Totally OT and Political Too: Happy Election Day Canada!

As I walked over the the community league hall (see
http://www.efcl.org/about_efcl/history.asp for a description of
Edmonton's community league system) to vote today in the federal
election I was unexpectedly overwhelmed with emotion. During the last
federal election four years ago, I was living out of the country.

As I walked on the sidewalks under the shade of beautiful trees planted
when my neighbourhood was built in the late 40's, past the schools and
seniors homes, past the wonderful little restaurant owned by a
Korean-Canadian man who knows almost all of his customers by name, by
the daycare filled with kids of all different backgrounds, past the bus
stop that would take me right downtown, and from there onto our slowly
expanding light rail transit system, I thought about how much I love my
city and country and how much I take for granted.

I thought about having been ill off and on for two weeks, and being
able to go to the doctor and the dentist, being able to get a
mammogram, to fill my prescriptions, and to do so without having to
give up eating or mortgage payments or whatever ... and I thought about
how much I love my country and how much I take for granted.

I thought about how proud I am of Canada's role as a peacekeeper, and
of our contribution to setting up the World Court in the Hague. I
thought about the beauty of our national parks, nature conservancies,
marine parks and the river valley here in Edmonton (at 7,400 hectares,
it is the largest stretch of urban parkland in North America. There are
22 major parks and over 150 kilometres of trails in the valley).

I thought about an inclusive society resting on the Canada Human Rights
Act that states that:
"all individuals should have an opportunity equal with other
individuals to make for themselves the lives that they are able and
wish to have and to have their needs accommodated, consistent with
their duties and obligations as members of society, without being
hindered in or prevented from doing so by discriminatory practices
based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex,
sexual orientation, marital status, family status, disability or
conviction for an offence for which a pardon has been granted."
And I thought about how much I love my country and how much I take for
granted.

And I thought about how much of what I love and value most are things
that came out of a sense of generousity, a sense of "we're all in this
together" and an awareness of the importance of building community,
with peace, order and good government being the organizing principles.
Happy Election Day Canada, and Happy Canada Day on Thursday!


Susan in Canada

PS - I know Canada not perfect, but this is a love song, eh!

--
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Susan B. wrote:
I thought about an inclusive society resting on the Canada Human Rights
Act that states that:
"all individuals should have an opportunity equal with other
individuals to make for themselves the lives that they are able and
wish to have and to have their needs accommodated, consistent with
their duties and obligations as members of society, without being
hindered in or prevented from doing so by discriminatory practices
based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex,
sexual orientation, marital status, family status, disability or
conviction for an offence for which a pardon has been granted."

Happy Election Day, and Happy Canada Day to you, too, Susan.

If a certain nameless person is re-elected here in the USA come next
November, I may come up for a good long visit....

Arondelle
--
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I love it.
~~
Sooz

If a certain nameless person is re-elected here in the USA come next
November,

Wouldn't it be embarrassing if that happened?

---What am I saying? It's already embarrassing!
~~
Sooz

If a certain nameless person is re-elected here in the USA come next
November, I may come up for a good long visit....

Not a bad idea....
amazing to think that CANADA has managed to accomplish a much more caring
society than the USof A
in respect to things such as basic health care for all...
of course - as becomes more apparent every day -- almost everything in the US
is now about making cash for the big rich people - on the backs of the poor
little people....
I'm really getting disgusted.....
time for a change - can't wait for our election day!!!!
(PS - Canada Day is my Bday too!G)

Cheryl
DRAGON BEADS
Flameworked beads and glass
http://www.dragonbeads.com/

11-2-04 The end of an error!

janG

"Cheryl" wrote in message
...

If a certain nameless person is re-elected here in the USA come next
November, I may come up for a good long visit....

Not a bad idea....
amazing to think that CANADA has managed to accomplish a much more caring
society than the USof A
in respect to things such as basic health care for all...
of course - as becomes more apparent every day -- almost everything in the
US
is now about making cash for the big rich people - on the backs of the
poor
little people....
I'm really getting disgusted.....
time for a change - can't wait for our election day!!!!
(PS - Canada Day is my Bday too!G)

Cheryl
DRAGON BEADS
Flameworked beads and glass
http://www.dragonbeads.com/

In article , Cheryl
wrote:

If a certain nameless person is re-elected here in the USA come next
November, I may come up for a good long visit....

