Morning Song & Canadian Freedoms

 

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms

2. Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms:

1. a) freedom of conscience and religion;
2. b) freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication;
3. c) freedom of peaceful assembly; and
4. d) freedom of association.

This morning I went out on what I hope was a "virtuous cycle" along the Bay of Quinte and up the Moira River. As I passed the recently reconstructed pedestrian bridge on the Moira I could hear singing, and male voices at that. I slowed to see two young men in turbans at the far side of the bridge. I stopped and waited to ask them if they had been singing and they smiled as they said yes. I asked what they were singing and got the reply that it was a song from India. I offered that the world would be a better place if more people headed out for their day singing and they laughed and agreed. We wished each other a good day and off we went. 

This will be a highlight of my day and it occurred to me that these two Sikh men who are probably students at the local college are enriching our Canadian culture just by walking along the street. It also came to mind that there are people who think quite the opposite, that they are interlopers undermining the "real" Canada. A few of them may claim to be Christians who don't want adherents of other religions in this country and Sikh men are making an obvious statement about their faith by wearing turbans. 

I'm going to savour what amounted to a couple of minutes of a worthwhile encounter and hope that the majority of Canadians will continue to value a mosaic of cultures and religions.