Oh, say can you see . . . . .

Americans are delightfully "showy" people. They sing and dance and speak into microphones at the drop of a hat. Their Memorial Day celebrations illustrate this to a T. This is the day they remember their fallen - no matter what battle or how long ago. We watched last night and enjoyed it. Filled with emotion the audience often wiped away their tears, and we also wiped away our tears - crying for soldiers everywhere in the world.
They had the young wife - 19 years old, husband killed in Afghanistan. Then move to an older woman whose husband died in Vietnam more than 50 years ago. Their stories are heartbreaking. At the end, they approach each other and hug.
In true American fashion, stars of famous TV shows are the hosts. But these guys have been carefully chosen. Not smooth. Not light. Not pedantic. Just right.
The Airforce, the Navy, the Army, the Marines - each come out dramatically with their own marching song. We sing along with the audience just as if we'd been singing them all our lives! I'm sure they come from Hollywood war movies!
Towards the end, 2 actors depict soldiers. It's a story about how "Charlie" was always looking out for his whole platoon, putting his own life at risk over and over again to keep his buddies from certain death. He is hit by an enemy bullet at the end and dies. Veterans in the audience are crying. It's very emotional. The actors approach this group afterwards, and there are hugs and handshakes and shoulder squeezes.
No one does this like Americans. No one can lift this stuff off the page, out of the records, out of the "armistice" word, and make it hurt, make it okay to cry, make us feel somehow "better" after - more human. Maybe it's schmaltzy, maybe it's theatre, maybe it's strutting, but it's what Americans are about. A perfect example of why the people of this country 'cheerlead' their nation - get their "blowhard" label - make us choose a table on the other side of the restaurant. But don't sneer too loudly. This country will fight to the death over and over again for "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness". And I ask you - what other country on the face of the planet has the hutzpah to use "the pursuit of happiness" as one of their 'declarations'.
Canada takes the United States of America for granted. Just because it's the country everyone loves to hate doesn't mean we should. In Canada, we stand for "peace, order, and good government" - ah yes, bring on more "order". Bring on more "good government". They are such "uplifting" goals, aren't they? Come on! Where is the passion? Where is the fire? Where is the spirit? Okay, okay, I agree that our neighbors could use less of it. But by golly folks, we can sure use more of it.