Flag Debate?

Question

What contraversial issues came up when canada got its flag? like points both pro and con for a debate please

Answer 1

"In 1963, the minority Liberal government of Lester B. Pearson gained power, and decided to adopt an official Canadian flag, by act of Parliament. The idea of an official national flag had been discussed for decades in the 20th century, particularly during the Liberal governments of Mackenzie King; indeed, during the Second World War there was for a time an effort to create a national flag for Canadian troops to carry into battle, but in Pearson's words, "It was a ridiculous design by some heraldic expert in National Defence, with all sorts of symbols on it." But it was not until the 1960s that the debate intensified, and became a subject of considerable controversy culminating in the Great Flag Debate of 1964. The principal political proponent of the change was Prime Minister Lester Pearson. Pearson had been a significant broker during the Suez Crisis of 1956 (for which he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.) Pearson was disturbed when the Egyptian government objected to Canadian peacekeeping forces on the grounds that the Canadian flag (the Red Ensign) contained the flag (Union Jack) of the United Kingdom, one of the belligerents. According to Mike: The Memoirs of the Right Honourable Lester B. Pearson, Pearson's principal concern was for the Canadian flag to be distinctive and unmistakably Canadian. The main opponent to changing the flag was the leader of the opposition and former prime minister, John Diefenbaker, who eventually made the subject a personal crusade."

"Pearson was leader on a minority Government and risked losing power over the issue; however, Pearson knew the Red Ensign with the Union Jack was unpopular in Quebec, a Liberal base of support. The Red Ensign was strongly favoured by rural English Canada, the heart of Tory support. On May 27, 1964, Pearson's minority Liberal government introduced a motion to parliament for adoption of his personal favourite design of a "sea to sea" (Canada's motto) flag with blue borders and three conjoined red maple leaves on a white field. This motion led to weeks of acrimonious debate in parliament, and the design came to be known as the Pearson Pennant. Diefenbaker demanded a referendum be held on the flag issue, but Pearson instead formed a 15 member multi-party parliamentary committee to select a new design. Through a period of study with some political manoeuvring, the committee chose the current design, which was created by George F.G. Stanley, inspired by the flag of the Royal Military College of Canada, in Kingston, Ontario. The ultimately favoured design with red bars and a single maple leaf was voted unanimously by the committee on 1964-10-29. The new flag was passed by a majority vote in the House of Commons on 1964-12-15. The Senate added its approval two days later."

"Flag of Canada : History" : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Canada#History

"Pearson sought to produce a flag which embodied history and tradition, but he also thought that time had come for Canada to cut the umbilical cord of the banner of the United Kingdom. So the issue wasn't whether the maple leaf was pre-eminently Canadian, but whether the nation was pre-eminently Canadian."

"John Diefenbaker led the opposition to the Maple Leaf flag arguing for the retention of the Canadian Red Ensign. Diefenbaker and his traditionalist lieutenants mounted a filibuster. The seemingly endless debate raged in Parliament and the press with no side giving quarter. Pearson forced members of Parliament to stay over the summer, but that did not help. Then on September 10, the Prime Minister yielded to the suggestion that the matter be referred to a special flag committee. The key member of the 15-person panel, Liberal MP John Matheson recalled, "…we were asked to produce a flag for Canada and in six weeks!" "

"On 1964-09-10, a committee of 15 Members of Parliament was appointed. It was made up of seven Liberals, five Conservatives and one each from the NDP, the Social Credit Party and the Ralliement Creditiste. The Conservatives at first saw this event as a victory, for they knew that all previous flag committees had suffered miscarriages. During the next six weeks the committee held 35 tormenting meetings. Thousands of suggestions also poured in from a public engaged in what had become a great Canadian debate about identity and how best to represent it."

"3,541 entries were submitted: many contained common elements:"

"2,136 contained maple leaves,
408 contained Union Jacks,
389 contained beavers, and
359 contained Fleurs-de-lys."

"Great Flag Debate" : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Flag_Debate

Answer 2

properly flag burning is typically used as a political protest that's clearly risk-free below our shape (i comprehend the Republicans basically care relating to the 2d replace). no count if burning the flag is patriotic or not is somewhat up for debate, whether the negative aspects of infringing on unfastened speech are greater advantageous than the very rare incidents of flag burning. Now bypass burning is maximum in many circumstances used as a terrorist action to intimidate particular training of human beings. If somebody places a bypass in the city sq. and lights it up there'll possibly be some subject concerns there. If a set of white robed wackos burn one in a private field then there is not plenty we are able to do approximately it (or could desire to).

Answer 3

Try this site for starters. It lists the various flags that have flown in Canada.

http://www.usask.ca/education/ideas/tplan/sslp/canaflag.htm