Tolerance

What do we live for?
Why do we strive?
Will human endeavor,
Save one more live?

A thought I had many years ago and just came across again in some old "packed away in the closet stuff". So here goes! What do we live for? As in what makes you tick? What do you value?  What are your values? Have you taken a hard close look lately at them? I have had a lot of time, recently to do just that. I find that face values and true values are quite different in many (probably most) individuals. There is a face we like to show to the world. A face we know we shouldn't!

In Canada one such face we like to show is "I AM TOLERANT'. Tolerant of others, of the beliefs, religions and traditions of other countries and races. We are tolerant, to a degree. It's this degree that is disagreed on. Of all the people I know this is the bone of contention. This idea that Canadians are accepting of all! Our government shows this face to the world. Give me  your tired, your weak and your poor. No matter what kind of face our government tries to put on the cumulative faces of Canadians the one thing that is  most disagreed upon in Canadian circles is rights. Minority rights -  religious rights, Gay rights, Native rights, Muslim Rights, Catholic Rights and so on and so on! When asked most will profess to be tired of hearing about all the minority rights and all the problems that go with it. Why? The general consensus is the loss of Canadian heritage, tradition. The Canadian Way!

What though, is the Canadian way? Where did we start? When the first explorers first reached Canada the Canadians were natives of this land. It wasn't very much longer and the land had been taken and the new Canadians were the settlers from England and France. Other countries soon followed and Canada became quite a diverse population. Back then the new comers appreciated the chance to live in a safe country and start fresh. There were never protests to put pressure on the government to intervene into another country and "save" the people back home. Everyone wanted to live peacefully with their neighbors. A gentle way of life.
 When immigrants came in the past it was to get away from a life of strife and/or  government domination of the people. To make a better life for their children and become a Canadian. I see now many immigrants (not all) don't want to be Canadian. They just want a safe land to live in. The want to keep the ways from their past lives. Lives they left behind.Values that destroyed lives there and are now destroying lives here. Ways that go against our laws and our citizen rights. The violence they have known in the past is brought with them.
I must say, that there are issues that are building , quietly out in the population. I have watched as other countries have spoken to the world on their immigration policies. The general rule being assimilation. We would love to have you come into our country and be a citizen but we require assimilation. You must learn our language. You must tolerate our religions. You must become one with us to stand as a united front! One people, one country!

 In Canada, no such thing is said because we are tolerant. Or so it seems. But are we? I did not hear one good word when the streets were blocked by 1000's of Tamil protesters , protesting the way their country and country men were being treated in Sri Lanka.. Country? Canada? No. Sri Lanka. Country men? Canadians? No, Tamils! Tolerance? Hell no!

They blocked off our roads so we could not get home form work. They made sure it was during rush hour! Waving Canadians flags alongside red ones with the tiger insignia of the Tamil Tigers, the separatist group in Sri Lanka that is on Canada’s list of banned terrorist organizations.  Why, would they believe, that for even one moment we would want to hear about a cause involving terrorists?  Especially when they were in the process of royally pissing us off by blocking rush hour traffic. This did not happen once but three times last summer. I understand that they are worried for their families but this is not and should not be our concern. These are members of a terrorist group. Do I hear tolerance from the citizens when the Jamaican gangs, the Korean gangs,Chinese gangs or any other gangs find themselves in the papers for more slaughter and crime? We are not tolerant of all!

We are tolerant to allow people from other countries to make a home in Canada, to practice their religion as long as it does not go against our laws and to keep  their traditions and beliefs. To be our neighbors and to have their children go to school with our children. Is it too much to ask for that same respect back from the people who have been given a safe place to live in a free land? I think we should adopt what other countries take for granted.

New citizens of Canada, become one with us to stand as a united front!
One people, one country! Canada!