The following is a letter to the editor of the "ConservativeTruth.org" Tom Barret. Only this is te converted Canadian version. You can "Read the original letter here"
As the Canadian version reads:
IMMIGRANTS,NOT Canadians MUST ADAPT.
I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Canadians. However...... the dust from the attacks had barely settled when the "politically correct! " crowd began complaining about the possibility that our patriotism was offending others.
I am not against immigration, nor do I hold a grudge against anyone who is seeking a better life by coming to Canada. Our population is almost entirely made up of descendants of immigrants. However, there are a few things that those who have recently come to our country, and apparently some born here, need to understand. This idea of Canada being a multicultural community has served only to dilute our sovereignty and our national identity. As Canadians.......we have our own culture, our own society, our own language and our own lifestyle. This culture has been developed over centuries of struggles, trials, and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom.
We speak ENGLISH/FRENCH, not Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society, learn the language!
"We Stand On Guard For Thee" is our national motto. This is not some Christian, right wing, political slogan.. We adopted this motto because Christian men and women.......on Christian principles.............founded this nation..... and this is clearly documented.It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools.
If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home.........because God is part of our culture.
We are happy with our culture and have no desire to change, and we really don't care how you did things where you came from.
This is OUR COUNTRY,our land, and our lifestyle. But once you are done complaining....... whining...... and griping....... about our flag.......our pledge...... our national motto........or our way of life....I highly encourage you to take advantage of one other Great Canadian Freedom.......
THE RIGHT TO LEAVE.
Wow! Strait and to the point. Now I do not want this to be misconstrued as a "resentful" statment. I have many immigrant friends who actually cannot understand our lack of culture. (I have to explain to them that we lost our identity's trying so damn hard to not be like Americans even though we pretty much are)
I do not take issue with our immigrants retaining their cultural identity and bringing it here. In fact I welcome the educational exposure to it on a "folklorama" level. But as a Canadian I too feel I must draw the line when my country is supposed to stand on it's head to accomodate them all. This feat is impossible and causes too much unwarranted anomosity.
Take for example how the laws have now changed to "accomodate" the Sikh religion by allowing their children to wear their sacred kirpan (a 6 inch blade) to a public school while my kid's would be suspended for carrying a dull 2 inch swiss army knife.
"But that is part of their religious lifestyle" you might say. Well, the Chrisitans would argue that so was the Ten Commandments and prayer but they had no problem taking that away from the public school system did they?
Muslims, over the last year and half, have been trying to introduce Shria law into the Province of Ontario. For their people only of course. This is where the water's truly get muddied.
If you do not like our rule's, and our laws do not suit you, then TAKE OFF EH!
I hear the middle east is nice this time of year.
Until next time...
8 comments:
Well, good buddy, you wanted an arguement..... :)
Here's one:
While I agree that immigration should not dilute the culture of a country, the statement that Canada was founded on Christian values is not something I can agree with. In fact, aboriginals were the first here, and they were NOT Christian. It's an arguement there after as to who 'found' Canada (French, English, blah blah blah) but whatever. To say that if you don't like Christian values you should move somewhere else is a little reductionist.... Christians moved HERE, took the land, and now want respect for it as THEIRS??? I am a born and bred (and PROUD Canadian) and I'm not Christian. Why are my values less important than those values of the 'explorers' who 'claimed' Canada as theirs and killed off those here before them.
It's as if some Chinese immigrants came to Canada, decided that the land was a lovely place to live, and should be a part of China. Well, they'll just kill those who don't WANT to submit to Chinese culture and law and supremacy.... Now, does that make sense?
So, while I DO think that immigrants have no right to change the culture of a country, we need to remember that the culture we are trying to protect is no more indigenous than any of those we are trying so hard to keep out.
Mandora:
My most treasured adversary :)
Actually I said to come over and pick on me not pick a fight...but I am always ready for one of our little dust ups (rolling up sleeves)
-" the statement that Canada was founded on Christian values is not something I can agree with. In fact, aboriginals were the first here, and they were NOT Christian."
While I do agree aboriginals were the first people here (I married one who does not let me forget) it was not the aboriginals who "founded" Canada. It was in fact the european's who established Canada.
-"To say that if you don't like Christian values you should move somewhere else is a little reductionist...."
Actually I did not say it and neither did the article. The article says:
" This is not some Christian, right wing, political slogan."
These were virtues that were "adopted" by our countries leaders as they recognised that it was founded on these very principles.
-" Christians moved HERE, took the land, and now want respect for it as THEIRS???"
