WRONG QUESTION, EH?: Earlier this year, by act of Parliament, the English lyrics to “O Canada” went gender neutral. The BBC now looks back and wants to know why there was so much opposition to changing the reference to “all our sons” (which was apparently intended to honor Canada’s WWI dead) to “all of us” (which isn’t).  But that’s the wrong question. The right question is why the new lyrics were changed at all, given so much opposition. The only poll I know of was taken in 2010. At that point three-quarters of Canadians opposed the change. Since when is it a good idea to annoy voters that way?

Here’s a version “O Canada” sung by WomEnchant, which bills itself as “a community ensemble with a feminist and social justice perspective.” It contains the new gender neutral language along with a few other changes.  Canada may see further demands for lyrics alterations.