Clarifying the National Anthem

Yesterday was the Speech from the Throne. Americans: It's somewhat analogous to the State of the Union Address in that it's a general statement of vision, with some bullet points. The more specific info comes today at 4, with the budget speech in the House of Commons.

Dilettante alert: I don't pretend to do a close analysis of either speech. I wait to hear what the news people say about it and read it if I hear something interesting. So here's what I looked at this morning: "Our Government will also ask Parliament to examine the original gender-neutral English wording of the national anthem."

I was pretty interested in this. What with all the Canadians singing it at the Winter Olympics (ahem: owning that podium, one might say), the anthem has been on my mind lately. And frankly, I've always been curious about what exactly I'm supposed to do when I "stand on guard." It's all over the anthem. But what is it?

Alas, that remains a mystery. Apparently the phrase in question is "True patriot love in all thy sons command." The original, pre-WWI wording: "True patriot love thou dost in us command." Proposed: "True patriot love in all our hearts command."

Okay, whatever. Obviously, this anthem issue isn't the most important problem Canada faces. Obviously, changing the wording of the anthem hurts no one--and doesn't particularly improve the status of women, either. Still, symbols are important.

And if symbols are important, what IS all this about standing on guard? It's military. Is that what Canada the nation is--a primarily military construct? The role and definition of peacekeeping, and Canada's strong identification with peacekeeping (vs. what? war-waging? ah: war-mongering!), has been under discussion (one might say "under attack") since Afghanistan.

The anthem's Wikipedia entry, which is likely not the repository of all official information about the anthem, lists many revisons to the anthem through the 20th century. They seem to be responses to changing social conditions, not real changes in Canada's self-definition. I was interested to learn that the anthem once had even MORE standing on guard.

Meanwhile, south of the border, Americans stoutly sing their national anthem despite its inherent melodic challenges without knowing the words beyond the first and last phrases. The American anthem supports a cottage industry of people writing new popular patriotic songs, particularly in the country music world, as Americans search for a song that (1) they can sound good while singing and that also (2) makes them feel good (even better!) about themselves.

Maybe that's what Canada needs: A Lee Greenwood-style, "God Bless the U.S.A."-type song.

Or, hmmm, maybe not.

But in the post-Vancouver-Olympics, post-Copenhagen, mid-Afghanistan, mid-economic crisis world, here's the real question: How can Canada best participate as a responsible world citizen while supporting its own people: citizens and residents?

Specifics to follow, today, at 4.