Pride in your ancestry

[PocketRocket]

I do sense however that English Canadians seem to lack identifying symbols

I have a symbol that I like just fine.

It's the Maple Leaf.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That thing's a piece of junk. It has historical and geographical significance to only a relatively small elite in a relatively small area of the country. It's a lousy symbol for the country as a whole.

-k

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well, perhaps if you had been around at the time you could have designed something better.

But you had the unbridled temerity to be born too late to do so.

The nerve of some women

Seriously, a symbol is what you make it.

Look at the Bald Eagle, national symbol of our southern friends.

It never takes on anything it's own size.

It will often pounce on prey which is already mortally wounded.

It will often scavenge off dead carcasses.

But it looks good in a picture

The Canadian flag, as it currently stands, is just fine by me.

[crazymf]

Uh, I think I agree, crazymf. Maybe.

Sometimes it's not what you say, but how you say it. I got my point across. I got yelled at, but the laugh was worth it.

[kimmy]

Kimmy, from what I understand, the various species of maple leaf trees only grow in central Canada.  I think birch trees grow everywhere in Canada, and blueberries are specifically Canadian.

I can not recall seeing a maple tree in the wild before I moved to Ottawa, and I can not recall seeing one since I left. I am told that some parts of Manitoba have a maple species known as the (get this) Manitoba Maple. Some people here buy a decorative lawn shrub with maple leaf-shaped leaves; it's a spindly little plant that I believe is, in fact, called the "Japanese Maple", though I'm skeptical as to whether it is truly related to real maple trees, as the leaves are the only thing about it that bears a resemblence.

A goofy little shrub imported from Asia to serve as a nifty yard decoration... Japanese Maples are actually not a bad symbol of how I see Canadian nationalism.

(The maple leaf's) use as a Canadian symbol dates back as far as the 1700s, when the English, Scottish, and Irish populations in Canada would all display their national plant at certain gatherings. Individuals with only a distant affiliation to their country of origin and wishing to be considered Canadians, began wearing the maple leaf.

The maple leaf slowly caught on as a national symbol: in 1868, it was included in the coat of arms of both Ontario and Quebec, and was added to the Canadian coat of arms in 1921. In 1867, Alexander Muir composed the patriotic The Maple Leaf Forever, which became an unofficial anthem in English-speaking Canada. From 1876 until 1901, the leaf appeared on all Canadian coins, and remained on the penny after 1901. During the First and Second World Wars, the leaf was widely used as a regimental symbol. The maple leaf finally became the central national symbol with the intoduction of the Canadian flag in 1965, which uses a highly-stylized eleven-pointed maple leaf, refering to no specific species of maple.

-wikipedia

As I said,

It has historical and geographical significance to only a relatively small elite in a relatively small area of the country. It's a lousy symbol for the country as a whole.

-k

[Hawk]

I do sense however that English Canadians seem to lack identifying symbols

I have a symbol that I like just fine.

It's the Maple Leaf.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That thing's a piece of junk. It has historical and geographical significance to only a relatively small elite in a relatively small area of the country. It's a lousy symbol for the country as a whole.

-k

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well, perhaps if you had been around at the time you could have designed something better.

But you had the unbridled temerity to be born too late to do so.

The nerve of some women

Seriously, a symbol is what you make it.

Look at the Bald Eagle, national symbol of our southern friends.

It never takes on anything it's own size.

It will often pounce on prey which is already mortally wounded.

It will often scavenge off dead carcasses.

But it looks good in a picture

The Canadian flag, as it currently stands, is just fine by me.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Your right, it IS what you make it.. and the current flag has been made to symbolize corruption and the fall of Canada from the world stage.

As for August, you say it was always their symbol, that is fine but that wasn't my point. The maple leaf has existed alot longer than the Liberal Party, but thanks to the Liberals it is now identified as being a symbol of THEM and their corruption. To put it as the sole symbol on a completely red flag (also a Liberal color) and that it was brought in by a Liberal PM merely reinforces my conviction that the new Canadian flag is not worth saluting.

[I Miss Trudeau]

But then BD is also capable of analytical mumbo-jumbo victimhood nonsense.  "My Mom never really liked me."

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I suppose its easier to throw out BS like this than to actually try to address or understand BD's post. Sadly, you'd rather make playground level attacks on it.

[moderateamericain]

But then BD is also capable of analytical mumbo-jumbo victimhood nonsense.  "My Mom never really liked me."

