You've got to be kidding? One more reason for an elected Senate

It appears that one of the members of Canada's Senate is at a loss what to do with her time.

Senator Nicole Eaton is leading the campaign (can one person, even a Senator be considered a campaign?) to replace the beloved Canadian Beaver with the Polar Bear, as our National Animal Emblem. Shame on you Senator Eaton......

Funny, in researching Mrs. Eaton I discovered that in October 2010 she launched a formal campaign into the benefits of Canada's oilsands in an attempt to prove the environmental naysayers wrong. Now that is something that I can side 100% with the Senator on, however I have a difficult time sympathizing with anyone who has it out for beaver.

Ironically just a year or so ago Mrs Eaton was praising the beavers attributes when in a speech she quoted famed fur-trade historian Harold Innis, saying: "The history of Canada has been profoundly influenced by the habits of an animal that fittingly occupies a prominent place on her coat of arms. The beaver."

Fast forward to last week and we find Senator Eaton referring to our poor hard working furry friend as the "toothy tyrant" , "a dentally defective rat" and a "19thcentury has-been," She  also noted  that many Canadians now view the beaver as a "nuisance that wreaks havoc on farmlands, roads, lakes, streams and tree plantations." However she did miss the part about how the fur trade in beaver pelts played a large part in our history and helped to open up this country.

Meanwhile, she argued, the polar bear is not only "Canada's most majestic and splendid mammal" but also a "powerful figure in the material, spiritual and cultural life" of Canada's Inuit. I am beginning to think Mrs Eaton has watched one too many Coca Cola commercials. Maybe someone should remind her that the Polar Bear is also the same critter that literally tears seals (you know the cuddly furry animals that we Canadians are often accused of beating with clubs) to pieces, wanders garbage dumps, often terrorizes northern communities, and have been known on occasion to eat their young. Sounds like they have a lot in common, Senators and Polar Bears.....

Senator Eaton's Reference Source for Polar Bear Facts

Having said that, I will admit that beaver, polar bear, prairie dog ( for you easterners that's a Gopher), which ever one we have as our Animal Emblem probably makes little difference in the big picture. What bothers me are a number of things

1) Considering the current uncertainty of Canada's and for that matter the world economy doesn't a Senator in our government have anything more pressing to do with her time?

2) Has she even considered for a moment the actual monetary cost of this change? Of course not, why would a Senator worry about a trifle detail like spending taxpayers money. I am not an economist nor an accountant but I imagine we are looking at 10's of millions of dollars for this stunt.

3) Why does every elected official feel they have to change our culture? You can debate endlessly whether the beaver is the best animal to represent Canada, but the fact is he is associated with Canada worldwide, has endless Canadian landmarks named after him, and most of us have developed a fondness for him and his strong work ethics (something a Senator probably does not understand). So why not leave well enough alone Mrs. Eaton?

So on a last note I leave you with a picture of Senator Eaton who I believe bears (no pun intended) more of a resemblance to the beaver than a polar bear, but you be the judge.  I'll let you guess which is the senator and which is the beaver.  I got it right on the second guess.
Could this be a case of envy on the part of the Senator?