There are many things that I like about Canada, but I've come to the realization that mainly its that it's not the USA. It's been refreshing to spend the last 2 weeks away from the pounding noise of the US media. I haven't had to see that somehow its deemed ok to show up with guns at a town hall meeting with our president. I haven't had to hear my senator profess to believe that proscribed euthanasia is part of legislation that he's been intimately involved with. No, its been pleasant to listen to CBC new with coverage of world affairs interspersed with full length songs even if they are by the New Pornographers. Canada is so much more, how do I say it, civil. Canada allows more people to share in the American dream. The underclass of my neighborhood doesn't appear to exist in small town Canada. Now I realize that looking at Stratford and NOTL is not a fair sample, but we've driven thru lots of towns with populations of 5,000 to 30,000 on this trip and I've yet to find a Maple Hills.
Some time ago I came to regret my choice of location to spend my adult life. I managed to choose a town that not only is smaller today than it was at any point during the last 100 years, but also is dysfunctional. All I really want is a town designed for living. Just sweep up the sand and not have 3 years accumulation in the parking lot. We have a bare beach in our riverfront park and a sandy parking lot across from Melodee's office. Don't tell me about promoting tourism, let's work to make our town livable for us that live there.
It's with this background that I came to “Born yesterday” by Garson Kanin. He wrote this comedy/social commentary in 1945 just as World War II was ending. Kanin foresaw that the accumulation of political power in the wealthy would result what the dumb blond Billie Dawn's says “having them stealing from themselves”. The attitude of just don't care could only be overcome by strong individuals standing up to the power hungry. I can only hope that there are strong individuals willing to take on the elite. I'm just not sure that absolute freedom of speech and absolute freedom of firepower can coexist with my desire for a quiet life.
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