Well a bit off topic again....but.......
Ouch! Anthony, you are so cynical! lol! I've lived in the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and Quebec and have a greatly different view from what you do. I suffer from an illness that when I went to see the doctor three years ago I was refered to a specialist within a week. Had exploratory surgery, and on meds within the week after that.
Last February I went to the hospital with a life threatening emergency..........from the moment my wife called 911 till i was being cut open by the surgeon......5 hours. Missed 4 months of work, returned to full duties June 1.
I took my daughter to emergency yesterday morning, and was in and out, at the pharmacy with the presciption filled, and back home, within three hours of leaving. I don't consider that that bad.
And I wouldn't trade our medical system to be honest. In certain provinces (like Manitoba) they have Pharmacare drug coverage based on your family income. For instance I have a deductible of about 2 grand a year, but then my drugs are fully covered. My meds cost about 10 grand a year. And our family private insurance only costs about 50 bucks a month for 90% coverage of the first 2000 grand. Not bad. So I am not out of pocket a whole lot.
As for the "arming yourself to protect yourself against scum", you do have the right to acquire, own and carry firearms. Just with restrictions. You have to obtain your PAL, and follow the rules. They are more restrictive then in the states, but still quite liberal to be honest. Most people dont realize how many guns are actually out there in Canada. If you search the Criminal Code of Canada, you will see what is and isn't a criminal offence in relation to firearms.
I know all this because I am a Police Officer. And to be honest I haven't eaten a donut in about 10 years. In my city (like most) we have to take an annual physical appraisal that includes an obstacle course, fat percentage, and various other measurements. I train daily at the gym to keep myself in peak condition. And I can assure you that I (like most of my colleagues) are not retards. Most of us have university educations. I graduated with a 4.17 average. ![;)]()
Calls for service are not dictated by the officers. They receive them over a laptop, which are sent out by dispatch, which are put in order of priority depending on the nature of the call. And if it sometimes seems that Police do not hand out the appropriate response for the public, we must remember that we are only allowed to work within the confines of the law. Which we don't write. And remember that like every other job, there are stresses that most people don't or can't understand unless they are put in that position.
There are lots of good things about all countries, along with bad. But I think sometimes the grass looks greener then it may be on the other side of the fence.
I'm happy to be in Canada, but I am sure if I was raised somewhere else like Britain or the U.S. I would be equally happy. ![:)]()