Disputes over a divisive utterance of the famous show host Don Cherry have been continuing in the Canadian media for more than a month. The story has generated media coverage even abroad. Many public figures speak against Cherry’s unacceptable and reprehensible words. However, Don is not the only person who deserves to be condemned. The blameworthy are those who defend the hockey commentator, who call him a “true Canadian patriot”.

Comments glorifying Don Cherry keep appearing on the web over and over. Hiding behind patriotism their authors demand to throw away political correctness and to call a spade a spade for the sake of historical truth and the Canada’s future. – Okay, so let’s do it. And, here is the truth:

Mister Cherry claims that “newcomers” do not honor the Canadian soldiers who fought for our country, who paid the ultimate price to bring peace and to protect freedom. For the distinguished Mr. Cherry, it will be recalled that many of the Canadian soldiers killed in action in the First World War and other conflicts were themselves “newcomers”, children or grandchildren of “newcomers”.

Mister Cherry is confident that those who do not wear a poppy on clothing in November disrespect the memory of war heroes, the history of Canada and the Commonwealth. It may never occurred to Don Cherry that in the democratic country, which our veterans fought for, nobody has the right to decide for others how to express feelings, what and on what occasion to wear. Moreover, nobody has the right to abuse and accuse groundlessly millions of citizens of lacking national solidarity.