By some of their actions I would suggest that not ALL were Christians. Secondly, let's remember how back home(Europe) the Europeans did move in and TAKE what they wanted. That was not the case here. Although there was bloodshed in the begining it was treaties, not war, that came out of the deal.
Although they were the first people here I doubt very much they inhabitated ALL the territory that today we now recognise as Canada. Which would imply alot of it was up for grabs.
-"It's as if some Chinese immigrants came to Canada, decided that the land was a lovely place to live, and should be a part of China."
If China wanted it, THEY would have been the ones who took it by force. Then today we would be known as China West.
-" Well, they'll just kill those who don't WANT to submit to Chinese culture and law and supremacy.... Now, does that make sense?"
No it does not make sense. But that is how China would do it anyway. The europeans on the other hand chose an alternative route. Make peace (thru treaties) and learn to co-habitate together. You have to remeber that in the end both parties needed each other.
-"So, while I DO think that immigrants have no right to change the culture of a country"
Yikes! I just agreed with you.
-" we need to remember that the culture we are trying to protect is no more indigenous than any of those we are trying so hard to keep out."
You missed the point of the article and my following opinion. Myself and the "lefty" who wrote it are not FOR keeping immigrants OUT. In fact we are NOT against them remembering and celebrating their own traditions.
The line is drawn when they try to change law (and Canadian culture overall) to get other's to comply with their traditions. You simply cannot run a country like this. We recognise our english/french culture and our aboriginal culture.
This is what makes up Canada. Society will fail in this nation if we have different rules for different cultures.
The FEW immigrants that are trying to change the political landscape of our land need to be respectful that this is Canada, a different country from their own. If they do not like the fact that here you must keep your weapons (kirpans) out of public school's then you have the option of homeschooling or going back to your homeland where they might allow that.
It is not about keeping them out it is about them respecting Canadian laws and traditions once they are here. Just like I would be expected to do likewise if I were an immigrant to their country.
do you have a link to this article? I agree with it, I just find it hard to believe it came from the Toronto Star.
thanks
IO:
"This culture has been developed over centuries of struggles, trials, and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom."
Yes, Canada and its people have struggled for their freedom in their obedient service to the British Monarch and its various wars of liberation (imperialist conquest).
"If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home.........because God is part of our culture."
God of course being the god represented in the Queen's faith. And the Queen's faith of course being that of the popish Church of England.
Mandora:
"in fact, aboriginals were the first here, and they were NOT Christian."
The "Native American Race" was a creation of "the White Man". Many Indian groups had two worlds for people: "us" denoting members of their tribe, and "enemies" denoting everyone else. An Apache felt no more "solidarity" with a given Commanche than he did with a given European.
And there were waves of migration. Tribes were pushed out and killed off by other tribes. There is no solid basis for giving "the Native Americans" an "original right" to the Americas because they could never agree on who got what between themselves.
Hmm
I can relate to this post. Up here the liberal government is slowly but surely picking apart everything our country (most western societies for that matter) is built upon. Christian traditions.
The name Jesus is removed from traditional new years' speeches..
School children usually sing christian hymns before leaving for summer break. Now these are about to be removed in order not to upset the moslem children.
Personally i don't think that the moslems themselves get that offended by our traditions. They know that they've come to a "christian" country.
It's the government who can't stand the Christian message...
Anyways, you seem to have the same problems in Canada as here. I guess it's a sign of the times.
A little side-info...me&my wife actually visited Canada last year!
Blessings
TIO,
Given that you're married to (what I assume to be) a proud aboriginal woman, you of all people should know that we did not found Canada on 'peace and treaties' How can we talk about treaties as being legitimate when most of the people who signed these documents had no concept of land ownership and no concept of what a 'contract' was.
And peace? Really? Giving blankets infested with smallpox is peace? Forcefully removing children from their homes and placing them in residential schools is peace? Mass genocide is peace?
AND, I didn't miss the point of the letter. I understood it's message. I was simply pointing out something that I see which could potentially result from that line of thinking which I feel is problematic.
Nog,
While you are correct that the idea of 'the indian' is a made up conception of white people, saying that because they did not agree on who the land belongs to equates to non-ownership doesn't really jive with me. Right now, look at the middle east. Isreal and Palestine are/have been forever arguing about who is the rightful owner of the land. Does that mean that it's ok for someone else to go in and just take it, since they don't get along?
I respect Canada's history and wish to build on it for the future. What I disagree with is everything said above which is not OUR history but a racist Americanized view of the world. This country IS a cultural mosaic and if you disagree with that, there's a very large country to the south that would love to have you. Read a book once in a while you ignorant son of a bitch.
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