In case you haven’t realized, we’re gearing up for another four years of unabashed conservatism. Consequently, Canada is looking more and more enticing for the abundance of left-leaning college students who strove so hard to prevent what transpired from transpiring. The urge to flee can be pressing at times, especially considering that the repercussions of the looming expenditure of Bush’s “political capital” will leave us with a right-leaning U.S. Supreme Court whose nostalgia for a simpler era that never existed could lead to the rollback of decades of progressive court cases and legislation. Canada, by comparison, seems to be more and more welcoming every day, and the popularity of websites like www.marryanamerican.ca suggests that our northern ideological counterparts are willing to come to the rescue. This urge must be resisted, for we can’t let the curiously accented siren call from the North lead us to abandon the problems in our own country.
- Elliott Mallen
Canada is an attractive alternative to the United States on just about every front. For example, same-sex marriage is legal in seven provinces and one territory, leaving only a handful of marginalized areas in which it isn’t explicitly recognized. However, even in these few areas, a common-law marriage license can be obtained in all parts of the country, which allows for homosexual couples to gain some benefits enjoyed by their heterosexual counterparts. All that is required in order for a couple of any sexual orientation to be considered de-facto married is that they be living together under romantic circumstances for at least a year. Federal legislation is anticipated sometime this year that will legalize same-sex marriage across the board.
Of course, there is some opposition to gay marriage in the country. Much as in the United States, opponents of gay marriage tend to be older, male and live in rural areas. The Catholic Church, Canada’s most popular religious group, has taken a strong stance against gay marriage, and Bishop Fred Henry went as far as to threaten former Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chr