I Am Begging You To Leave Canada Behind
Hi everyone. Yes, it’s true. Ol’ Karen Sadler is here to ruin something else for you. Last we talked, I asked you to forsake the national anthem. Now, I’m asking you to say goodbye to the flag, and to untether your identity from the concept of Canada completely.
First, the flag. For many people living in what is now Canada, the flag has always been a symbol of violence and white nationalism. Now that the neo-Nazis are flying it proudly, it’s time to rake up that tired little maple leaf once and for all. There is no reclaiming it. Attempting to reclaim it demonstrates that you continue to feign ignorance about this country’s original and ongoing purpose, which is resource extraction and getting rid of any people who oppose the resource extraction, namely the Indigenous peoples whose land we’re squatting on. Take down the flags, turn your made-somewhere-else Old Navy Canada Day gear into dust rags, and if you have a tattoo of the flag, don’t feel badly! Some people also have Garfield tattoos.
Ok, now for the IDENTITY. You might be asking, “Karen, I love hockey and double doubles!” Listen, I love that you love hockey! Please continue to enjoy it and remember that people in countries other than this one love hockey too. As for the double doubles, I DON’T GET IT, but I love Hawkins Cheezies simply because they’re delicious and not because they’re Canadian.
You might be asking, “Karen, being Canadian is a KEY PART OF WHO I AM!” and I’m going to tell you that it’s not. It’s not. Are you kind and compassionate because you’re Canadian? No, you’re kind and compassionate because of some combination of genetics and how you were raised and you get to own that! As for “Canadian politeness”, I DO have a beef with that. Are you polite because you’re Canadian or are you polite because this settler state is full of people with British ancestry whose families passed down a deep dislike of conflict along with an equally deep reverence of civility and these learned behaviours (because those two things aren’t immutable personality traits) infused every aspect of this country’s foundation and permeate every system to this day, often shutting down meaningful and passionate dialogue about what lies at this country’s core?
You might be saying, “Karen, don’t take Terry Fox from me!” and I’m here to tell you that you can absolutely still love and look up to Terry Fox because he was an amazing person and his nationality had nothing to do with it.
Canadians you can still revere:
Terry Fox
Deborah Cox
Canadians who are cancelled:
Ed the Sock
You guys can come up with the other rhyming name lists, I look forward to reading them!
You might be saying, “Karen, this is making me sad,” and you know what? That’s ok. Make space for your sadness and sit with your discomfort around this and let it help you grow.
You might be asking, “Karen, what’s next?” and all I can do is laugh because I’m not a visionary at all! I’m just a white girl NAMED KAREN who learned about Canada’s true face a few years earlier than some other white people, sitting in front of those white people asking them to take a harder look at what’s under the surface. What’s next can be a whole lot of things, but one thing it can’t be is clinging to a rotting leaf.
