Don't Know What to Call This

A lawyer (don't know if he's a Canadian) has launched a class action lawsuit against the Canadian government on behalf of non Canadians who want to become Canadian citizens but don't want to pledge allegiance to the Queen of England. This is a stupid law required if you want Canadian citizenship.

When I first heard this I thought, "Well, it is a stupid law and I'm glad I don't have to renew my citizenship because I wouldn't be pledging allegiance to her either".

Then I thought, "Just a minute. What gives someone who is not a Canadian citizen the right to demand that we change our laws?". The man who has apparently been leading the group is a man who has lived in this country for 25 years without being a citizen. How was this allowed?

Nothing gets the ire of a Canadian up faster than an alien making demands for change, even if the change wouldn't matter much to us. The stock answer is. "If you don't like it then go back where you came from!".

Immigrants come to live in this country because they like it here better than the country of their birth. Canada offers them opportunities and usually a safer way of life than where they came from. This is why my ancestors came here.

I see nothing wrong with an immigrant who has achieved his/her citizenship trying to make changes through their legal vote or public forum but an alien going so far as to hire a lawyer insisting we change our laws is asinine.

We're seeing much the same thing in the United States right now with illegal immigrants demanding the right to legal citizenship. My heart goes out to these people but the question still remains...how can someone who is not a citizen of a country make demands on that country?

There was an e-mail that went the route a while ago that likened an illegal immigrant to a stranger walking into your home and telling you that from now on you would house, feed, medicate, and school him. It was a good analogy.

As for the pending class action suit, I'm afraid I have to side with the people who say, "If Canada isn't to your liking, then maybe you should move somewhere else.".