The English version of the Canadian national anthem discriminates against females with “all thy sons’ command," immigrants with “our home and native land," and atheists, agnostics, polytheists, and spiritual people who don't believe in a God with “God keep our land.”
The French version of the Canadian anthem discriminates against immigrants with “terre de nos aïeux,” which means “land of our ancestors,” and non-Christians with “il sait porter la croix,” which means “it knows how to carry the cross.”
People in the excluded groups can feel like they are considered second class citizens in Canada. Girls forced to sing this discriminatory anthem in schools are indoctrinated with the idea that they aren’t as important as boys. Combined with other bigoted societal messages, this can lead to an achievement gap between males and females.
Complacency has preserved bigotry. The English and French versions of the anthem should be made to reflect the 21st century. The lyrics have been changed several times in the past and have been more inclusive in the past. There’s no good reason to not update them again.
Ashu M. G. Solo
