Cherry Blossoms

Tom Brokaw, the Olympics, and Canada

Go Canada Allez!There is a video that has gone viral in Canada, and is racking up hits like crazy on YouTube. If you have not seen it, and you’re a Canadian, you should watch it! I was very moved by this tribute.

It’s been described as “Tom Brokaw explains Canada to the USA,” but Canadians have dubbed it a “Love Letter” and I really like that description. There are a number of things I really appreciated hearing, especially the line “And if you’re in a fight, you want the Canadians on your side…” Our military is often maligned, even by Canadians, so it was good to hear that the USA appreciates the bravery of our men and women in uniform. I remember a dinner party at our house about fifteen years ago, when a couple of lesbians sneered and laughed at our military. When I suggested that perhaps their grasp of history was a tad weak, they have refused to speak to me ever since. So it was good to hear that a world class military power understands our abilities, even if ignorant Canadians fail to appreciate it.

I’m willing to bet a lot of Americans were surprised about the amount of oil that Americans get from us, and that we are such good trading partners… I’m pleased that Mr. Brokaw was able to point out how we stand arm in arm, even when we disagree, that friendship can rise above disagreements. It was a really beautifully done piece of journalism.

The remarks at the end, describing how our Prime Minister, Mr. Stephen Harper stood in Parliament to encourage Canadians to be outwardly patriotic, wave the flag, and show our pride during the Olympics and we’ll apologize for it after was quite funny. You could see Mr. Brokaw shaking his head, chuckling, as if to say, “Can you believe that? Apologize for being patriotic? What a country!”

What a country indeed!

Thank you Mr. Brokaw, thank you NBC, and GO CANADA ALLEZ!

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