You know even Canadians, and Irish people (only speaking for myself) knew, knew of and are directly connected to people who died on September 11.
While you certainly do encounter something you might call a Canadian smugness among some people, the events of September 11th were profoundly upsetting and transforming from my perspective. I didn't experience the events as something that happened to "them". It felt like it was happening to "Us".
A few friendships of mine ended over those events at the multi-ethnic French school I was attending at the time. Specifically with a Russian an Iranian and a Sri Lankian who cheered what happened quite openly to my horror and utter disgust.
We watched some if it unfold on a TV that was rolled into the common area and then I listened to the confusion on the radio expecting that WWIII just might be on its way.
The attack targeted America but it felt far too close to home that day. So many of us have friends and family who are Americans. At least that's how it felt to me and the people around me (the three mentioned above being the exceptions but that has to do with the end of those friendships).
We had a foiled plot to blow up a gas truck in Mile End and the riots at Concordia between Jewish students and Palestinian supporters. There were plans to attack the Metro that were uncovered. We had a fire bombing of a Jewish classroom. It never felt like more than a hairs breadth away from something going terribly wrong to anyone reading the news.
However I do agree that there are also people here who believe that the entire situation of global terrorism is "their" problem. I never saw it that way or felt that was even possible, but that's just me perhaps.
A repeat episode of This American Life on the topic of "Them" aired this morning. Worth a listen: http://www.thislife.org/pages/de...ons/01/
201.html
"Knowing that there are people who want to kill you simply for who you are" is what brought most people to Canada...and the US. This makes matters more complex I think. Also, it is worth making a clearer distinction between people (Americans and Canadians alike) and their "representative" governments...
Sophie
Was this a deliberate poke to raise your Canadian friends ire and start a debate? If so kudos! If not... then what?
Angry debate? I'm just seeing a thoughtful expansion on my original post, except from one anonymous chicken.
I just finished SATURDAY by Ian McKewan. On the day of the massive anti-war protests in London, a physician contemplates his own positions on happiness, family, danger and the war in Iraq. It was the first time I'd encountered thoughts so close to my own - on the whole post 9/11 Iraq problematic.
But my opinions continually get me slammed by Canadians. I sat at tables and argued with nine people at a time. To this day i can't help but feel that I was being shamed off of the position I'd taken - rather than debated. And so often the people I argued with seemed to go away wearing an expression that said I was either a racist or just plain ignorant. It's hard to put a thought together or express an idea effrectively under THAT pressure.
It sucks that I needed to hear Ian McEwan express the same view as me, in order that I may feel okay about having it.
Yeah, I really enjoyed that book too Vini. I don't know that I agreed with the views entirely, or that I agree with yours or Bob's or anyone else's... but I don't even know that I'm 100% certain of mine at all times. How I interpret things is ever in flux as new information is processed and new events transpire... and inspiring individuals tell their tales and show me other views... vistas... I wouldn't otherwise have seen. It's one of the things I love about all these debates - you get to change your mind and be all the more enlightened for it or stick to your guns and happy in that too.
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