Welcome to Canada

I caught a bit of CBC news last night after the hockey game and watched an interesting piece on Canadian identity and how it is evolving. University students and people on the street were asked what it meant to be Canadian. Apparently more and more, that definition includes the phrases "not like Americans" or "better that Americans". As usual, we see ourselves more as what we are not than what we are. But, why this fixation with, and dislike of, Americans? This moral superiority is offensive. There are many areas of life where they out-shine us and two come to mind immediately. Americans are the most generous people on the face of the earth and Canadian's charitable giving pales in comparison. Why would we not want to be more like them in that regard? The other area which for me is of great concern, is the area of free speech. We need only look at the incident, on Tuesday evening, in Ottawa, where Ann Coulter was not allowed to speak at the University of Ottawa. She was threatened by the University with a law suit if she said anything construed as hate. This letter prompted the leftists on campus to near riot as the time of Anne's speech approached and prompted the police to cancel the event.
When we disagree with someone, we should either ignore them or engage them in debate, not ban them from speaking. Interesting that one of the characteristics that "we Canadians" seem to be most proud of is our tolerance. In ten years of speaking, Ann claims, she has never once been muzzled. Welcome to Canada, Ann.