Life in the Slow Lane

Life in the Slow Lane

Wednesday, June 29, 2005

Snaps To Canada

Well, well well. A lot of people would declare that Canada is indeed in a Hand Basket in Hell now that we have officially, on all levels of government, voted to embrace gay marriage. I beg to differ. I give this country’s government a rousing Woo Hoo for this decision. Woo hoo Canada. WOO HOO!

I could never understand why two people of the same gender could not commit their lives to each other in love and be recognised by law. It’s just totally illogical to me. I do respect that certain religions do not condone gay marriage but since when did these various sects get to make the laws around here? This is about what The Charter of Rights says about equality not about what certain people state the Bible says. We all know that until very recently most people believed that women were not equal partners in their marriages and society either. Sadly some people still think that way but it is definitely not the norm nor the majority. And obviously society is better for it.

It wasn’t always pretty and even our Federal Liberal Government fought these changes a couple years ago. Luckily our catholic Prime Minister, Paul Martin, finally saw the light and realized his religious beliefs did not belong in our bedrooms. Most provinces allowed same sex marriages long before yesterday’s decision but now the final ‘uber conservative’ provincial holdouts have to suck it up and drop their barriers. This is what I think is so cool. That many people who are uncomfortable with the whole concept can at least agree that their beliefs do discriminate against many Canadians and that is not what Canada is all about. To understand that their way of thinking is not everybody’s way of thinking and is not to be applied as a blanket way of believing across the board.

Canada has not always had a great history of providing equal rights to all its inhabitants (First Nations for instance) but yesterday’s decision may indicate that as a country we are more willing and able to go against popular international opinion to do what we know is right for everybody. Even if it makes some folks uncomfortable for a while. They will get over it. This can only make for a better country for everybody to live in now and in the future.

Let’s just hope that creepy Conservative Party leader Stephen ‘Beady Eyes’ Harper, self proclaimed expert in all things moral, never gets voted in as Prime Minister as he has stated that he will endeavour to overturn this ruling by taking it to the people for a vote. I think that it is very possible that Canadians would show him up and vote to uphold the decision yet I believe it should never come to this. It is not up to the people to decide whether a minority should get equal rights or not. If it says in The Charter of Rights that everybody is considered equal and is entitled to the same rights and benefits, which is DOES, then that is the way it is. It is not negotiable. Period.

No matter what may happen in the future I feel very proud to be Canadian now. So who wants to move up to this hip country?

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

I've wanted to move to Canada for years (yes, even before W was elected, although that definitely cemented the decision for me). Today when I saw this in the paper, I felt a surge of pride in my heart for Canada. Y'all rock.

Anonymous said...

Canada does rock, and I went to Victoria and Vancouver on my first honeymoon, and despite the fact that I spent that time with my first husband, I truly enjoyed my visit there. Mebbe someday I'll come back with New and Improved Husband and make new memories.

c said...

(mrtl, LOVE your new profile pic!)

WOO-HOO Canada!

I've never understood how gay marriage could affect my heterosexual marriage in any way whatsoever. The "sanctity" of my marriage is up to ME. Not anyone else.

Kranki said...

mrtl-it is a shame that there are few openings here. It can be a nice place to visit. Canada's military is tiny. Is being stationed in far away places a perk or a curse? My cousin LBo's husband is on his way to Afghanistan in a couple weeks. That is a curse but it is his job after all. Has your hubby had to go away to scary places?

kalki-what has kept you from moving? I am pretty thankful to live here with my cancer and the health care. I haven't been to many US cities but would love to check it all out one day. But with B in power wouldn't consider moving there. But I never say never.

Laura-shame about the old memories but I live in Vancouver and it has grown so much it is almost like a new city. You probably wouldn't recognise it. Time for a new trip. Before the dollar exchange gets too high.

misfit-I am totally with you. I could never undertand that too. When two people are in love and want to make a go of following their dreams together does their gender really matter? Well, not here anymore! I am just so happy to be part of the revolution!

Anonymous said...

WOO HOO indeed! Here is to inclusivity and equal rights and benefits for everyone. Or as a friend of mine put it, same-sex couples should absolutely have the right to be as miserable as mixed-sex couples have always been.

I believe lying, cheating, serial-marrying, abusive, integrity-shy spouses of both genders have already demonstrated just how much sanctity they think the institution of marriage deserves. Makes me laugh to hear people being so sanctimonious and self-righteous.

