Thanksgiving Day
Today is a day of remembrance, a day of thanksgiving, for Americans. We, here in Canada had our Thanksgiving Day on October 11, a warm day, an Indian summer day, a day between Labor Day and Remembrance day, a holiday to enjoy the fine weather, friends, family and food.
I note that many of my thoughts recently have focused on the United States. With the American election behind us and the American President's upcoming visit to Canada, the strained relations of the past due to Canada's non-involvement in the War in Iraq, trade problems, and the U.S. proposed missile defence system. There will be American involvement in sharing Canada's water, oil, gas and hydo-electric power. All topics worthy of in-depth exploration.
On a simpler note a question to Americans: where did Babe Ruth his first home run? Boston, New York or what might your choice of location be? If you came up with the answer, in Canada you would be correct and the location was Toronto! He hit it right into Lake Ontario which most of you know holds the international border between Canada and the United States. The lake on which Canadians and Americans fought naval battles!
I failed to mention marijuana as a problem but I understand that the best marijuana available in the U.S. is called "B.C. gold" from the Province of British Columbia. Now we recently learned that Canadians have doubled their usage or smoking of marijuana over the past 10 years from 7.4% to 14% with 47% of 18 and 19 year olds having used marijuana during the last year. A new survey indicated that 57%of respondents saying that people caught with small amounts of marijuana for personal use should not be charged with an offence. Times are changing. And now, what about American standards? What would Americans say? Some Americans smoke pot and are subject to what some would call harsh laws for possession. American jails and prisons have many occupants there because of drug crimes and some of these relate to marijuana; at a high cost, both social and economic to the country and to people incarcerated and their relatives.
There are those who say that Bush won the election because millions of fundamentalist Christians voted as Republicans and provided Bush with 3.5 million votes in the popular count thus victories in Ohio and some other marginal states.
How would Americans vote on a question of legalizing the use of marijuana? It is believed it may take many years if ever for that to take place but in Canada it could take place in the near future. Our nations are quite different in many respects and those differences need to be respected.
I note that many of my thoughts recently have focused on the United States. With the American election behind us and the American President's upcoming visit to Canada, the strained relations of the past due to Canada's non-involvement in the War in Iraq, trade problems, and the U.S. proposed missile defence system. There will be American involvement in sharing Canada's water, oil, gas and hydo-electric power. All topics worthy of in-depth exploration.
On a simpler note a question to Americans: where did Babe Ruth his first home run? Boston, New York or what might your choice of location be? If you came up with the answer, in Canada you would be correct and the location was Toronto! He hit it right into Lake Ontario which most of you know holds the international border between Canada and the United States. The lake on which Canadians and Americans fought naval battles!
I failed to mention marijuana as a problem but I understand that the best marijuana available in the U.S. is called "B.C. gold" from the Province of British Columbia. Now we recently learned that Canadians have doubled their usage or smoking of marijuana over the past 10 years from 7.4% to 14% with 47% of 18 and 19 year olds having used marijuana during the last year. A new survey indicated that 57%of respondents saying that people caught with small amounts of marijuana for personal use should not be charged with an offence. Times are changing. And now, what about American standards? What would Americans say? Some Americans smoke pot and are subject to what some would call harsh laws for possession. American jails and prisons have many occupants there because of drug crimes and some of these relate to marijuana; at a high cost, both social and economic to the country and to people incarcerated and their relatives.
There are those who say that Bush won the election because millions of fundamentalist Christians voted as Republicans and provided Bush with 3.5 million votes in the popular count thus victories in Ohio and some other marginal states.
How would Americans vote on a question of legalizing the use of marijuana? It is believed it may take many years if ever for that to take place but in Canada it could take place in the near future. Our nations are quite different in many respects and those differences need to be respected.
posted by croweagle at
6:30 AM
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