July 1 - July 4

Canada and the United States share two important days in this set of four days: July 1st is Canada Day and July 4 is Independence Day USA. Quite a few times we have celebrated Canada Day on July 1st and then gone down to the area where my husband's Link ancestors lived and been present for the Independence Day USA celebrations. We even took part in one event where I carried the Loyalist Flag on a parade route from the starting point to a monument depicting one of the battles in the American Revolution. I carried it because as a woman I was less likely to be seen as a provocative person but interesting in retrospect as I was the only person in the group with zero ancestry in the American colonies or the USA for that matter. I do not know what made me think of that today but it did come to mind. One wonders in present day Upper New York State how my carrying such a flag would be viewed. History is history; we cannot change it and if we do we risk repeating it in the future. We are meant to learn from history.

When we first arrived at Parliament Square in London, UK I was somewhat surprised to see a statue of Oliver Cromwell. Perhaps one of the most ultimately hated figures in British History, his statue sits high in front of the entrance into Westminster Palace (House of Commons). It is so long ago now that many people may have forgotten what he did in his time as Lord Protector of the Realm. But his statue is a reminder that dictators can arise at any time and they may appear benevolent at the beginning but end up being selfish and interested only in themselves as time passes.

We must continue to prove that democracy works; the free will of people is the most important part of living in a democratic state so long as that free will is tempered by respect for other people and property. The right to protest must always be tempered by respect for other people and property. There are people amongst us who take advantage of such protests to destroy thus satisfying their basest instincts or to make the cause for which people are protesting seem violent. Such protests must police themselves and expose the anarchists in their midst for their just punishment under the law.

Canada Day was a beautiful day and I do hope that Independence Day USA is also a beautiful day. My wish for America on its Independence Day is physical distancing and prevent the further spread of COVID-19 and wear a mask. Canada and the USA are like fraternal twins; many of our citizens share ancestry in the other country and they are proud of their ancestry; one prays that America will continue making people proud to say that they are Americans or that they have American ancestry.

God bless all the peoples of the world.