This reminds me of why I still love America...

[Grand_Duchess-Elizaveta]

This.

Living now in Canada, land of the gods of Tolerance and Moral Relativism, you have no idea how refreshing it is to see someone who is willing to call something immoral in public. Trust me, it doesn't happen up here. Unless they are talking about Bush, anyway.

I miss home.

 

[gzt]

though for the sake of fairness, he should note that a lot of the heterosexual activity the soldiers engage in is immoral, as well, except for those soldiers who are married.

 

[Grand_Duchess-Elizaveta]

though for the sake of fairness, he should note that a lot of the heterosexual activity the soldiers engage in is immoral, as well, except for those soldiers who are married.

I think that's implied. There are already rules about that. Male soldiers are not allowed to sleep around with female soldiers, etc.

 

[gzt]

We may realize it's implied, but a lot of people look at it as a double-standard.

And, no, seriously, I used to comment on a religion site frequented by liberal religionists and other interesting folks of various stripes. We were discussing pro-life stuff, and one person's reply to me, to thunderous applause, was that men who are pro-life had better make sure the wear a condom every single time they have sex with a woman (emphasis original). At that point, I was like, wow, there is such a wide gulf separating us that we are just completely unable to communicate if you think that has anything to do with what I'm saying.

 

[Tsarina]

This.

Living now in Canada, land of the gods of Tolerance and Moral Relativism, you have no idea how refreshing it is to see someone who is willing to call something immoral in public. Trust me, it doesn't happen up here. Unless they are talking about Bush, anyway.

I miss home.

Which province in Canada are you living in?

 

[Kristos]

Like on South Park?

 

[Grand_Duchess-Elizaveta]

Like on South Park?

Huh?

 

[Knowledge3]

I have never been to Canada.

I would love to go snowboarding up there in the mountains.

America is a great country but not without it's problems in society.

 

[Protoevangel]

I was in Canada most of Winter/Spring 2005/2006. The only thing I miss is the Poutine. Well, that and one hotel/bar I stayed at had excellent teriyaki shrimp ceasar salad.

 

[Grand_Duchess-Elizaveta]

I just want to clarify that this post is not about how the US is perfect and without problems. I know this is faaaar from the truth. I've just had a really hard time adjusting to life up here. There's a lot of anti-American bias here. Some of it is probably justified, but a lot of it is simply a failure to understand cultural differences.

I just read an article that implies that the reason America has such a higher birth rate than Canada is because there are so many poor, uneducated women in the US, and we (the US) do not have superior forms of birth control. Um....hello? The same types of BC are sold in the States as here.

 

[Shubunkin]

I have known some really nice Canadian people throughout my life time. Believe me, some are very understanding of Americans. I say eventually you will meet up with some of them. I hope.

 

[Grand_Duchess-Elizaveta]

I have known some really nice Canadian people throughout my life time. Believe me, some are very understanding of Americans. I say eventually you will meet up with some of them. I hope.

I lived here for over a year now. I'm not saying Canadians aren't nice. Most of those whom I've met have been friendly to me, even after discovering I'm American. However, I've discovered that if anything political comes up concerning the States, those same friendly people can grow fangs.

I've had numerous people up here tell me that Canada's identity can be described best as "We aren't American!".

 

[Shubunkin]

I lived here for over a year now. I'm not saying Canadians aren't nice. Most of those whom I've met have been friendly to me, even after discovering I'm American. However, I've discovered that if anything political comes up concerning the States, those same friendly people can grow fangs.

I've had numerous people up here tell me that Canada's identity can be described best as "We aren't American!".

There are people that do not care about politics, though. The subject never comes up with them, and if someone else brings it up, they change the subject.

 

[Khaleas]

I think people just fail to remember that the US military is a 100% voluntary force. People know the rules (or at least they are supposed to) when they go into it. They know the Don't Ask Don't Tell policy and what not. No one is holding that pistol to the gay guys head saying to sign the dotted line to put him in a situation that will force him to hide his sexual tendencies. It's not a place to experiment, not for anyone. Same reason why I don't have any tolerance for reservists who go: Well, I didn't know I could be sent to war.
One of the things that I don't get in this country right now is that people who have absolutely no interest in joining whatever they are going after. I can't see a bunch of gays suddenly joining the military if they removed the policy.
As a hypothetical example, the RCC church is forced to accept women as priests. Well, it's only going to be a handful becoming priests while the crowds hollering about it have been much, much bigger. Most who have nothing personal invested in it. Note to those kinds of people: Keep to your own business!
We have a friend who was in the Navy and is gay (he got out because of medical reasons). It's always been a non-issue between us - we even make fun of his gay ness and he of our 'normal' relationship. But after he got out and could talk about it he said he wouldn't even want to serve as a gay guy even if he could serve openly. You can't make people act tolerant and it's just better to keep things that set you a part in separate in a situation that is based on all following the same idea.
I also think there's a few gays that give the gays a bad name (just like everywhere else). I'm not saying that it's the way God intended it to be because it isn't. But having shown cats where about half of the crowd is gay or lesbian, I couldn't tell half the time which 'way they went'. They just don't make a fuss about it. They go about it as any other couple and no one cares (aka no massive PDA). What really surprised me was how many conservatives there were in those circles. And when I was traveling alone as a single woman I knew I could always rely on one of the gay guys to look out for me and make sure I was safe. Can't always say that about straight guys unfortunately...

 

[Orthosdoxa]

I love America too.

Honestly, I think a good number of people who hate America, do so simply because it's in vogue right now. Right after 9/11, it was in vogue to be super patriotic, and they were. They go whichever way the wind blows.

And I'm glad to see at least ONE person who refuses to enter rehab after making a statement on homosexuality.

LK

 

[OnTheWay]

I think it depends on where in Canada you go and who you're talking to. Your run of the mill Canadian hoser wouldn't feel out of touch with mainstream Americans, just swtich out football for ice hockey and there would be many common points. Working and middle class "hoser" culture in Canada isn't much different from the same in the US, just as the liberalism of the upper middle and upper classes isn't much different. I do think American middle and working class people are a lot more involved in politics than you'd tend to find in hoser culture.
I think a lot of the anti-Americanism you see in Canada is rooted in the way the world looks at Canada, or to say if the world looks at Canada at all. When Canadians weren't under the thumb of Great Britain they were seen as being under the thumb of the Americans. A little resentment is probably only natural, and the world wide expression of anti-Americanism of late just provides a method of expression for it. Sort of a, "see, we are a real country because we don't like American policy either" type of thing.