If anyone tuned in to the United States vs. Canada hockey game on Feb. 20, you could feel the patriotic energy through the screen. Both teams competing went in with something to prove — and it wasn’t just about their on-ice performance.
The growing tension between Canada and the U.S. has been hard to ignore. President Trump has continued to spread an intense rhetoric about Canada becoming “the 51st state.”
After Canada pulled out a win during overtime in the game, there have been more retort jokes across social media, with Canadians now calling the U.S. our “11th province.”
As laughable as all these statements may seem, many are shifting in their seats at the thought of Canada losing its sovereignty. It’s worth exploring the validity of Trump’s threats along with Canada’s future and identity.
Polarization vs. unity
Regardless of what side you agree with, there is no avoiding the fact that the U.S. is currently a divided country. With stark differences between political parties, the country is becoming increasingly polarized, and it is no longer sufficient to be indifferent.
That said, I believe these statements have united Canadians like never before. Citizens who were once vocal Trudeau-haters are praising his rebuttal speech. Hockey fans are collectively booing the U.S. anthem. There are many things that make Canadians different in each province or in personal identities, but there is a collective love for our country that breaks through these differences. Although it may be scary to hear constant noise from the media, I urge people to take comfort in the fact that we’re all in this together.
In doing my research on the logistics of Canada becoming the 51st state, I came across a great quote from Grant Wyeth discussing the practicality of transforming us into a state.
“Be serious — even if Donald Trump often doesn’t seem to be,” remarks Wyeth.
Genevieve Beauchemin, in a CTV article, sheds light on what would really need to happen in order for this to come to fruition. She explains all provinces would likely have to join separately, and goes on to discuss that “it would require [the] agreement of the House of Commons, the Senate, and every province”.
A lot of people would have to say yes to something they aren’t particularly inclined to say yes to.
She ends with a message telling Canadians that Trump is probably just looking for a reaction by invoking a threat.
These articles eased my mind about how losing our sovereignty is not a probable outcome, but rather a melodramatic maneuver. As someone who is currently studying psychology,, I will say that the goal of most narcissists is to try and keep control of you through any means possible — and one of the most common methods is through empty threats.
Final thoughts
I believe it is important to analyze the new sense of blithe that has come about from the politics in the U.S., as it is part of the reason the news has become so frightening.
Personally, I was appalled at Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, and her comments made before the aforementioned Four Nations game. In her press conference, she casually said, “we look forward to beating our soon-to-be 51st state, Canada!”
The “soon-to-be” tossed in with a light laugh raised questions for me. How is it permissible for a political White House aide to be so cavalier about the violation of a nation’s self-governance? This is not a question that I have the answers to, but something I think is important to be addressed.
There are too many things to say about Trump’s 51st state remarks to fit into one small article. If all of this discourse is making you nervous, try and focus on the facts instead of pure emotion. Trump never fully delivered on his promise to build a giant wall. He never delivered on his promise of “no more gun free zones.” He promised to lower debt, and didn’t commit to that either. He’s great at making promises, but it’s more than likely that his 51st state wish will remain just that — a wish.
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