Synecdo-chic

I’m an analytic observer by nature i.e. it’s very rare for me to bring emotion into any sort of political debate or event.  I never make assumptions and rely on cold hard facts before expressing any opinion.  I believe we must never look away from history — and more importantly, never look at history from only one side.  THE MORE YOU KNOW, etc.

That said, I have very divided feelings on Harper’s proposed re-enactment of The Battle of the Plains of Abraham.  I question his motives, especially given all the flame-fanning that went on last year.

It’s more than dressing up as Wolfe and Montcalm, and more than simply acting out a pivotal piece of history.  But, D, you say, the Americans have all kinds of Civil War re-enactments every year, and they’re cool with it! Yeah, maybe.  But if you look closely, you can still see the thin line of that divide between the North and South in some places.  It can be surprisingly difficult to remember without rage, as it were.  The memory itself can be the ache of an old wound — and yet it’s so important to never forget.

My point is, I’m not sure if this is such a good idea, Mr. Harper — and I say this as a Canadian Quebecoise.  I am not a separatist, but I see what you did there, and what it’s doing already.  This is not the time.

Everyone is so quick to whip out the anti-francophone vitriol, but strangely, no one seems to remember that the anglophones are not so innocent.  Both sides are at fault, here, and have been alternatively and concurrently at fault for 250 years.

The more you know.

[ edit ] I love this new layout, but goddamn you, Theron Parlin, why won’t you let me edit the CSS?  I had to change my sidebar around so it wouldn’t look like a Meyer novel.