So... What Kind Of Patriot Are YOU?

The question can be asked as all of Canada celebrates their ''Queen Victoria Day'' - but one tiny province in its midst is found celebrating ''La Fête des Patriotes'' instead! Basically, three quarters or four fifths of that messy, confused so-called nation celebrates a crown (and a queen) that the fifth (estate?) counters by honoring the memory of those who fought (mostly bled to death, really; as some of their noteworthy poems say so well) that very same monarchy, trying to rid themselves of it...! (They should have taken lessons from the Portuguese and the French: two true nations that actually did get rid of the lazy-asses/profiteers that sat on the thrones! But that's another story...)

And all this exactly one week ahead of the United States' own Memorial Day...

And speaking of which...

These days, the most celebrated one unquestionably is the cheating Patriot who cheats in order to compete within a league of cheaters on the gridiron of destiny - but he cheats intelligently (at first anyways) before descending into easy subterfuges meant to take (some if not most of) the air out of his opponent; or, rather, mere obstacle standing on his way to success!

But that's another story, meant for another blog post really...

The patriot à la Mel Gibson: now, that is a honorable classic!

Granted, there were two films to choose from here: 

and I chose the one about an European hero, 

rather than this! Sue me, will ya?

Patriotism means different things for different cultures: a national hero can and should be something other than a natural at bloodshed and all-around self-sacrificial, reckless type. It an be a cultural icon: it can be a singer...

Incidentally, the ''Patriotes'' flag in Culbec looks a hell of a lot like the Italian colors - but sideways, horizontal in fact. The Gino way, one could say? But that's another story too - and another sidetrack.

When one speaks of patriotism, though, one always thinks of the USA - somehow... And since I started with the New England variety of patriotism, let's get right back into it with their favorite hero of all-time, no question about it (especially since it has been local boy Chris Evans portraying him on the big screen there, amidst all that explosive avenging action...)

Now these guys are true patriots, if you ask me...

But then there is the odd French twist on that: a patriot who went against the grain and bled to death ''so that the earth beneath his feet could thrive'' if one transliterates word for word here...

They even have a hockey team in this motif - in desperate-for-taxpaying-citizens Beauharnois...

Granted, when one says ''patriote'' and ''French'' here, it is meant to describe the oddest bunch of unrooted (déraciné) chaps there could be: descendants of first settlers who may have come from France but were, very quickly too, doomed to become a distorted version of it in no time at all: hence was born ''le Québécois'' (more on that on June the 24th... maybe!)

If you are this kind of Patriote, you will be found sipping beer on the first Monday before June 25th - every single year. You'll have some vague idea that it is about some guys who paid the price so your allegedly Belle Province became, er,  how to put it nicely... what it is today! And you will not know exactly why you have an off-day; you'll just be happy you do!

As Canada celebrates its Queen Victoria Day, one tiny part of the country has its Fête des Patriotes which is all about the anti-British crown regime there, a firm misguided stance if there ever was one in those forlorn parts, back in the day...  No wonder that country is one hell of hodge-podge of confusion populated by inept legislators that take after Clouseau more than de Gaulle; vive le Québec libre, hein? Libre... de quoi? De faire tout plein d'erreurs lamentables? But since it is always on such an insignificant scale, it goes unnoticed and, therefore, it isn't a big deal at all, so...

Anyway...!

The best blog we found that promotes patriotism would have to be this one; for it brings another extremely important dimension into the equation - compassion!

And, so, let's be compassionate and let the Culbec off the hook here, now - one more time...
(For the time being, that is!)