Kranki, I just can't figure out how this new ruling will endanger and threaten my marriage. Perhaps I just don't really understand how my rights have been eroded. And I'm probably missing out on enjoying some delicious, seriously righteous anger here. But wait! I woke up this morning and as far as I can tell, I am still married and my husband still loves me. Perhaps it really means that if any of my daughters turns out to be a lesbian, I can still look forwrd to four weddings! I love weddings! Woo Hoo again!

Mind you I did hear some conjecture that the next step in the erosion of rights would be for churches which refused to perform same-sax marriage ceremonies to lose their tax free status. Then, we will approve polygamous marriages, and who knows where it will all end? Someone might end up MARRYING THEIR DOG, if that's their sexual preference. That's not my sanctity slipping away it's my sanity! And our illustrious premier, The Honourable Ralph Klein, has said he will consider having the province of Alberta give up solemnizing marriages altogether. The sky is falling!

You know what? I LOVE being Canadian. I love that I get to be proud of Prime Minister Martin, who finally got something right! (In case he lurks here, well done you, Prime Minister Martin!) I love that we get to openly and publicly disagree. And that we can agree to disagree. And especially that we have room for everybody. And that my friends is worth another big WOO HOO! That is all.

Kranki said...

llbo-can you write my blog? That is what I was trying to say but you just did it better than I could have ever dreamed of. Yay for you!

lowk said...

hi, just passing by when I noticed something funny. A friend of mine and you have both the same age, same name and her dog was named yoshi also. Besides being a major cat lover too. We're (Callie an I) are behind the gay marraiges too. Hope we can change things in the U.S. too.

Anonymous said...

EEK! Don't put that on my head. You entertain an audience daily, flung hither and yon throughout North America. I couldn't do it. Anyway, it's actually what you did say. You just got me on a rant. I was primed by having the dubious pleasure (?) of actually hearing the polygamous marriage comment on the radio this morning, and reading the "marry their dog" comment in the paper. I do live in redneck Alberta after all (and just what am I doing here?). But thank you for the kind words. WOO HOO!

Katy Barzedor said...

Canada's progressive ideas only make it sting worse that the States are so far behind in social development. Y'all are, overall, so much more sensible and practical in the Great White North. We really have let the ultra-conservative nutjobs/flag wrappers have way too much power here in the States.

I can't say I haven't seriously considered becoming a Canadian citizen on more than one occasion since GWB took office. Hell, I'm practically there as it is...no more than an hour from here to y'all's border.
And I used to looooove those Cuban cigars I could get up there before I quit smokin'. Somebody please tell me what exactly the US's problem is with Cuba in the 21st century?

Kranki said...

lowk-that is quite the coinkidink! Stuff like that spooks me out but in a good way. Thanks for stopping by.

Lbo-well rant away. I am lovin' the rants. I think it was Joan Rivers who said that there should be same sex marriages. Why shouldn't they be as miserable as the rest of us? And now they can be.

Bucky-things are far from perfect up here but overall I am very glad to be living in The Great White North. Our taxes are high and our spelling is funny and we say aboot a lot. That might scare some off at the border. But we can travel to Cuba for fabulous holidays and smoke cigars from every place. I think overall we are sorta an "as long as it is between consenting adults it is fine with me" kind of place.

Squirl said...

If Canada weren't farther north than I already live, I might think aboot it. My country is pretty embarrassing since W go in office. I thought I'd been embarrassed when Reagan was in office, go figure. Good for Canada for being more decent about people's rights.

Anonymous said...

Good for canada...!!!!!!!! Love is all around!!!!!

Kranki said...

squirl-the US has a lot going for it too but I love that Canada is so tolerant. With all that thinking aboot it you are already halfway a honorary canuck.

Anon-love is in the air as well as in the streets when the Gay Pride Parade rolls around.

Susie said...

I didn't know about your Charter of Rights; but I confess, I don't know much about your government. I agree with misfit and Lbo. Your country has gotten it right, I believe. However, I am still not comfortable with the way the U.S. would legalize gay marriage, if we do. I LOVE our form of government, and the constitution. I have not heard a good solution to the problem of the legal morass that will be created if some states legalize gay marriage and others don't. We spend way too much court time and money on property and custody disputes between divorcing parties when the states' laws are relatively similar to one another. And inheritance issues, medical decision-making, etc. Leaving it up to the states, who will undoubtedly have laws that range all over the continuum, doesn't seem workable. And a const. amendment doesn't seem likely. I agree in principle with equal rights and equal protection. I'm just not clever enough to see how we can make it work under our system. I believe we will, eventually, I just haven't yet seen a plan that's not, IMO, too short-sighted.