Pubdate: Wed, 09 Mar 2005
Source: Huntsville Forester, The (CN ON)
Copyright: 2005 The Huntsville Forester
Contact:  http://www.huntsvilleforester.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2430
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)

RAISING A FLAG

How much is our national flag respected? According to our mayor, Hugh 
Mackenzie, our cherished maple leaf may require a little assistance.

Mackenzie's move to protect our flag during Monday's committee of the whole 
meeting is admirable. But let's hope his good intentions in this case (a 
downtown store displaying a flag with a pot plant where the maple leaf 
should be) are grounded in common sense.

First, it would be wrong to suggest the mayor shouldn't bring this forward 
(albeit a little late -- four years after the flag first appeared).

Our mayor is a passionate Canadian. The flag is a worthy symbol. No proud 
Canadian wants to see that deflated.

Whether you regard the pot flag matter as trivial or not, think of this.

If a store on Main Street displayed a Canadian flag with the maple leaf 
removed and a swastika in its place, how much debate would there be before 
action was taken? Little, if any. How many people would condemn that 
instance? Many. In turn, how many would support, dismiss, ignore, or laugh 
at the pot plant flag? Probably just as many.

Let's a face it, the Canadian flag does not get embroiled in too many 
flaps. Other than Newfoundland Premier Danny Williams' recent, and 
childish, removal of flags from public places, how many other times has the 
flag been used as a tool of anger?

Even during the last Quebec referendum there were no mass incidents of 
Canadian flags being desecrated. There were no images of burning maple 
leafs being carried down Rene Leveque Blvd. by angry separatists.

The question we should be asking is why is there a lack of malevolence 
toward our flag? Truth be told, it's not that we don't care enough to 
bother. Instead, it's that most Canadians inherently understand the 
symbolism of our maple leaf. We know deep down that our flag's true worth 
cannot be tarnished by swastikas, flames and definitely not by a pot plant.

Certainly, no self-respecting Canadian should ever stand by and allow our 
flag to be trashed, burned or used to propagate hate, but let's get real 
before legislating taste, bad or good, however you may see it.

To anybody who thinks a pot plant in place of a maple leaf is making a 
profound political statement, what have you been smoking? And to anybody 
who wants to start playing politics with the flag, there's a fellow in 
Newfoundland who'd probably like to buy you a shot of Screech.

B.H.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom