Multiculturalism, Who Cares?

Does multiculturalism mean we have to treat everyone that’s from nsomewhere else special? Would they treat us special if we went to where they come from?
Do we as Canadians have a culture? If we do, what is our culture? Or is our culture one of subjugating ourselves to other cultures? Does being multicultural make us less than we are, or better because of our tolerance? Or do we just appear foolish to others who have strong cultures?
What the heck is a culture anyway, and why do we have to have one? Multiculturalism is a much tossed around word these days and here in Canada we think that we are in the forefront of the protection of Multicultural rights.
For every minority group that springs up to complain that their rights are being trampled or ignored in one way or another, a finely honed team of lawyers appears ready to leap into
action to defend the rights of the culturally downtrodden and beat the Canadian majority back into multicultural vsubmission.
The French have their multicultural rights entrenched in Canadian law, so there is no question about their legitimacy, but what about all the rest? How far can what little Canadian culture there really is be diluted before it ceases to exist altogether. I tried to figure out what Canadian culture really is.
Is it the fact that all over the world we are known for the word (or what ever it is) 'Eh”? Is it the fact that we play football differently than any other part of the world? Is a Canadian defined by the wearing of a touque, or is that toque or perhaps tuque? Who knows, the internet accepts all
spellings, but outside of our country few know of it’s existence and most don’t care.
Are we known by our national game, lacrosse? Has any of us actually watched a game of lacrosse, and if we did would we care more about Canada?
Are we beavers, maple leaves, and maple syrup? Or are we hockey at it’s finest when we aren’t
beaten by the Americans, Swedes, or Russians?
Is being Canadian, loving our own heroes such as Terry Fox, Marilyn Bell, Wayne Gretzky,
Gordie Howe, J.A. Bombardier, Timothy Eaton, Toller Cranston, John Candy, Sam Steele,
Billy Bishop, Georges Vanier, Wilf Carter, Oscar Peterson, Tommy Douglas, Mackenzie King,
Maude Abbott, Rick Hansen, Michael Fox, my God, I’m almost out of breath. I didn’t realize there were so many and I have only scratched the surface of Canadian heroes.
When I came to this country from Holland with my parents in 1952, along with my sister and brother, we didn’t even know we had a culture to preserve. But low and behold after 55 years of no one caring, we still speak dutch when we want to, we still love Dutch cheese and herring and all those other little idiosyncrasies that make the Dutch Dutch. The good thing is, no one had to defend my right to retain my national heritage or identity. So why are we trying so hard to defend everyone else’s.
I really don’t care if minorities want to retain their heritage, who am I to hold them back?
All I really want is for them to leave me to my heritage and to respect my right to my view of Canada.
I love my life here, they can learn to love their version of it as well.
Ted Okkerse