Ugh, Canada

My suggestion is that we all sing "O Canada" over and over again until the music stops.
Bilingual
Gender-neutral
Gives no offence to any nationality, religion or anything else.
So, I say, go with it.

Yup, keep giving the base reasons not to vote for you. Political correctness should go over about as well as banning light bulbs and record deficits.

English wording of Oh, Canada is fraud enough to make everyone cringe. But adding insult to injury...

Protégera nos foyers et nos droits!

Actually, LSD doen't necessarily induce psychosis, temporary or otherwise, it depends on the dosage and, to some degree, the circumstances. Titration is like that. Nevertheless, it remains the case that "to examine the original gender-neutral English wording of the national anthem" doesn't actually mean anything! Examine it to, say, make it stronger? Or to make it weaker? Well, sure, if you're into $10 on red, croupier, but I don't gamble without data. In the interim, those who wish to make up reality instead of measuring it will continue to do so, so perhaps it's just best to ignore me. After all, those who would decry the trustworthyness of the media and then turn on its every mention are not likely to be convinced by logic.

A kid selling lemonade makes a bigger difference than this. How unimportant.

Stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid.......do they actually think they will win votes with stupidity like this??

I'm not sure they're actually counting on winning the
votes of those who say stupid six times in one paragraph.
Meanwhile, what is it, exactly, that they are doing, that
you are opposed to?

This sounds like it comes right out of the Lieberals or Dippers playbook,what the hell is happening to the Conservatives.

Reason #86 why I tossed my Conservative membership .. and vow to remain an Independent for the remainder of my days on earth.

You know, maybe, looking at this way, when we see how many people completely lose their cool just because of some indecipherable bureaucratic phrase in a bloody "Throne Speech", maybe the so-called right-of-center folks don't deserve the public trust. I mean, to be that detached from reality? No, that's silly. The nattering nabobs of negativity perpetuating the Pathology of the Blogosphere are negligable, they are part of the noise, not the signal. Meanwhile, Canada soldiers on ~ in spite of you.

I suspect that this is just an effective means of distracting the opposition.....seems to be working.
When they change the lyrics a while back they me a stranger in my own land.
I can sing the Marselaise (french national anthem) in french and the "Jose can you see" but am at see with Canada's anthem.
The Russians acted very pragmatically in putting new lyrics to the old Soviet anthem.....It is stirring.

What the hell is this? Is this an important initiative by anyones judgement? Cut taxes, reduce spending and shut the hell up!

so.... somebody managed to stumble on an Iggy 'talking points' memo, found the issue, and defused it with a study...... Harper NEVER does anything without a reason.

This is gender neutral too.

Doh Canada
Our homes on native land!
True Patriot Love, a white racist demand.

With Bleeding hearts, we do despise
fighters for Liberty.

From far and wide
Doh Canada, we’ll give you things for free!

God is now dead, more fun for thee.
Doh Canada, we’ll give you things for free!
Doh Canada, we’ll give you things for free!

It's rather funny that some of the same people that constantly rant about separating from Canada are the same ones melting down over a 'STUDY' on the national anthem. That patriotism is a funny thing at times.
Good grief, chill!This is really silly and I would bet most didn't even listen to the context from the throne speech.

My first thought is, who -- what feminist -- are they trying (temporarily, I hope) to placate? Who are they trying to eventually shut up?

I'm hoping that the suggestion of a change to "True patriot love thou dost in us command" is merely that: a suggestion that will quickly fade into the ether when more pressing issues take over the HOC's agenda.

The media seems to have no idea how to pronounce "dost" which they have pronounced, ad nauseum, as "d-aw-st." "Dost" means doest/do. You'd think the idiots might know this. They had me confounded, thinking "this is TOTAL madness," until I saw the line in print. It actually makes sense if you sing it right.

Which isn't to say that I like it.

Well Bec, I suggest its about much more than our anthem and may have much to do with the PC MC BS that is constantly shoved down our throats by our elected "leaders".

This is not one of those plus grands exploits.

Meh makes for a great distraction. Most people can't read the poetry in O Canada anyways. Canada isn't in the command of its sons. Canada commands patriot love in its sons. Somehow substituting children or daughters breaks the metre no?

marko@ 9:29pm

I think it has less to do with "PC MC BS" and more to do with a strategy.
Look, it's the main debate ON BOTH SIDES and that is very humorous when you think about it.

This is an extraordinarily trivial thing to be included in a throne speech.

But then unfortunately politics has, for the most part, become extraordinarily trivial.

Worse however is Ignatieff yapping on about child care in response. That's the old Liberal playing card which is secret code for "screw those women who stay at home to look after their kids."

Interesting. They want to go back to the original lyric - a conservative thing almost by definition.

The oppo parties will twist themselves into knots over it as they will look anti-fem by opposing it.

Personally I hate O Canada. The maple leaf forever as sung by anne Murray and by Michael buble is a far better option - a better tune and more timeless. Check out the lyrics:

O, land of blue unending skies,
Mountains strong and sparkling snow,
A scent of freedom in the wind,
O'er the emerald fields below.

To thee we brought our hopes, our dreams,
For thee we stand together,
Our land of peace, where proudly flies,
The Maple Leaf forever.

Chorus:
Long may it wave, and grace our own,
Blue skies and stormy weather,
Within my heart, above my home,
The Maple Leaf Forever

O, Maple Leaf around the world,
You speak as you rise high above,
Of courage, peace and quiet strength,
Of the Canada that I love.

