# Canadian Goose -- We stand on guard for thee **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 13, 2002, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-goose-we-stand-on-guard-for-thee/113837 "2002-06-13T12:48:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![december](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/838e76/32.png) [@december](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/december)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-goose-we-stand-on-guard-for-thee/113837/1 "2002-06-13T12:48:57Z")
To the tune of \*O Canada Canadian Goose. We stand on guard for thee. What you produce, Could get all over me.\* Canada is a beautiful country. Canadians are terrific people. What a shame that when many Americans hear the word, “Canadian,” their first thought is excrement. It is most unfortunate that this particular critter has been given the proud name of our wonderful neighbor to the North. ---
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-goose-we-stand-on-guard-for-thee/113837/2 "2002-06-13T12:59:00Z")
I’m still not prepared to accept you as the Alan Ginsberg of the Tin Foil Belt. ---
**Author:** ![pldennison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@pldennison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pldennison)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-goose-we-stand-on-guard-for-thee/113837/3 "2002-06-13T12:59:18Z")
It’s also a shame that the animal is called a “Canada Goose.” (_Branta canadensis_) There is no such creature as a Canadian Goose. ---
**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-goose-we-stand-on-guard-for-thee/113837/4 "2002-06-13T13:05:14Z")
Jesus! We just had a thread about this! CANADA goose! CANADA goose! Of course, it fell off Page One pretty quickly, especially when I started in on the Canada Good trivia. People fled in droves. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-goose-we-stand-on-guard-for-thee/113837/5 "2002-06-13T14:25:34Z")
…Canada Goose Poop… …Canada Goose Poop… Had to drop some of it in here…it’s everywhere else… …Canada Goose Poop… …Canada Goose Poop… ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-goose-we-stand-on-guard-for-thee/113837/6 "2002-06-13T14:26:36Z")
Dammit, I was out walking the dogs and stepped in some Canada. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-goose-we-stand-on-guard-for-thee/113837/7 "2002-06-13T14:26:54Z")
…Canada Goose Poop… …Canada Goose Poop… …Canada Goose Poop… …Canada Goose Poop… …Canada Goose Poop… …Canada Goose Poop… ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-goose-we-stand-on-guard-for-thee/113837/8 "2002-06-13T15:26:11Z")
First, **december** , you ought to read Ben Franklin on his opposition to the Bald Eagle as the U.S. national symbol. Then consider how you would feel if a Canadian doper posted a mockery of our national anthem or one of our patriotic songs. Or perhaps a mockery of the _sh’ma_ that equated Sharon with God (though my Hebrew is very poor, I could come up with a fairly good one, incorporating Bernard Baruch, if you like). Then you ought to post an apology for your OP. Sorry if I seem belligerent. But you have shown evidence that you can be a thoughtful poster when you care to be, and I know damn well that you would take offense at insults to what you hold dear. So get your head out of your ass and try to look at it from their point of view. ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-goose-we-stand-on-guard-for-thee/113837/9 "2002-06-13T15:31:03Z")
> [@](#): > > So get your head out of your ass and try to look at it from their point of view. Wha–? Why, Sisyphus! I haven’t seen you since Hector was a pup! ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-goose-we-stand-on-guard-for-thee/113837/10 "2002-06-13T16:41:51Z")
I just think of them as geese, or secondarily as wretched pooping avians. I don’t have time to worry about the Canadian aspect, since I’m spending all my free time writing to the Japanese embassy about their #%^\*#&! beetles. ---
**Author:** ![december](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/838e76/32.png) [@december](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/december)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-goose-we-stand-on-guard-for-thee/113837/11 "2002-06-13T17:33:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Polycarp \* > **december** , Then you ought to post an apology for your OP. I didn’t mean the OP to be anything but complimentary to Canada. I intended to contrast the beauty of the country and the quality of the people vs, a bird, which unfortunately carries their name. If I did offend anyone then I am truly sorry. A question for Canadian posters: were you offended? ---
**Author:** ![Feynn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecb155/32.png) [@Feynn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Feynn)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-goose-we-stand-on-guard-for-thee/113837/12 "2002-06-13T17:47:08Z")
“What a shame that when many Americans hear the word, “Canadian,” their first thought is excrement.” What a shame that when I hear the word “December” my first thought is going to be “excrement”. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-goose-we-stand-on-guard-for-thee/113837/13 "2002-06-13T17:53:55Z")
The Canada goose isn’t a national symbol as far as I am aware. And we hate gooseshit up here just as much as you do down there. ---
**Author:** ![Venoma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/c4cdca/32.png) [@Venoma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Venoma)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-goose-we-stand-on-guard-for-thee/113837/14 "2002-06-13T17:55:42Z")
Well - I was bemused. Why is this in the pit again? I’m not offended… as long as I get to post under Feynn. :leer: ---
**Author:** ![Kamandi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5daacb/32.png) [@Kamandi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamandi)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-goose-we-stand-on-guard-for-thee/113837/15 "2002-06-13T17:58:00Z")
Speaking as a Canadian (which, of course, means I’m the mouthpiece for _all_ Canadians :rolleyes: ), I thought **december** was quite clear in his OP distinguishing his love for his northern neighbors from his hatred of bird shit. The only think that offended me about **december** ’s post was that he called them _Canadian_ geese. For the record, none of them carry passports. Just a pet peeve, which others apparently share. ---
**Author:** ![BoBettie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@BoBettie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BoBettie)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-goose-we-stand-on-guard-for-thee/113837/16 "2002-06-13T17:59:02Z")
> [@](#): > > “What a shame that when many Americans hear the word, “Canadian,” their first thought is excrement.” My first thought is “mmmmm, gambling at Niagra Falls”, then it’s “Mmmmm Canadian Beer while gambling at Niagra Falls”…then “Ohhhh, pretty”. I must say that in my 31 years, I’d never associated Canada with goose shit. This could be the oddest post I’ve ever seen on the SDMB. Who moved the rock and found THIS idiot? Zette ---
**Author:** ![Odieman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a87d85/32.png) [@Odieman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odieman)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-goose-we-stand-on-guard-for-thee/113837/17 "2002-06-13T18:41:35Z")
As a Canadian and a birder I can rest assure you that our geese do not store their shit until they cross the border. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helen_s_Eidolon)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-goose-we-stand-on-guard-for-thee/113837/18 "2002-06-13T22:02:50Z")
I was gonna say, I’ve never seen a Canada goose shit. Is this really such a problem? ---
**Author:** ![Balduran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cc9497/32.png) [@Balduran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balduran)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-goose-we-stand-on-guard-for-thee/113837/19 "2002-06-13T23:32:37Z")
Yeah, the excrement can be a problem, but there are not large populations everywhere in Canada. I recall a few years ago the city of Toronto actually wanted to cull the gaggles and donate them to homeless shelters because there were so many of them. There was a bit of an animal rights outcry, I don’t know whatever became of it. Also a few years ago I went to the Toronto zoo and I saw a pen where there were a couple of miserable looking antelopes huddled in a corner and ornery geese everywhere else honking away. Pretty funny from my perspective. And I have no idea why anybody would be offended by **December** ’s post, I found it rather amusing. Its not like we invented the damn birds, it was probably those Scandanavian bastards, and then they pinned it on us by calling it the Canada goose! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-goose-we-stand-on-guard-for-thee/113837/20 "2002-06-13T23:38:32Z")
I wasn’t offended. I was just going to comment that if **december** happened to be pooped on by a Canada Goose, it would be appropriate to save said poop as a tribute to his northern neighbours. 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-goose-we-stand-on-guard-for-thee/113837.md?page=2)