massornament

Jack-Boot Patriotism: You Will Be Patriotic Or We Will Crush You!! (Yes, the image is a little excessive but, then again, we're talking about death threats....)

I just posted this text (see below) after seeing a CBC documentary about a high school principle being verbally attacked by fellow citizens because of a misunderstanding about his change to how his school handles the national anthem.  Some people went a little crazy because he changed to a new format of singing the national anthem.  Instead of singing it in the morning at the beginning of each day, the school began singing it in the auditorium during assemblies and what not.  This was done so that some children would not be ostracized because their faith prevents them from taking part in such things (not sure what religion this is or the details).  Some people, including some Conservative MPs, interpreted this as him ‘banning’ the national anthem or as excessive political correctness.  One of the New Brunswick MPs is the minister in charge of veteran affairs and used this in the old fashioned ‘the-lefties-are-traitors(or-at-least-unpatriotic)gasp!’ sort of way they do.  I was getting a little annoyed with Susan Ormiston and her somewhat ‘how could you?’ tone too but she probably sees the ‘outrage’ in the community more than I can.  At any rate, this is another example of how the extreme lunatic/political fringe makes a lot of noise all to single out individuals to become objects of frustration and hate.  One of the citizens who seems like she is partly behind this complained that they were taking away our national symbols like the pledge of allegiance (which is what U.S. citizens take as a pledge).  And some even made physical of death threats.  This ‘fringe’ argues that the majority are behind them on this but I fail to see how attacking fellow citizens is anything except a path to mutual ethical and moral destruction.

Anyway, these people really need to think about what they are doing and what they are reacting to.  It just pisses me off

Sent to CBC:

Those making the complaints, including the MPs who spoke out against this school principal, certainly do not speak for me… what ‘majority’ do they think they speak for by threatening another person’s life?  The one parent complained that we have outlawed the pledge of allegiance.  It is only a symbol and not a measure of patriotism.  Besides, the pledge is the U.S. symbol as ours is an Oath of Allegiance (sworn to the Queen and her heirs).  They might be well-meaning but attacking a fellow citizen is surely not what I think our soldiers are fighting for.