The Conservative government is strengthening the symbolic power of the military in public life by having a member of the Canadian Forces play a prominent role in citizenship ceremonies.
In an operational bulletin issued earlier this year, the Department of Citizenship and Immigration said highlighting the service of members of the armed forces is a way to underline to every new Canadian the rights and responsibilities that come with citizenship.
The bulletin, which describes military service as one of the highest expressions of citizenship, states that members of the military should be seated on the main platform with the citizenship judge, that they can stand in the receiving line congratulating new citizens and that they may give a two- to three-minute speech. Where possible, the bulletin says the preference is for veterans of the war in Afghanistan.
The increased prominence of the military at these ceremonies is in keeping with other gestures made by Stephen Harper’s government. The new citizenship handbook, Discover Canada, for example, which was introduced by Minister Jason Kenney in 2009, placed much more emphasis on Canadian military history than the preceding guide.
Michael Fellman, a professor emeritus of history at Simon Fraser University, said it’s part of a gradual militarization of Canadian culture under the Conservatives.
“The Tories are in a long-range campaign to change Canadian values and make them more conservative,” Prof. Fellman said. “This is a way to show that the military is at the core of the meaning of citizenship.
“It’s an attempt to imbue new citizens with awareness of the military, and the military means a whole host of other things, sacrifice for freedom and all that stuff and it rallies people around these very chauvinistic values. It’s not the Canada I prefer to think about.”
Mr. Kenney’s office did not respond to an interview request.
RCMP officers in red serge have for a long time held prominent roles at citizenship ceremonies, so the inclusion of the military is not without parallel.
Major Pete Saunders, a member of the air force who served overseas in support of the war in Afghanistan, has participated in four citizenship ceremonies over the last year. He said he sat on stage with the citizenship judge, a representative of the citizenship and immigration ministry, the local MPP, an RCMP officer and a representative of the local native band.
“What we want to impress upon [the new citizens], much in the same way as the RCMP officer, is that we’re here to serve them. We’re not here to beat them down. We’re not here to cause them fear,” Major Saunders said. “That’s central to our message, so they understand that when we go on operations it’s at the behest of a democratically elected government and they have a hand in who that government is.”
Citizenship ceremonies often involve new Canadians from countries with a history of military dictatorship. Sending a message that in Canada the uniform is a symbol that can be trusted is important, Major Saunders said.
In its operational bulletin, the Department of Citizenship and Immigration issued instructions that the military member should be officially recognized during the ceremony and thanked for his or her service and dedication to Canada.
The citizenship judge or presiding official is asked in their opening remarks to say something along the lines of this sample text from the bulletin: “As a Canadian citizen, you live in a democratic country where individual rights and freedoms are respected. Thousands of brave Canadians have fought and died for these rights and freedoms. The commitment to Canada of our men and women in uniform should never be forgotten or go unrecognized. We thank them.”
The path to citizenship
The first step towards Canadian citizenship is becoming a permanent resident. Would-be immigrants apply in one of several different categories, such as skilled workers or entrepreneurs, each with different requirements.
Permanent residents can apply to become citizens once they have lived at least three years out of the last four in Canada. Time spent in the country before getting permanent residency counts towards the requirement, but at only half the rate (so, for instance, one year would count for six months’ worth of the requirement).
Citizenship applicants must also speak English or French, and take a test covering Canada’s history, electoral system and geography.
It’s somewhat easier for children under 18 to obtain citizenship: at least one parent or guardian, who applies on their behalf, must be a citizen or be themselves seeking citizenship. Children must be permanent residents, but don’t have to have lived in Canada as long as an adult who is applying.
People 14 years old or older must attend a citizenship ceremony.
- Adrian Morrow
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An other indulgence by Mr. Harper who can't resist the temptation to tinker to
gain some brownie points from the mainly retired white conservatives.
If there was any commonsense or logic to the citizenship exam, there is one
question that most male immigrants will get wrong and that is because if they
knew that Canada had no legal rights for men, they would never have emigrated to
Canada in the first place.
Canada is the place of debtor's prisons, Male Sharia Law, Male Gender Apartheid,
a third world justice system that appoints corrupt judges like one of the lowest
forms of life in Ottawa called the Dis-Honourable Allan Sheffield and Denis
Power. Power is a liberal appointee, he suffers from "court rage", and a corrupt
habit of making decisions for his friends and engaging in the very illegal
pastime of what is called "The process of Justification.
That's what child abusers do, psychopaths do, to justify their crimes. Its the
classic symptoms of at least a sociopath and at worst a psychopath.
Immigrants should be told that Ottawa, has some of the vilest bags of skin,
chronic flagrant abusers of power, who take sadistic delight in regularly
leaving trails of endless destruction.
Allan Sheffield is known across Ontario as "the worst of the worst" and that's
what he is called by the most experienced and able lawyers in Ottawa. If you
happen to think that this post is defamatory, just check with your reliable
source of information in the legal profession and they will confirm every word.
Immigrants should know that several other judges are dangerous to society. One
of the worst and the most well known for her springtime coiffure is Justice
Sheryl Robertson, one of the worst man hating extreme feminists in Ontario with
a direct line to any feminist lawyer especially the profs at Queens University
and the Lesbian zealots of Ontario.
www.OttawaMensCentre.com
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Immigrants should also know about Madam Justice Aitkin, a judge with a
pathological hatred of men. If are an immigrant to Canada and end up in Family
court and have any of these judges scheduled for your hearing, drop Mr. Harper a
letter, along with one to the Premier of Ontario which will both achieve baby
steps in the long term. You should however, send a letter with your concerns to
the Regional Senior Justice Chucky Hackland who will tell you in a polite letter
to go to hell.
The reality is that Hackland gets to hear all the dirt on most of the Rat Pack
aka the underbelly of the judiciary of Ottawa.
While the underbelly gets serious complaints on regular basis, there are other
judges who never ever get complaints.
Something for new immigrants to think about.
Oh, thinking of voting NDP? New immigrants should know that N D P stands for the
No Dads PartY, their leader is famous for his opposition to a legal presumption
of equal parenting and his frequenting of sex slave brothels and of course
living in subsidized housing while pulling in a six figure income.
www.OttawaMensCentre.com