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I suppose its easier to throw out BS like this than to actually try to address or understand BD's post. Sadly, you'd rather make playground level attacks on it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

man, again the psyche of your average canadian is intresting to see. As an American, and part Native American i am proud of what my country stands for. You know what my favorite "America" moment was. Well actually there were 2. THe first was playing college football. The singer was singing the star spangled banner. And the blue angel fighter squadron (f-18 hornets) thundered over head. It gave me goose bumps. The other was when we burried my grandfather. He served in the philipinese during world war 2, I stood there as the 21 gun saluted was done. Not a single one of these soilders was even alive when my grandfather was in the army, but they showed him the respect that he deserved. I could not imagine living a life without pride in my country. i have the flag that was given to my grandmother displayed on a mantle over my fireplace. It will occupy that place of honor till they day i die.

[crazymf]

Yeah, I saw the Blue Angels in Yakima a few years ago. They were doing an airshow on the weekend and were doing passes over town during lunch hour on the Wednesday. Watching them haul *ss and doing power turns about 300 feet up was pretty incredible. What a bunch of hot dogs!!

[crazymf]

But then BD is also capable of analytical mumbo-jumbo victimhood nonsense.  "My Mom never really liked me."

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I suppose its easier to throw out BS like this than to actually try to address or understand BD's post. Sadly, you'd rather make playground level attacks on it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What is a playground level attack exactly?

[I Miss Trudeau]

What is a playground level attack exactly?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

An attack thats on the level you'd expect to see at a playground full of little kids. Its not rocket science.

[crazymf]

The way I see it, a playground attack might be any comment that someone may not understand in the context it was meant to be given. BD regularly calls me names such as 'creep' and comments things like 'grow up'. That just tells me he/she doesn't have much of a sense of humor, that's all.

Of course, insults are the ammunition of the unintelligent. It says so in the guidelines.

Certain playground attacks are a very simple way to insert a complicated comment that may be well above the comprehension of the intended victim, without insult or injury.

[I Miss Trudeau]

Certain playground attacks are a very simple way to insert a complicated comment that may be well above the comprehension of the intended victim, without insult or injury.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think you hit the nail on the head with regards to this one. You didn't understand what BD was talking about, so instead of asking for clarification, you decided to imply that it was incomprehensible (complete with keyboard spam! ASHG!#$%). Given that, merely telling you to grow up seems overly polite of BD in my opinion.

[newbie]

l significance to only a relatively small elite in a relatively small area of the country. It's a lousy symbol for the country as a whole

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm not sure if you're referring to all maple trees or just sugar maples found down east. My sister on Vancouver Island has some big leaf maples in her backyard, and her neighbours have Vine and Douglas maples.

[Black Dog]

I said the current FLAG is completely corrupted and taken over by the Liberal party, read my post =p

As a matter of fact, you didn't.

There is only 1 problem with the Red Ensign, the British Coat of Arms in the top left. Even then, I still use that over the maple leaf any day. A symbol now completely corrupted and taken over by the Liberal party.

But then BD is also capable of analytical mumbo-jumbo victimhood nonsense.

Bah. Perhaps I should resort to the outrage and empty platitudes that seem to be so in vogue here these days? I'll take rabble's highbrow discourse over partisan mudslinging any day.

The maple leaf has existed alot longer than the Liberal Party, but thanks to the Liberals it is now identified as being a symbol of THEM and their corruption

Other than you and you rilk, who identifies the maple leaf with the Liberal party? Our internal political dickering registers not at all with the rest of the world, anymor ethan 99 per cent of the world's internal issues register here.

to put it as the sole symbol on a completely red flag (also a Liberal color) and that it was brought in by a Liberal PM merely reinforces my conviction that the new Canadian flag is not worth saluting.

See, August? Partisan mudslinging at its finest. I guaran-damn-tee that, had a Conservative PM brought in the Mapel Leaf, these folks would eb clamouring for a ban on flag-burning.

Really, though: its a flag. A piece of fabric. One of the things I like about this country is that we're above the kind of idolatry that others have for their national symbols.

he way I see it, a playground attack might be any comment that someone may not understand in the context it was meant to be given. BD regularly calls me names such as 'creep' and comments things like 'grow up'. That just tells me he/she doesn't have much of a sense of humor, that's all.

Wot IMT said.

[crazymf]

Certain playground attacks are a very simple way to insert a complicated comment that may be well above the comprehension of the intended victim, without insult or injury.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think you hit the nail on the head with regards to this one. You didn't understand what BD was talking about, so instead of asking for clarification, you decided to imply that it was incomprehensible (complete with keyboard spam! ASHG!#$%). Given that, merely telling you to grow up seems overly polite of BD in my opinion.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Assumptions are usually wrong.

[I Miss Trudeau]

Assumptions are usually wrong.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

But not always.

[mirror]

Maple Trees

Sometimes I really wonder. I think there are as many maples in Westen Canada as there are in the East.

As far as I know there are maple trees throughout Canada. Does anyone know where they do not grow in Canada?