I was making a beeline for the East End Mall in Pembroke last week and I needed water badly; I was parched. Realizing there was no water fountain in the mall, I headed straight for the washroom to drink from the sink tap. This man was standing next to me washing up. I asked if he knew about a fountain.
He said,” No, I’m not from here”.
After gulping some water, I said, “Where are you from”?
He said United States, so I asked half-heartedly “Are you in Canada to avoid all the problems down there.”
He said, “I’m visiting friends”.
That’s when I asked “Do you think that Canada would be a safer place to live”?
He shot back “It’s not as safe up here as in the U.S.”.
I was dumbfounded and asked for an example. He replied, “I know people here that had property stolen from them.”
I responded, “Do you really think that losing property is considered as unsafe as risking your life by living in the States”.
By now we had reached the main corridor of the Mall. He had to get the last word in, “It’s too expensive up here”, turned as if he was one up on me, then quickly wheeled in another direction.
I was left standing there, not able to spit out a good retort. He didn’t get my point at all. We all know that mass shootings and terrorism are downright scary. Or is it? And I really wanted to ask him about the Black Lives Mattered movement and Donald Trump too.
A fiend of mine once told me about how they and another couple were returning to Canada through the heart of Detroit from a vacation. It was not that long after the infamous race riots in Detroit. The downtown still had some burned out buildings and many more damaged ones. This surreal site turned into a frightening reality when their vehicle ran out of gas. Panic set in. Finally, the men left to find a service station, more alarmed for their wives than themselves. It all worked out but why would anyone think it wouldn’t!
The same friend was at a baseball game at Tiger Stadium years later. During the game he related his experience of downtown to a guy in the seat next to him. This American chap told him that the safest and only way to get through the city core is to never stop, even running red lights if need be. I just can’t imagine being at that much at risk in Whitewater Region township to have worry about racing through its one red light.
Canadian television often portrays Americans as loud, opinionated people with a limited knowledge of things outside the U.S. Without wishing to stir up any backlash, I had the impression it was true. Canadians know more about the U.S. than Americans know about Canada. How could we not? They are so full of themselves and we are so humble.
Canada has abolished the death penalty; the United States mostly allows it. Ironically, Canada’s murder rate is much lower than the United States’, and convictions for murder are higher (comparing percentages, not numbers). Go figure!
Elle Wilson, whose research interest lies in Ethnic and Culturally Differences, was born
in the U.S. but has lived in Canada more than half her life. Some differences she noticed when she moved here were: Bags of milk and people taking their shoes off at the door when visiting. The bags are harder to store, give me the jugs any day. As for the shoes, many say, “Don’t worry about them, and later when the floor is scuffed or the carpet muddied, they will say, “You should have removed then at the door.” That is what I intended to do in the first place!
She also said, “There are many cultural differences and that very much differs by area.” People in Toronto are much like those in N.Y. People in Vancouver are very much like people in California and those in Alberta have similarities to those specifically in Texas. Man, I am staying clear of the rednecks in Alberta.
She went on to explain that Canadians are more socially conscious and our government has a health care system. Canada’s financial / banking system is one of the strongest in the world. When the U.S. was in trouble — Canada was in good shape. We always did have their back but never got credit for it.
In Canada – we do not bear arms. Well, some rabbit and bambi hunters do. Our crime rate is nil compared to the U.S. We are more accepting of people’s differences, whether nationality, race, religion, or sexual orientation. Travelling on a Canadian passport abroad is less hassle because we are liked there. Americans often display a Canadian flag to get a better reception. How low can you go!
There are many things our countries share in common, but there are major ones such as racism, freedom to bear arms, universal health care, that they don’t. Despite everything, the two are blood brothers and will always come to the other’s defense in a flash. But like so many siblings, they can’t stand each other.
At a recent service for the fallen police officers in Dallas, former President George W. Bush said about their divided country, “It seems that the forces that are pulling us apart are stronger than the forces that are binding us together.”
If Mr. President could have foreseen that while in office, things might be different today than they are.
