An Independent Scotland?

As we approach the September 18th referendum in Scotland, I will be posting images from my 2nd favourite place in the world (my first is my home — Toronto). I don’t feel it’s my place to express an opinion one way or another. The point of self-determination is that it belongs to the people who have a stake in the matter and to no one else. Outside influence feels like a violation of the rules of constitutional democracy. Canada has been in this position. In 1995, the citizens of Quebec held a referendum in which the Non vote won by a narrow margin. While I am committed to Canadian federalism, I believe there must always be space for distinctive identities to assert themselves. If federalism doesn’t protect that space, then a people must be free to exit.

People might think the Scottish question is a relatively minor blip in world affairs. I think it’s the most significant event of the moment, Gaza, Syria, & the Ukraine notwithstanding. It is significant for what is not happening. People are not killing one another. They are engaged in peaceful conversation about their identity, their future and their aspirations. We should not minimize its importance on the world stage as a model for how a people ought to conduct themselves.

For the first installment of my Scottish series: images of people. These are the people who have a stake in the issue and whose autonomy we need to respect. The first image is of a young girl skipping in front of the Scottish Parliament at the foot of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh (2009).