Keep Monarchy in Canada

If for no other reason than to ensure a piece of our national history and identity isn’t erased, I feel Canada’s continued connection with the British Monarchy must not vanish.

I’m not a “royal watcher” and I certainly don’t care day to day what the British royal family members are up to but as I watch more and more “foreigners” enter Canada it seems our identity is being eroded.

Canada is a great country and is highly respected around the world. This is why so many people from impoverished and varying social, political and war torn countries are flocking here in such great numbers. Canada is a beacon of hope for these people and a place where dreams and hopes for families can be fulfilled.

For those of us born in Canada and whose families have lived here for generations, we can be proud of this land of opportunity. I’m not one to turn someone away when they are in need and are desperate to change their destiny in a positive way. What I don’t like is how people make Canada their home but fail or refuse to adapt and embrace their new country. Instead, they feel we need to change our Canadian ways, traditions, laws, beliefs, religions and way of life to meet their needs.

I don’t think I’m being racist. If these people came here and did their best to learn one of our two official languages, followed our laws while becoming a valued member of our society and assimilated, then where they came from and what they look like doesn’t matter to me at all. If they become Canadian citizens and do their best to be Canadian, that’s all I can ask for.

What I’m seeing more and more are every day Canadians being forced to be “politically correct” and that’s something I refuse to do. Defending our beliefs and history isn’t looked at as being patriotic but rather a slap to the face of those who don’t want to embrace their new home.

As an example, a Sikh child was required by his religion to carry a ceremonial dagger known as a kirpan to school with him. This is a mandatory religious commandment for the Sikh community. In most public places in Canada a kirpan is allowed to be carried. In 2006 the Supreme Court of Canada held that the banning of the kirpan in a school environment is against Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms. If I had a child going to school and I complained that another kid is bringing a knife to class making for an unsafe environment, I would be looked at by the politically correct people as intolerant or a racist for not allowing them the freedom to express their religion or culture. My argument would be; if they want to express their culture, then they need to do it in the country where this is considered appropriate.

Now let's put the weapon on the other foot...so to speak. If I gave my son a shotgun and sent him to school saying it’s our religious belief that carrying a loaded weapon is necessary to become a man, what do you think would happen? Something tells me the Supreme Court of Canada would laugh at me.

By the way, on April 2, 2010, Manjit Mangat, a fifty-three year-old lawyer and temple president was stabbed in the abdomen with a kirpan at the Sikh Lehar Centre in Brampton, Ontario. Police have Sukhwant Singh in custody over the matter.

OK, so maybe that might be an extreme scenario and I don't have a problem with people having different religious beliefs than me but not when it affects the Canada I love or threatens my identity. The point is every time we as Non-naturalized Canadians give away ground on issues and topics with respect to our history and heritage to appease other groups, we lose a part of our identity. Pretty soon we will become the minority and I can’t help but wonder if the new majority would be so accommodating to us.