Remind us all, our union bound
By ties we cannot sever,
Bright flag revered on every ground,
The Maple Leaf forever!

Does this scream HEAD FAKE to anyone else?

Even the brain trust in the PMO can't be stupid enough to think this would go over with the actual conservative base in this country.

My question is a head fake for what though?

I say we go back to The Maple Leaf Forever.

I remember reading a letter to the Toronto Star several years back in which a woman wanted the lyrics changed because they weren't inclusive of her foreign-born husband.

Well done, Tories - you've sunk to the level of the Toronto Star.

I just had a thought. Radio stations often have contests where you can win a prize - call in and name that song etc. - as a way of measuring how large their listening audience is.

I wonder whether Harper's suggestion to change the anthem wasn't just a tactic to gauge whether he has any core supporters left, that is to say whether he has any core supporters left to *appease*.

That's the only possible reason I can come up with for the idea.

This is somewhat of a similar tactic to Gorden Campbell's approach in BC, in which he has determined that his core supporters can go to hell.

If women need the wording to O Canada to be changed in order to find their place in this world, I give up because my gender is SCR**ED!! The wording of a song/anthem has nothing to do with gender equality. It's times like these where I feel less equal because why is there even consideration being given to this rediculous idea?

I say we go back to The Maple Leaf Forever.

The original lyrics are bound to get a few feathers ruffled.

The Maple Leaf Forever has Quebec and Ontario written all over it; no thanks. Petty? You bet!

Couldn't we replace "sons" with "kids"? Or "brood"? Keeps it to one syllable.

I guess "True patriot love in all thy spoiled brat children of idiotic baby-boomers command" would be too long.

"In all of us command" ... I like it. It makes sense, go for it.

Shrieking feminist, Liberal Senator Poy (Adrian Clarkson's sister-in-law) ran that issue up the flag pole a eight years ago.

Harper head faked and suckered MSM with this gem.

I really had to give my head a shake when I first heard about this - I thought it was a joke - but now I realize that we wouldn't be updating the song, but rather going back to the original 1908 version - which is kind of the opposite of updating it - it's more like UN-updating it.

I'm not even sure why anyone would oppose using the 1908 wording, but then again, I'm all for ditching the Liberal flag and going back to the Red Ensign too, so....

I guess I'm just partial to vaguely archaic-sounding usages in national anthems and such.

Janet Keeping's suggestion that it be changed to "In all of us command" is a bad one. It just sounds wrong, like we're semi-illiterates or something. "True patriot love thou dost in us command" has a nice ring to it.

It is something I would support if they'd tie this (earmark?) this with a bill to re-name 1 July "Dominion Day" and I'd really like to see one red stripe on the flag changed to blue as well as making the maple leaf in the center an actual autumn leaf color, not simply red.

my idea of diversity ... :)

although this may be just a head fake.. smartest guy in the room and all that.

Bad enough we use a version tweeked by Roger Ducepte who sang befor Montreal Canadiens games.

Hands off my anthem, if you want to stay healthy......

I thought the closing ceremonies on Sunday night, with the Maple Leaf Forever theme was probably inspired by an acid flashback. (Not that I've had any of those lately.)

I don't care what the words are we sing, just as long as I've got something and sometime to sing when we are triumphant and full of pride for our Country.

Fiddling with words while Rome burns.

I want to know what changes they plan to make to the French version.

But this is just a distraction, to deflect everyone's attention from the fact there's NOTHING NEW in the Throne Speech, and likely nothing new in the budget.

The Cons have got nothing, nothing at all.

We're the best country in the world, and you want new?

That would be Adrienne Clarkson the former GG and sister-inlaw to Liberal Senator Poy, the gender nuetered anthem proponent.

"In all of us command" ... I like it.

Really? I think it's pretty awful, on aesthetic grounds alone.

Larben and Waterhouse:

Please see revised lyrics to TMLF in my post above (9:47 pm).

Hell I can hum asexually, bilingually and badly. No worries

Is it "sons" or "suns"? Hmmmmm?

"In all thy SUNS command" kind of a power trip....muahhhahahahaha

Or change it to Sots.

Please see revised lyrics to TMLF in my post above (9:47 pm).

Yeah, they're OK, in the "we don't know what our country stands for, so let's sing about the scenery" kind of way.

I have no problem with the 1908 version, however, it is a bit like chutzpahticular says "Fiddling with words while Rome burns."

If the aim was to throw the libs and dippers of course that is good.

Does anyone know when the words were changed from the 1908 version to "all thy sons command"?

And all these years I thought that change had already been made - "...in all of us command...".

I'm pissed off for all the stuff that wasn't in the speech, as well as for what was.

It might be time for me to consider spoiling my ballot during the next election - FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE!!!

We're the best country in the world, and you want new?

Posted by: Vitruvius at March 3, 2010 10:29 PM

That's it! You nailed it Vit, it was new that came up with this idea. Genius.

Well ya gotta admit it makes as much sense as one of new's posts.......

I read "TMLF" - and was trying to figure out - Transgendered/M/Lesbian/F/ etc.

I've become indoctrinated!

Seriously, people, relax. Don't spoil your ballot Louise, or others, you have to cancel out the votes of most of my friends.

AtlanticJim, you're on to something. Let's get new to write a new national anthem for us. Nobody will understand it, so how could they be offended? LOL!!