O Canada has undergone a slight rewriting to make it gender neutral.
Instead of SA国际影视传媒淪A国际影视传媒n all thy sons command,SA国际影视传媒� we can now proudly sing SA国际影视传媒淪A国际影视传媒n all of us command.SA国际影视传媒�
Perhaps the change will grow on us, but right now it sounds kind of awkward.
Of course, we can see where this is headed.
There are many other things wrong with O Canada that will eventually require rewrites. In the not too distant future, O Canada might become unrecognizable if there is public demand to fix all the problems.
Let's start with the archaic title of the anthem.
The SA国际影视传媒淥SA国际影视传媒� in O Canada is a word that is disappearing from spoken English. It can best be described as a word of beseeching or endearment, such as in SA国际影视传媒淥 GodSA国际影视传媒� in prayer or the Christmas carol O Holy Night.
It is so foreign to the modern English speaker that O Canada is most often written as Oh Canada SA国际影视传媒� not a term of endearment, at all. It is more like saying SA国际影视传媒淥h Canada!SA国际影视传媒� What is that silly country up to now?'
Of course, that can be very easily corrected with just one letter. We propose the name of the national anthem be changed to OK Canada. That's modern, positive and completely understandable. It actually conveys the meaning of O Canada that is lost in modern English.
When we get into the lyrics of OK Canada SA国际影视传媒� we'll start using the new name because we're sure it's going to catch on SA国际影视传媒� there are problems galore.
We can't even get past SA国际影视传媒淥ur home and native landSA国际影视传媒� without running into a multitude of difficulties. Calling Canada SA国际影视传媒渙ur homeSA国际影视传媒� is exclusive of immigrants, whose first homes are elsewhere. That is not the Canadian way. Perhaps SA国际影视传媒渉omeSA国际影视传媒� should become SA国际影视传媒渃urrent place of residence.SA国际影视传媒�
As for the term SA国际影视传媒渘ative land,SA国际影视传媒� where do we start? Is it really the SA国际影视传媒渘ative landSA国际影视传媒� of Europeans, as we have often heard non-Native people born in Canada described? Again, perhaps the change of one letter SA国际影视传媒� this time removing it SA国际影视传媒� can solve that perplexing problem. Instead of SA国际影视传媒渘ative land,SA国际影视传媒� let's say SA国际影视传媒渘a茂ve land.SA国际影视传媒� Everyone SA国际影视传媒� Native and non-Native SA国际影视传媒� can agree that Canada is often that.
There are, of course, smaller problems with OK Canada. Saying we SA国际影视传媒渟tand on guardSA国际影视传媒� might be too militaristic for some people. And while calling Canada the SA国际影视传媒淭rue NorthSA国际影视传媒� is fine for the North, it is not how people on the West Coast or East Coast self-identify.
Of course, we've left the biggest problem until last. What do you do about SA国际影视传媒淕od keep our land glorious and free?SA国际影视传媒�
Whose God is that? We assume the God of Abraham, which covers the world's three great monotheistic religions. But what about all the other religions?
And should agnostics, atheists and people who just don't care about religion be calling for the goodwill of a god when singing about Canada?
We propose that God be replaced by the serving prime minister of the day. That would change the wording to SA国际影视传媒淭rudeau keep our land glorious and free.SA国际影视传媒� That honestly makes sense to us.
So OK Canada, let's all start singing the country's praises.
