Graham, you make some interesting points.

However, I can't help thinking that the banning of our national anthem is a first step on the slippery slope towards the rescinding of all that we stand for, even though, as you quite rightly describe, we are a long way away from achieving it. As an immigrant, I am very proud of my adopted country, because I believe that, in comparison to many other countries we are leaders, if not in practice, at least in thought. I am happy to sing, tearfully, our National Anthem on any and every occasion.

In regards to us being a 'smaller version' of our southern neighbor, I would respectfully suggest that you read the multi-year studies comparing regions of Canada with the United States of America, conducted by Environics and reported on by their President Michael Adams...Fire and Ice would be a good place to start. As the Seattle Times put it "Adams's findings titillate because they fly in the face of conventional wisdom; namely, that the two similar societies, inundated by the same brain-numbing, body-bloating doses of American reality TV and fast food, will grow more and more alike over time, turning Canadians into 'unarmed Americans with health insurance,' as they lie to say up north"

It seems that us Canadians do NOT see ourselves as pale imitations of our US neighbors after all, as the Environic's studies confirm.