Sad statements from Canadians

This post will probably only be of interest to Canadians but maybe people from some other countries can relate.


I think that since the attacks many Canadians have shown greater concern and compassion for an American tragedy than I think they ever would for a Canadian one. Certainly if the tables were turned, Americans would not show anywhere near the concern for Canada that we have shown. That is not a criticism of Americans it is more a statement about Canadians than anything else.


For instance, yesterday, the Cancuks had their inter-squad game at GM Place and the US national anthem was played as a tribute. I don't have a problem with this, however, I really don't see why it was done. What I have a problem with is the statements by some fans that the cheering during the US anthem was the loudest they have ever heard GM place. To me that is a very sad statement.


Furthermore, the following was stated on this site by a fellow Canadian "i am Canadian but i feel very American. i think it is now a universal feeling." I'm am not quite sure exactly what this meant but why would a Canadian feel very American? The only reason is that Canadians do not have enough pride and confidence in their own country. Again could you ever imagine an American saying he felt like a Canadian. I don't think so and the reason is that most Americans are so proud of their country they couldn't possibly imagine feeling like a citizen of another country.


Obviously Canadians in general feel a great deal of sympathy for the US because of what happened and that's not the point of this post. I just think that it is a sad statement about our own country that we feel as much concern and sympathy, if not more, than we would about a Canadian tragedy.


I would like to hear any thoughts from fellow Canadians or people from other countries which can relate.

It is not a feeling of being less a Canadian than it is an expression of, you're right, a natural human emotion. i will never trade my Canadian-ness for any other.

I don't know that I as a Canadian would show less concern for a Canadian tragedy than an American one: While I am of course absolutely horrified at what happened in New York and Washington (Washington seems to have almost slipped through the cracks in terms of media coverage), I no doubt would be even more horrified if these lunatics picked Vancouver or Toronto as their target.


I also certainly believe that the Americans would be as appalled as we now are if the terrorists blew up downtown Vancouver, Toronto etc.


On the national anthem issue at GM Place, I was proud to be Canadian when I heard that we Canadians cheered the American Anthem (particularly after the Star Spangled Banner was booed during last year's playoffs against the Avalanche). I see it as a strong show of support for our neighbours at a time when they need it.


I do agree with you that Canadians in general are not as patriotic as Americans. We ought to be.

I don't think Canadians are more empathic towards American tragedy than we would be towards Canadian tragedy. I think its more a fact that since our culture/political system/economy is similar in many ways to the USA, AND we are geographically linked, we realize that "as the USA goes, so goes Canada". If the USA is attacked, Canada is at risk as well. If the US economy collapses, the Canadian will be in trouble as well. It's only natural that we should share the grief and worry about this attack.


Would Americans show the same compassion for a Canadian tragedy? On a political scale, I believe so. On an "average citizen" level? Maybe not. I can recall the 1987 tornado in Edmonton receiving major coverage on the US networks and a fair amount of relief coming from the US after that.


Regarding more patriotism, I think that over the last decade or two, Canadian patriotism has increased dramatically, in many ways I think sparked by various sports related items (Canada Cup 1987, Donovan Bailey's Olympic gold) and strangest of them all, the "I am Canadian" commercial. I've never heard Skyreach (where the Oilers play) as loud as it was the night "Joe Canada" performed there.


I'm also not sure Canada has any architecture that so eloquently reflects "Canada" as the WTC, the White House, or the Pentagon, and it's therefore hard to think of something in Canada that could be destroyed that could so terribly combine loss of life with symbolic attack on culture. The CN tower? Perhaps.


In any event, I don't feel that Canadians should be ashamed of feeling grief for the tragedy that occurred.


David

Edmonton, Alberta

canada is a great ally of us....3000 mile unguarded frontier...canadiens are the greatest and are in general very enthusiastic, life loving people....eh...gl

I definitely dont think it's something we should be ashamed of so maybe my heading wasn't very good. Maybe it's something we should actually be proud of but I just can't be proud of the fact that the loudest noise ever at GM Place was for the US anthem.

I find it curious that a Canadian would refer to others as 'Americans' in a way that excludes himself. Are not Canadians residents of North America just as much as those in the U.S.A?


In other words, I had thought the use of 'American' by citizens of the U.S. in a way that excludes the rest of the people in North America was somewhat of a self-centered bad habit.