Faithfully yours - National anthem—national treasure

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Published on Sunday, August 21, 2016

By Neil Strohschein

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One of the lessons I learned early in life (then forgot and had to learn it again—many, many times) was that once something is said or done, those who said or did it have to live with the consequences of their actions. Apologies won’t undo the damage that has been done.

A few weeks ago Remigio Pereira learned that lesson the hard way.

Pereira is (or more accurately, was) a member of The Tenors, a performing group based in BC, who were asked to sing Canada’s national anthem at the MLB All Star Game. Pereira, apparently acting on his own, altered the anthem’s lyrics to show his support for “All Lives Matter.” ALM is a grass-roots response to the Black Lives Matter movement that has taken root since the recent tragic confrontations between police and African Americans.

I have no doubt that Pereira meant well. Like many in the United States and Canada, he was terribly upset by the shootings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile and the subsequent shooting of five Dallas, Texas police offers. “I’ve been so moved lately by the tragic loss of life and I hoped for a positive statement that would bring us all together. One love. That was my singular motivation when I said all lives matter,” he wrote on his Twitter account. 

But he was the wrong person and he chose the wrong time, the wrong place and the wrong way to make a political statement. Angry Canadians instantly denounced him. One person wrote: “Apparently all lives matter; except those who live in the country whose anthem you are singing. What a disgrace!”

The other Tenors agreed. They expressed shock and embarrassment over the actions of one they branded a lone wolf “who changed the lyrics of our treasured anthem and used this coveted platform to serve his own political views.” To his credit, Pereira has also issued an apology; and I have no doubt that he is sincerely sorry for his actions.

As Canadians, we take great pride in our national anthem. It’s not just another song. It’s a national treasure and should be treated as such. It reminds us of our heritage and history. It unites us behind a common cause - doing all we can to ensure that no enemy, foreign or domestic, can destroy our sovereign nation or deprive its citizens of their rights and freedoms.

For almost 150 years, Canadians have “stood on guard” for this country. Our sons and daughters, driven by “true patriot love,” have gone to war, served as peacekeepers or worked to help protect lives and property in the face of approaching wild fires or rising floodwaters. Whenever we stand to sing our national anthem, we celebrate their dedication and call on God to build that same dedication in our lives and in those of our children.

Our national anthem will survive this latest act of disrespect. Canadians will get used to the new wording recently approved by Parliament; just as we did the last time the words were changed to read “God keep our land glorious and free.” The cloud that hovers over Remigio Pereira will float away and he will be back on stage; hopefully a lot wiser than he appeared to be at the All Star Game.

And the next time I stand to sing our national anthem, I will sing even louder and with more zeal than I usually do to show my pride in this country and my respect for its national institutions and treasures. I hope you will do the same.