Is this more political correctness run amok? Is the change small enough to not matter? Would you accept the change? http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/canada-anthem-gender-neutral_us_57548785e4b0ed593f14b9c8 Canada Parliament Votes To Make National Anthem Gender-Neutral Just two words would change, but not everyone is happy about the idea. 06/06/2016 01:42 pm ET | Updated 12 hours ago 5 K Nick Robins-Early World News Reporter, The Huffington Post ASSOCIATED PRESS President Barack Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stand for the playing of national anthems. Canada voted last week to make its anthem gender neutral. Canadas Parliament voted overwhelmingly last week to pass a bill aimed at making the countrys national anthem gender-neutral. Bill C-210, which passed 219 to 79, proposes to switch just two words in the lyrics of O Canada changing in all thy sons command to in all of us command in one verse. The simple substitution is meant to do away with the exclusively male phrasing in part of the song, but its also causing an uproar among some conservative members of Canadas government. While a large majority of the Liberal Party-dominated Parliament favors the change, Conservative Party members vocally opposed the vote and accused Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus Liberal Party of forcing through the bill without consulting Canadians. Some Conservatives allege that the expediency is because the bills author, Mauril Belanger, has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and his health is in quick decline. Conservative MP Peter Van Loan also accused the Liberals of trying to impose their worldview on Canadians. Supporters of the bill point out that changes to the anthem are nothing new. The thy sons line wasnt even in the original anthem, but was added later, in 1913. In fact, O Canada has only been the countrys official national anthem since 1980, when it replaced God Save The Queen. X Canadas debate over amending the anthems thy sons verse is an old one in the country, and numerous previous attempts have failed to remove the gendered line. In 2010, Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper even suggested the change during a major speech, but his administration quickly reversed tack after backlash from his partys political base. Trudeau, meanwhile, has made gender equality a prominent aspect of his administration since being elected last year, including selecting the governments first Cabinet with the same number of women and men. An avowed feminist, Trudeau has spoken numerous times in interviews, campaign speeches, and as prime minister to promote gender equality. Before recently losing his voice as a result of ALS, Belanger spoke about the need to change the anthem to be more inclusive and reflect the evolution of Canadian society. Why would it be that my national anthem would command true patriot love to my grandson only and not to my granddaughters as well? he told Canadas CTV news in 2014. The next step for the bill will be a study by Canadas heritage committee, as well as another vote before the lyrics can be officially changed.
Here's more: https://www.yahoo.com/news/canadian-lawmakers-vote-national-anthem-gender-neutral-225124199.html Canadian lawmakers vote to make national anthem gender neutral Reuters Wed, Jun 15 3:51 PM PDT Comments Sign in to like Reblog on Tumblr Share Tweet Email OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canadian lawmakers voted on Wednesday to alter the country's national anthem to make the lyrics gender neutral, a move that comes as the new Liberal government focuses on being more inclusive toward women. The bill would change the English version of "O Canada" to remove the words "in all thy sons command" and replace them with "in all of us command." The changes, brought forward as a private member's bill by a Liberal Party lawmaker, passed easily in the House of Commons, which is controlled by the Liberals. It now goes to the appointed Senate, which generally approves measures passed by the elected House. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has made gender inclusivity a focus since he was elected last October and named an equal number of men and women to his 30-member Cabinet. It was the first time gender parity had been achieved by Canada's team of ministers. Status of Women Minister Patty Hajdu, speaking before the vote, said the change was an important step toward ensuring inclusivity in Canada's cultural symbols. "I think it's really important as a very strong symbol of our commitment to gender equality in this country," she told reporters. Some Conservative lawmakers opposed the change, which they said was being made without adequate consultation with Canadians. The former Conservative government suggested changes to the anthem's lyrics in 2010, but backed off after a public outcry. The song was composed in 1880 and the original lyrics were in French. The English-language version, which is not a direct translation from French, was penned in 1908 and tweaked over the years. It was adopted as Canada's official anthem in 1980. After the vote passed, lawmakers stood in the House of Commons and sang the anthem in both national languages. (Reporting by Leah Schnurr in Ottawa and Julie Gordon in Vancouver; Editing by Peter Cooney)
I personally would not be overly worried about this change....... Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has pretty much wiped out the federal NDP and brought them under his Liberal umbrella............. Although many "conservatives" would find this profoundly offensive........ there is a positive side to this.....and I am one of the members of the Conservative Party who would not be able to have a fit over this!
