Complicating Citizenship

Oh dear. Who knew? There are obligations to becoming a citizen? Amazing. And here we thought it was all receptive enthusiasm, sweetness and light. Certainly it seems that way, with society bending over backward to prove its collective delight in receiving yet additional influxes of immigrants. It is just so perfectly quaint when migrants bring over their customs, traditions and colourful costumes, dances, songs and grudges. And government at every level is enjoined in the process of offering material support to newcomers who must find their level of comfort in a new environment.

All these developments in welcoming immigrants making Canada such an enviable place to be. Come and ye shall receive. Take what you will, there is more. And feel free to be who and what you are. Don't confuse yourself with the imperatives and values of social mores and civil behaviours if you find it too distressingly arduous to conform. Integration was expected of previous waves of immigrants, and they did very well for themselves, under far less welcome conditions. In the process doing much for Canada, too.

Multiculturalism, however, saves you from the nuisance of having to strain to be too much like those already absorbed in the prevailing culture. And so there are what we can call culture clashes that otherwise complicate matters, when the young run afoul of the law and it's not really their fault, since they come from a different culture and a different tradition. And given that the perpetually-governing political party in this great country saw fit to celebrate diversity without obligation to the need to absorb Canadian values, that's just the way it is.

Was? My goodness, the political opposition now reigning as the Government of Canada put on its thinking cap. Decided to surprise everyone, both the indigenous population and those aspiring to come aboard. Henceforth a far heftier document will be disseminated on the way to helping immigrants become authentic Canadians. Explaining to them the history, culture, society and values of which formerly they had little interest since life is difficult, and they had no need to. They were deemed to be perfectly acceptable as they presented.

So Canada has a surfeit of immigrant-derived street gangs, a kind of culture superimposed on Canadian street culture, as it were. And we have been treated to the importation of grievances against others, of violence directed toward former-and-still-active adversaries; political, racial, social and religious. Sri Lankans who agitated and fund-raised for the Tamil Tigers. Hezbollah and Hamas agents who foment slanderous dissent against others,while incidentally fund-raising.

A few triad-scented gangster activities to liven things up and help the drug trade along. And Sikh separatists who are perfectly fine with the idea that if they intrigue sufficiently air liners will suddenly blow up in transit and distribute thousands of minute body parts over the Indian Ocean - or elsewhere as the case may be. Not to overlook citizens of convenience who insist on mass rescue in times of peril at public expense, then placidly leave when the all-safe rings in.

In response to which this government has devised a new set of obligations and responsibilities inherent in citizenship. Simple little instructions such as that it is incumbent on all newcomers to seek to fit into the society they have migrated into. Learn the language, find paid employment. In your spare time, if you have any, do good work, volunteering. Become knowledgeable about the law, and obey it. If other options fail, join the country's armed forces.

Learn Canadian history. Become familiar with traditions that are meaningful to the country. Respect others as you would have them respect you. Isn't that paramount to good citizenship? Honouring your own traditions, heritage, religion is very nice, and worthwhile. At the same time, however, fit in, won't you? Citizenship, we are informed loftily, is a two-way street.

It's past time it was seen that way, practised that way. You're welcome.