I read with dismay the sad state of our nuclear research industry, once a flagship of this young proud country. And then the other haunting images of our past come flooding out – Canada the peacekeeping nation once respected around the globe – Canada the country of natural abundance and environmental good sense - Canada the country of fairness and justice and not the national shame of Maher Arar and Karl Heinz Schreiber.
Why have we lost our direction? Why do we now get nervous about wearing our flag on our backpack? Selling our oil has been great for the national economy but beyond that the good news gets pretty thin. The answer is not in our stars but in our leaders. Do we expect too much – assuredly. But our partisan system of parochial politics seems to doom us to forever being the best country that almost was.
The good news is that we are a people of hope. Looking to our own collective resources we can set new directions and make the needed difference. And if our leaders care to stop and listen maybe they can find their own way as well.
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