Conservatives singing a different tune?

[Shwa]

From the Toronto Star this morning:

Conservatives eye new lyrics for our national anthem

Published On Thu Mar 4 2010

Richard J. Brennan and Bruce Campion-Smith

Ottawa Bureau

OTTAWA—Three days after Canadians belted out “O Canada” to celebrate the nation’s Olympic hockey win, Stephen Harper’s Conservatives are asking whether the anthem should be changed.

The phrase “In all thy sons command” has some women calling for a gender-neutral version, Industry Minister Tony Clement says, citing an email from a constituent.

“For 50 years ..... I’ve listened to our anthem and felt excluded by the line,” Tina Prietz, 60, of Huntsville, Ont., wrote to Clement. “Yes, you’ve guessed it, I’m female.”

The Conservative government said in Wednesday’s throne speech it will ask Parliament to examine the original wording of the anthem.

Rest of the story...

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[Mr.Canada]

I'm sure they'll take God out of it while they're at it.

[Wild Bill]

Geez Louise, not again!

I'm 57 and the words have already been changed a couple of times in my lifetime. Sometimes at various local meetings the anthem will be sung and they actually hand out cheat sheets, 'cuz nobody can remember the same words!

How can something be a national symbol when it's constantly changed to fit the mores of the times. I thought flags, anthems and such were there to provide unchanging standards for which we can aspire, not the pop song of each generation.

[DrGreenthumb]

Who gives a shit? If this is supposed to be some kind of symbolic gesture to try and attract women voters it is a sad and pathetic attempt. How about reversing the changes they made to pay equity, and paying women equally for equal work? The throne speach was nothing but fluff. The budget better have a lot more substance to it after saying they needed a 2 month holiday from accountability in Parliament to prepare it. Freakin incompetance.

[Mr.Canada]

Who gives a shit? If this is supposed to be some kind of symbolic gesture to try and attract women voters it is a sad and pathetic attempt. How about reversing the changes they made to pay equity, and paying women equally for equal work? The throne speach was nothing but fluff. The budget better have a lot more substance to it after saying they needed a 2 month holiday from accountability in Parliament to prepare it. Freakin incompetance.

Uhm first of all Parlaiment was prorogued for 22 days.

What changes did they make to pay equity?

Which women aren't being paid for equal work?

People get paid on an individual basis, companies aren't the government where people get paid the same regardless of performance. The real world is performance based. Are you are aware of this?

[PIK]

This is wrong!

[charter.rights]

The proposed change: “Thou dost in us command,”

Dumb. The Conservatives want to take us back a 100 years with a silly and useless distraction from their torture scandal and their poor performance at dealing with the recession.

[Mr.Canada]

The proposed change: “Thou dost in us command,”

Dumb. The Conservatives want to take us back a 100 years with a silly and useless distraction from their torture scandal and their poor performance at dealing with the recession.

Oh I see. So it's not ok for the government to use things from a mere 100 years ago but it's ok that you use things from nearly 300 years ago.

Is 100 years not old enough for you?

Indians tourtured and killed many whites throughout history don't be so naive. They aren't innocent.

[DrGreenthumb]

Uhm first of all Parlaiment was prorogued for 22 days.

Only in your absurd world of Conservative talking points, and harper worship. In the real world he prorogued the night before new years eve and came back yesterday. Needed two months to recalibrate he told us. This throne speech is no recalibration, it is just more of the same old Tory shit. I like that Iggy and Jack both called it regurgitate instead of recalibrate.

[Mr.Canada]

Only in your absurd world of Conservative talking points, and harper worship. In the real world he prorogued the night before new years eve and came back yesterday. Needed two months to recalibrate he told us. This throne speech is no recalibration, it is just more of the same old Tory shit. I like that Iggy and Jack both called it regurgitate instead of recalibrate.

Well first of all Parlainment wasn't scheduled to come back until January 25 with no prorogation. You don't know this so I'll help you. Are you closer to reality yet? Prorogation didn't start on Dec.30.

[charter.rights]

Indians tourtured and killed many whites throughout history don't be so naive. They aren't innocent.

A myth I would like to see you prove. The fact is that more Europeans did more harm to First Nations people than they ever did to us. And that includes torture.

Edited March 4, 2010 by charter.rights

[Mr.Canada]

.

Edited March 4, 2010 by Mr.Canada

[Topaz]

Once you start to change words of this it won't be the same song and I would think even if the words were changed, I for one, would sing the same words, not the changed ones. I find this a minor problem, if the Tories want to help women, give them equal rights, pay etc.

[Mr.Canada]

I hope they don't change the words but what the average Canadain citizen like me wants is irrelevant. It's the loud minority that gets everything.

[Mr.Canada]

Once you start to change words of this it won't be the same song and I would think even if the words were changed, I for one, would sing the same words, not the changed ones. I find this a minor problem, if the Tories want to help women, give them equal rights, pay etc.

How do women not have equal rights and pay? Give me examples.

I said this before. The corporate world is not government where evryone gets paid the same no matter how bad they are. Salary is based on performance in the real world.

[Shakeyhands]

It seems to me that the whole anthem issue is nothing but a red herring to distract and take media cycles away from what for all intents and purposes is a weak throne speech and what I'm sure will turn out to be a poor budget. Same with the whole salary issue.

[eyeball]

They should get Neil Young to write us a completely new tune.

[Oleg Bach]

SO rich and powerful corporate conservatives suggest symbolically through this gender killing of our young males...that we should not have sons or heirs even in song- but they are allowed empires and heirs...but there is justice as far as the neo-cons are concerned..look at the son that got sent to Dick Cheney...a man in a womans body. I hope the same for all those that suck up and use political correctness to weaken our family lineage..but not theirs..jerks.

[kimmy]

It strikes me as a completely unimportant issue. But also a legitimate complaint.

I'm surprised to hear that people have a sentimental attachment to the line

"True patriot love, In all thy sons command,"

because it's completely inane. What is that supposed to even mean?

-k

[Smallc]

Dost? Seriously?

In all thy hearts command...or in all our hearts command. That's probably far less controversial.

[Wilber]

That's what happens when you have something like the Olympics. Too many people who have never sang it before finally learned the lyrics and now have to bitch about them.

Political correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end.

[Smallc]

I haven't heard too much bitching though. This seems to have come out of left field.

[Wilber]

I haven't heard too much bitching though. This seems to have come out of left field.

They'll all come out of the woodwork now.

[Dave_ON]

How do women not have equal rights and pay? Give me examples.

I said this before. The corporate world is not government where evryone gets paid the same no matter how bad they are. Salary is based on performance in the real world.

Ummm guess you've never heard of unions... no merit there really.

Also in the real world salary isn't entirely based on merit, as in politics it's who you know and who you bl..

Further if you compare a woman's salary to a man's salary in an equal or similar position you'll find a great deal of disparity still exists. I guess the marjority of men just have more merit then the majority of women...

Edited March 5, 2010 by Dave_ON

[DrGreenthumb]

I haven't heard too much bitching though. This seems to have come out of left field.

Actually it came out of RIGHT field. I heard it came from a new Conservative senator actually.