We hold these truths to be self evident

I'm going to briefly depart from my usual blog topics to comment on two holidays early in July that are important to me Canada Day and The Fourth of July.

I was reminded today by a post on Contentious by Amy Gahran about National Public Radio (NPR) in the States doing their annual reading of the Declaration of Independence. I listened to it, as I did while I lived in the States. And it struck me how important a document it is now as it ever has been. And I started thinking about how life in Canada is different than in the States.

I think I'm in a special position to think about this. I'm an American living in Canada. I've lived in Canada for six years now. Often people ask me if I would move back to the States. No, is my usual, flat answer. I moved to Canada by choice, and I love it here. I'm now a dual citizen and voted in the recent federal election.

The States could learn a lot from Canada. Now, some of the social programs are obvious, socialized medicine, although much maligned, is very important to Canada and I won't go into that debate. But I think there are two also very important Canadian principles that the States could do well to learn. Mutilculturalism and tolerance.

Canada is multicultural, by law, and it works here. Here in Canada, part of being Canadian is to be proud of and claim the heritage of where you and your family is from. The States is a “melting pot”, by its own admission and even promoted as such. But when you melt things together, everything, well, melts. Sure you might be able to taste the Swiss in a fondue, but what if you threw in some Provalone? Would you really notice? Canada fully embraces all the cultures that add to our mosaic. This is a powerful idea, and gives everyone a better sense of identity.

Canada I think is, by and large, more tolerant than the States. Sure, of course there are still all the “-isms” that plague societies around the world, but I think we handle them better. Canadians, I think, are more likely to just let everyone be, respect differences, and move on. Tolerance goes hand-in-hand with multiculturalism, and together they make Canada great.

The States is at a cross-roads this election year. I hope my fellow Americans listen to the Declaration of Independence and think about what it really means. Then maybe they should talk to their friends who are Canadian (there are lots in the States, they're just harder to pick out because “they look just like us”) and ask them about Canada. Maybe we will all be better off then, I can only hope.

So happy Canada Day (yesterday) and Fourth of July.