Happy Canada Day to all Canadians. This is a day to celebrate the wonderful country in which we live. We are a vibrant democracy with about 34 million residents who demonstrate the wonders of how a diverse set of folks can mange to live together in generally amicable relationships.
We will be celebrating Canada Day here in Regina by joining with thousands of others in a local park where these types of events occur on a regular basis.
As we celeberate our nation's birthday I cannot help but notice a change in our country the last 30 years. Canadians have a long history of caring for one another. Our social service agencies and volunteer commitments are some of the greatest in the world. Yet there is a 'troubling trend'.
It started in the 1979-80 period with the elections of Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan. These two 'neo-cons' popularized the idea of a 'less caring society' if not by words, but by their actions. Our public agencies began withdrawing themselves from actions which support a greater sense of equity in our society. Cutbacks were aimed at reducing social services directed to the least fortunate in our societies. We have seen this extended to an inability to meet foreign aid commitments, a refusal to extend women's rights to all corners of our country (and to the world), an ideological approach to crime prevention (never mind the evidence just incarcerate more people), reductions in social assistance benefit payments, etc. etc.
Occasionally one sees exceptions to this general trend.. the Canadian Child Tax Benefit.. is an example.. but they seem few and far between.
As we mark of nation's birthday, I hope progressive-minded Canadians will re-commit ourselves to continue to strive for a more egalitarian country and world based on human rights, equity, equality, and most important a society that 'cares' for its less fortunate.
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