Not a bad idea....
amazing to think that CANADA has managed to accomplish a much more caring
society than the USof A
in respect to things such as basic health care for all...
of course - as becomes more apparent every day -- almost everything in the US
is now about making cash for the big rich people - on the backs of the poor
little people....
I'm really getting disgusted.....
time for a change - can't wait for our election day!!!!
(PS - Canada Day is my Bday too!G)

Hey Happy Birthday, eh!

--
JustBead Auctions:
http://www.justbeads.com/search/ql.cfm?s=65191
EBay Auctions:
http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...iredwo mandes
ign1&include=0&since=-1&sort=3&rows=50

11-2-04 The end of an error!

janG

Gads - I can only hope and pray!!!!

Cheryl
DRAGON BEADS
Flameworked beads and glass
http://www.dragonbeads.com/

Susan, your post brought tears to my eyes! I am hoping that there will
be a day in my lifetime when I can feel the same about my country.

-Kalera

http://www.beadwife.com
http://www.snipurl.com/kebay

Susan B. wrote:
As I walked over the the community league hall (see
http://www.efcl.org/about_efcl/history.asp for a description of
Edmonton's community league system) to vote today in the federal
election I was unexpectedly overwhelmed with emotion. During the last
federal election four years ago, I was living out of the country.

As I walked on the sidewalks under the shade of beautiful trees planted
when my neighbourhood was built in the late 40's, past the schools and
seniors homes, past the wonderful little restaurant owned by a
Korean-Canadian man who knows almost all of his customers by name, by
the daycare filled with kids of all different backgrounds, past the bus
stop that would take me right downtown, and from there onto our slowly
expanding light rail transit system, I thought about how much I love my
city and country and how much I take for granted.

I thought about having been ill off and on for two weeks, and being
able to go to the doctor and the dentist, being able to get a
mammogram, to fill my prescriptions, and to do so without having to
give up eating or mortgage payments or whatever ... and I thought about
how much I love my country and how much I take for granted.

I thought about how proud I am of Canada's role as a peacekeeper, and
of our contribution to setting up the World Court in the Hague. I
thought about the beauty of our national parks, nature conservancies,
marine parks and the river valley here in Edmonton (at 7,400 hectares,
it is the largest stretch of urban parkland in North America. There are
22 major parks and over 150 kilometres of trails in the valley).

I thought about an inclusive society resting on the Canada Human Rights
Act that states that:
"all individuals should have an opportunity equal with other
individuals to make for themselves the lives that they are able and
wish to have and to have their needs accommodated, consistent with
their duties and obligations as members of society, without being
hindered in or prevented from doing so by discriminatory practices
based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex,
sexual orientation, marital status, family status, disability or
conviction for an offence for which a pardon has been granted."
And I thought about how much I love my country and how much I take for
granted.

And I thought about how much of what I love and value most are things
that came out of a sense of generousity, a sense of "we're all in this
together" and an awareness of the importance of building community,
with peace, order and good government being the organizing principles.
Happy Election Day Canada, and Happy Canada Day on Thursday!


Susan in Canada

PS - I know Canada not perfect, but this is a love song, eh!

"DON'T DRINK AND VOTE -

(look at what happened last time!)"

(Not mine - it's from a political slogan contest)

Actually, though, we didn't vote him in... that's the worst part. A
President we never elected has brought our country so close to ruin, and
now we're afraid we can't get rid of him because of potential
ballot-rigging. Isn't that called a "dictatorship"? (tongue only
partially in cheek)

We monitor other countries to see if they're having free and democratic
elections... are we not monitoring ourselves?

-Kalera
http://www.beadwife.com
http://www.snipurl.com/kebay


Dr. Sooz wrote:
If a certain nameless person is re-elected here in the USA come next
November,


Wouldn't it be embarrassing if that happened?

---What am I saying? It's already embarrassing!
~~
Sooz