They just aren't gonna stop until I'm proud of my country, are they?

I'm not huge on patriotism. Loyalty to an abstract concept because of where my mother happened to be geographically located when she went into labour with me is a bit too arbitrary for my tastes, plus I'm well aware of how dangerous blind patriotism can get (c.f. WWI). So whenever I find myself proud of my country I try very hard to think about it very critically and not let it go to my head.

But Canada seems to be getting the better of me this week. First, we had military marching in Pride. Now logically, I know it's just a recruitment strategy. I know it isn't all happy rainbows like they're making it out to be (c.f. Valerie Valen). And I totally see where Hamilton Pride was coming from not allowing the military and I don't disagree with that decision. But still, I didn't know the Canadian military wasn't don't ask don't tell, and it was cool to see them out and proud in uniform (including one or possibly two people who were there in the time and place when I was afraid to wear an Ally button) - plus all the cops wearing rainbow flare with their uniforms, so I was very pleasantly surprised and impressed that our uniformed authority figures have gotten to that point, even if they aren't perfect yet.

So then I woke up this morning to hear the radio telling me that Dr. Morgentaler is being awarded the Order of Canada! I quite literally jumped out of bed, ran to the computer, googled up confirmation, and fired off a squeeing email to the Governor General's office congratulating them for such an awesome choice. I mean, we all owe him our lives - not just people who are or have been or will be capable of becoming pregnant, but also everyone who has benefited or will benefit from being a planned and wanted child gestated in the womb of a healthy bio-mother. What astounds me about Dr. Morgentaler is he had no particular reason to become an abortion activist. It didn't affect him personally, he was older when he got into it (late 40s, if I remember correctly), no one would have noticed if he hadn't done anything. No one would have said "Hey, you, Mr. middle-aged holocaust-survivor doctor man, why aren't you loudly and publicly performing a controversial medical procedure for which you could be sentenced to life in prison?" If he had just quietly gone about his family practice, no one would have cared. But he stepped up, and now my ova shall never be sentenced the misery of the world, and the world shall never have the misery of my ova unleashed upon it! Then multiply that by everyone, past, present and future!

Actually, the Order of Canada's decision to give the award to Dr. Morgentaler parallel's Dr. Morgentaler's decision to start providing Canada with abortions. I know some people were lobbying for it, but the Order could have easily said "Nope, sorry, we're for nice friendly uncontroversial figures," and most people would have accepted that. But they were brave and bold and stepped up, and because of that I woke up this morning asquee and proud of my country.

And, now that I think about it, the soldiers and police in Pride are the same way too. No one would ever be watching a Gay Pride parade and saying "Hey, wait a minute, why aren't there any soldiers in this parade?" No one would ever look at a uniformed cop, even at Pride, and say "Dude, what is up with the total lack of rainbow flare?" But they were brave and bold, they stepped up and did it, and I came away feeling the sort of capital P Pride that we're supposed to feel from Pride, in my city and my country.

So keep it up Canada, be brave and bold, you've made a cynic proud of you!

Makes me wish I had something brave and bold to do.