When I saw the headline "Canadian flag causes flap in the U.S.", I had to click on in and read the rest of the story. This article quotes a recent federal report as suggesting Canadians be careful not to appear "boastful" to Americans, who are insecure because of the war in Iraq and admit they are annoyed by northerners showing off the red maple leaf on their luggage when they travel.
This report pretty much reiterates what I commented on regarding the recent article that appeared in the New York Times stating Canada's stance on social issues is opening rifts with the U.S. The best part of this article is a quote from an American that goes exactly like this, "What bugs me about Canadians, if I may, is that they wear that damn patch on their bags, the Canadian flag patch. That way, they differentiate themselves from us."
Yes, Canadian's who are backpacking their way through Europe do tend to wear that damn Canadian flag on their backpack as a way of alerting citizens to the fact they are Canadian and not American. Of course, this is perfectly acceptable so long as the backpacker is Canadian and not American. What bugs me is the large number of Americans who now wear the maple leaf on their backpacks so they will be treated with the same courtesy and respect as the Canadians. This is simply deceptive and dishonest and an insult to the 137 years it took us to earn that kind of respect.
I love America and Americans, but to call us boastful because we don our nation's flag in pride is more than a little like the pot calling the kettle black.
