Mac Olsen
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Liberal Government can congratulate themselves and give themselves medals of honour for imposing their “gender-neutral” political correctness on the national anthem.
They can bellow out ‘In all of us command’ if they like, but I – and hopefully those who are like-minded – will continue to sing ‘In all thy sons command’ because that is the correct way to sing it.
Where does political correctness end? Will atheists demand that the reference ‘God keep our land …’ in the national anthem be changed to religion-free phrasing because it offends their sensibilities?
In time, our Canadian culture and identity – more accurately, social conventions – will be sterilized to the point that we won’t have anything to point to and say that these things represent us and we hold them sacred. Those who are offended and take exception to our Canadian culture and identity – our social conventions – will be responsible for making society sterile and meaningless with their sanitized political correctness.
What is so wrong with “sons” in the national anthem? There are songs with “father,” “mother” and “daughter” in them – male and female references – that would be meaningless without them.
Will the political correctness crowd demand that they be sterilized into gender neutrality as well?
My statements aren’t to be construed as sexist and egotistical, nor are they part of the “Old Boys Club” mentality.
I am simply saying that you can have patriarchal pronouncements, such as the one found in the national anthem or matriarchal pronouncements and still be respectful of all. You don’t have to tear down or erase the patriarchal or matriarchal elements.
And if the political correctness crowd is making the issue about inclusiveness, then my position still stands. Patriarchs and matriarchs can and should be inclusive of each other, while still having their separate positions.
I can also argue that the Edmonton Eskimos team name should not be changed for political correctness. I don’t see the reference ‘Eskimos’ as racist, offensive or slighting the identified people of northern Canada. In fact, that team name is a pronouncement to them, that they are part of the Canadian identity and culture.
And while he may be considered controversial, kudos to U of T professor, Jordan Peterson for his stance against Trudeau’s Bill C-16, particularly on the concepts of “gender identity” and “gender expression.” Two years ago, he was denied a federal grant application for insisting to continue to use the words “him” or “her,” which he adds, could become a crime under Bill C-16, even a hate crime.
How can it become a hate crime to use “him” or “her” in oral and written speech? If I choose to use those words, it’s just a standard practice that I have always followed.
I think the imposition of “gender identity” and “gender expression” is not only heavy-handed on the part of government, it can be deemed Orwellian as a “thought crime.”
So, I say no to ‘In all of us command,’ no to political correctness and yes to retaining social convention and pronouncements that are part of the Canadian identity.