When the last firework surrenders the sky to darkness, Canada will enjoy its traditional post-birthday crisis of confidence.
What is our place in the world? Do we look older? What have we done with our 149 years?
Last week, we watched the United Kingdom vote to leave the European Union. While the final vote seemed ill-advised, as evidenced by the now-tanking markets and British currency and the cold shoulder from former trading partners, what was more disappointing was the success of a campaign rooted in xenophobia.
U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump continues to excite his rabid base of supporters by promising to seal off the country’s borders, literally and figuratively.
Admittedly, we have had our own flirtations with this creeping distrust of outsiders. It was only a year ago we were being pitched on the banning of hijabs in citizenship ceremonies and a so-called barbaric cultural practices snitch line. Thankfully Canadians roundly rejected that way of looking at the world.
Canada has since welcomed more than 25,000 Syrian refugees. Yet we still sing O Canada as loud as ever before hockey games (or we would if any Canadian teams made the playoffs). It proves there’s room to have national pride without descending into ugly nationalism. We can continue to be Canadian without turning our backs on our friends and people in need.
As long as we move forward with reasoned debate and reject the lure of politicians who prosper only when they engage us at our most base and fearful level, we have every reason to believe Canada can be a safe haven for refugees, for sanity, and for all of us.
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