The Queen and the Giant Squid

I see that radical atheist revolutionary PZ Myers is both delighted and disappointed that the Queen of England Canada is being replaced by a giant squid.

But then so am I. I'm delighted that Mr Squid AND Mr Happy Rock are being honoured.

Because at least they're Canadian. Very Canadian.  

I'm just disappointed that we can't go further.

There's no question that the notion of constitutional change in the Canadian context is massively daunting. But still. Our great national sigh of pragmatic ennui -- why bother? it's so much trouble -- is simply not defensible. Not for any nation with a shred of self-respect.

Because when I hear them play God Save the Queen before O Canada, or see the flag of a foreign monarch flying over Parliament Hill on Canada Day, it hurts my eyes and ears eh?

I have nothing bad to say about Betty Windsor...or Babette as we call her in Quebec...


















Because my Mum would KILL me.

But when I saw people calling her Canada's greatest star, or watched a CBC report on how to bow and scrape if you ever meet her. And how you must NEVER start eating before she does.

It left me hungry for CHANGE.

It is time to move on. We don't have to go barging out of the house, slamming doors as we leave. An appreciative, respectful farewell will do just fine. We can keep celebrating our history and that part of our heritage that is British...

But in the meantime, it really is time to say goodbye

It really is time to grow up.

Yes indeed. If we must have a Queen can't it be a Canadian?















And one more thing, since it is Saturday night.

Once upon a time there was an English Queen I would have bowed kneeled before.

And a version of God Save the Queen I might have enjoyed.

But sadly there was only one Freddy...