Ordinarily Americans pay little attention to Canada. It strikes many as a bland and un-derpopulated variation on the US. Even the few differences that are commonly noted by informed observers -- a Canadian preference for a more comprehensive welfare state, for in-stance -- seldom truly distinguish Canadians from Americans in the Boston-to-Seattle northern tier of the US, who more often than not①share their outlook, in contrast to Ameri-cans farther south.

　　But Canada has America's attention now. The recent decision by Canada's courts and parliament to extend the right to marriage to same-sex couples has stunned US opponents of gay rights, as American homosexual cou-ples will be free to go to Canada to get mar-ried. Will such unions be recognized in the US?

　　In the West acceptance of homosexuals has been growing everywhere over the past century, but at quite different speeds: most quickly in northern Europe, most slowly in eastern Europe and non-urban areas in the US. The Netherlands and Belgium allow same-sex marriage for their own citizens, but many European countries offer homosexuals a sort of legal quasi-marriage -- matrimony in all but name.

　　Pat Oliphant's cartoon seems to be set in an Anglican church in Canada. (Some Anglicans are willing to allow church bless-ings of same-sex unions.) How do we know it's Canada? From the uniforms: the two men getting married are members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, square-jawed and upright,②in keeping with the popular image of the "Mounties". When the priest, following the traditional practice, asks if anyone knows of any impediment to their marriage (this might in theory③be a cur-rent marriage, too close a blood relationship, a hidden history of insanity, etc.), Uncle Sam stands up to denounce them -- and is promptly told to shut up.

　　Uncle Sam is portrayed as scruffy, mean and bitter. He has a haunted look, with eyes full of spiteful anger. He looks like a backwoods relative, fanatical and narrow-minded. We are left in no doubt that Oliphant approves of the developments in Canada.

　　How many Americans does he speak for? Probably about one in three. Roughly the same number oppose liberalization of marriage laws. The rest are undecided, and will be watching the Canadian experiment with nervous fascination.