A year of national service, either in the military or as a civilian, will be mandatory for all 18-year-olds in the United Kingdom if Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Party wins the July 4 national election. Thirty thousand teenagers would enlist in the armed forces, while the remaining minors would volunteer and work for nonprofit organizations. The proposal aims to create “a society where people mix with people outside their own communities, mixing with people from different backgrounds, different religions, and different income levels.” It will come at an annual cost of 2.5 billion pounds.
The same should be done in Canada. Why? For Canada, like the United Kingdom, has devolved into a segmented society. Rather of being our asset, diversity has turned into a vulnerability that hostile foreign governments can take advantage of. When they went on international backpacking trips, students used to wear the maple leaf. “The world needs more Canada,” our leaders used to say. Not in the future. We are embarrassed of Canada these days. We knocked over our statuary. The term “pioneer” is removed from historical installations. At a cost in the hundreds of millions of dollars, we rename public places like Dundas Square with names that have no bearing on our past.
Young people are the ones most impacted by this transformation. It is advised for them to concentrate on their differences rather than their commonalities. Any Toronto public high school worth visiting will include exhibits and murals honoring the nation’s transgressions, such as Black Lives Matter, Trans Rights Matter, and Murdered and Missing Women and Girls. Murals commemorating positive achievements in Canadian history? Somethings to be happy about? Not so much.
Consider yourself an impressionable teenager. Every time you enter the school, go to your locker, or stroll down a hallway, you see this every day. Canada is this. Why is that something to be proud of? What important events are commemorated in schools? An comprehensive K–12 “inclusive calendar guide” is available in British Columbia. Thirty pages of information, 193 days, months, and seasons are included to honor different holidays, cultural traditions, and minority rights. What is acknowledged? There are at least twelve Sikh holidays; the LGBTQ+ community has a season and numerous days off; and each month has a heritage month dedicated to a particular person. It’s amazing that educators have time to educate with all of this festivities. From early on, children are exposed to a culture that promotes division. Although schools are meant to promote inclusivity, segregation is what they actually do. You belong to this ethnicity, this faith, this sexual orientation, and this persecuted group; everyone needs a label. You are all of these things first, second, and third, and at some point, you are probably a Canadian.
Only a simple Canadian? Anyhow, what the heck is that? Yes, exactly. It’s time to rekindle our sense of pride in our country and patriotism in a proactive manner. We uphold the principles that have made us great and brought millions of people to our land. It’s also urgent in a lot of ways. The globe is a hostile place once more. From Eastern Europe to the Middle East to the Asia-Pacific region, our allies are under attack. If we don’t believe that we will eventually have to defend our country as well, we are being stupid. Perhaps if young people experienced what it’s like to serve their country, it would inspire them to defend it. Perhaps if they volunteered for public service, the military, or charitable organizations, they might be more inclined to develop our nation rather than destroy it. However, it is up to us to take the initiative and make it happen.
