(no subject)
Jul. 3rd, 2008 06:40 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
felis_ultharusI'd like to wish a happy birthday to Quebec City, founded 400 years ago today ^_^
This is actually a more honest date for the founding of the country than the 141st-birthday we celebrated a couple of years ago, which really only marked the point when de facto democracy became official and backed up by a constitution, and when some aspects of the law of four provinces were merged. The people who were here already had a rich culture and an identity separate from any of the mother countries, which came into existence starting 400 years ago today.
So effectively, this isn't just Quebec's birthday, but Canada's as well.
And while we're on the subject of national pride, I'm really happy that Henry Morgentaler got the Order of Canada, the country's highest honour.
For those of you who don't know, Morgentaler is the doctor responsible for getting safe, legal abortions in this country. He's a Dachau concentration camp survivor who came over here after World War II. He performed abortions illegally in the 1960s, and spent a time in jail, and a lot more time in court. His clinic was bombed. But 20 years ago, he won the Supreme Court case that overturned the abortion laws.
As he's quite elderly, there was worry that he would die before anyone gave him the Order of Canada -- you can't give that award posthumously. Anti-abortion groups are up in arms, of course.
This is actually a more honest date for the founding of the country than the 141st-birthday we celebrated a couple of years ago, which really only marked the point when de facto democracy became official and backed up by a constitution, and when some aspects of the law of four provinces were merged. The people who were here already had a rich culture and an identity separate from any of the mother countries, which came into existence starting 400 years ago today.
So effectively, this isn't just Quebec's birthday, but Canada's as well.
And while we're on the subject of national pride, I'm really happy that Henry Morgentaler got the Order of Canada, the country's highest honour.
For those of you who don't know, Morgentaler is the doctor responsible for getting safe, legal abortions in this country. He's a Dachau concentration camp survivor who came over here after World War II. He performed abortions illegally in the 1960s, and spent a time in jail, and a lot more time in court. His clinic was bombed. But 20 years ago, he won the Supreme Court case that overturned the abortion laws.
As he's quite elderly, there was worry that he would die before anyone gave him the Order of Canada -- you can't give that award posthumously. Anti-abortion groups are up in arms, of course.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2008-07-03 09:38 pm (UTC)I didn't realize that Morgantaler had been awarded! Finally! I'm so glad that it happened. Regardless of the personal views of others, I think he deserves it if only because of the perseverance he showed in trying to make our country right in the way he thought it should be. A very interesting person, indeed.
:-)
(no subject)
Date: 2008-07-05 10:58 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-07-05 05:18 pm (UTC)