I LOATHE hypocrisy. Loathe it with as much venom and indignation that my internal workings will tolerate before the bile becomes too much and I must write some of it out of my system, like now. The ridiculous over-reaction to the Canadian women’s hockey team celebration last week got me fired up. The horror of seeing young female athletes enjoying a celebratory cigar and passing around beer and champagne was too much for some of the more misogynistic among the IOC, but luckily the Canadian Olympic committee is a little more progressive and no sanctions will be forthcoming. In fact, it seems the overwhelming number of Canadian women athletes winning medals (something like 70% to just 30% for the men) has the government reviewing the national anthem and its biased line “in all thy son’s command”. About time. While they’re at it they might want to look at changing the line about god keeping Canada “glorious and free.” I was a historian before becoming an editor and author and in all my research I never once found Zeus, Apollo, Buddha, Muhammad or any of the others on the slopes of Vimy Ridge, or storming ashore on D-Day. None are currently listed as being part of Canada’s contingent in Afghanistan, either. It’s mere mortals that keep Canada glorious and free, and it’s long past due the anthem acknowledged that.

UPDATE – Cowardice wins. The Canadian government has now decided NOT to revisit the anthem because they got scared. Apparently, women don’t serve in the Canadian Armed Forces, but gods do.