third country in the world to legalize gay marriage. The announcement that gays are now allowed to declare their commitment in the same way as any couple who loves each other was met with no hard opposition by the country’s conservatives and religious leaders. It’s no surprise that gay and lesbian Americans are flocking to the country to walk down the aisle.
A pragmatic, European-style strategy of legalizing small amounts of marijuana was also recently approved. Possession of up to half an ounce will be punishable with a fine comparable to that of a parking ticket. The aim is to crack down on the dealers and concentrate resources against heavy drug use by implementing harsh penalties for growers (up to 14 years in jail) and funding educational campaigns about the dangers of drugs. All of which aggravated U.S. drug czar John Waiters, who promised to respond to these threats. Medicinal marijuana was legalized in 2001.
Vancouver, which averages 147 heroin overdoses a year, is now home to North America’s first “safe injection site.” The publicly-funded facility will provide needle exchanges and health assistance to heroin addicts. Waiters called this “state sponsored personal suicide.”
But perhaps the most wonderful aspect of Canada, similar to the United States, is its history of multiculturalism. Upon the arrival of European settlers 400 years ago, more than 56 indigenous native North American nations inhabited the land.
At a time when most countries looked at foreigners with suspicious skepticism, Canada prided itself as a haven for immigrants. Already, 18 percent of the country is foreign born, compared with about 10 percent of Americans. Today, English and French are recognized as the official languages. But at least 80 other languages are spoken there, and there is talk of introducing Asian languages into school curriculum. Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees equality for women, aboriginal groups and minority-language groups, and has led to a cabinet position for multiculturalism.
Finally, Canada is getting the recognition it deserves, whether or not its American neighbors see its progressive policies as outlandish or reasonable.
Next time you make fun of a Canadian, remember that they might be laughing at you, too.
September 11, 2003