Editor:
I was glad to read Jenny Wagler's op-ed on the monarchy (Coast Reporter, Nov. 19) because she raises an issue that deserves thoughtful discussion. That said, I respectfully disagree.
Wagler argues that the British monarch should remain our head of state because we don't have enough history to stand on our own, because our identity is too "nebulous" and because having a monarch shows the world we're not American. These are all familiar complaints.
But it's mistaken to say that we have a short history. Perhaps Wagler assumes that Canadian history began at Confederation (or Wolfe's victory over Montcalm or Champlain's arrival in the St. Lawrence), forgetting that the land now called Canada has been occupied for over ten millennia. To locate Canada's origin at the arrival of the Europeans is to write First Nations out of the story, which, sadly, is something we've done consistently.
And it's equally mistaken to suggest that national identity must be unified to be authentic. Would we rather take after the ethnic nation states that fragment Eurasia and Africa? Multi-culturalism may challenge us, but it's a fairer option than arbitrarily privileging one group over another.
It would be a shame if having a monarch were our only difference from the Americans. Thankfully, there are many tangible things that distinguish us: a greater faith in our government, a willingness to communicate across difference and a preference for fairness over arbitrary power.
Wagler tells us that the monarchy "can make us something more." Canada is a democracy, and therefore a shared effort. If we are to be "something more," we could begin by respectfully ending our subordination to the Crown and taking ownership of our shared destiny.
Matt Cavers
Gibsons
