Why are we conflating birthright citizenship- based on actually being born in Canada- w the absurdity of giving ppl automatic Canadian citizenship bc their *parents* were born here?
I have not the slightest loyalty to the country where both MY parents were born... Same goes for most ppl I know.
The problem is we shouldn’t leave people stateless. I have 2 nephews born in the UK who were not eligible for citizenship. They go to UWaterloo now. I signed bc I want Musk to get the worst sanction possible under the law.
Oh for sure, "would otherwise be left stateless" would be an important exception to make. Even more broadly, I'm not saying children of people born in Canada should be denied entry. They should be allowed PR & granted citizenship *once they've lived here*, passed the test, & sworn the oath.
I don't see why the random geographical location of one's birth should be considered more important than who your parents are on this issue but we've ALWAYS granted citizenship to the children of Canadian citizens who were born in Canada regardless of where the birth took place.
Your location is what shapes who you actually are as a person: who your friends are, the way of life you're used to, where you go to school, etc. Its reasonable to factor that into assessments of loyalty.
Canada itself is proof that where your PARENTS were born is irrelevant to your loyalties.
Your location MIGHT have more impact on who you become than your parents do but I'm highly skeptical that the location of the room in which your mother went into labour is THAT important to one's outlook on the universe, nor do I think we should change how we've always handled citizenship over this.
Remember "Canadian" isn't an ethnicity or religion.... But a pact of mutual loyalty & support. A commitment to pay for eachother's (& eachother's children's) health & education. It is PARTICIPATION in that pact: receiving services, paying tax, BEING together that binds us together as one people.
Simply being born in a Canadian hospital is a sort of initiation into that pact of mutual support itself: you've drawn support from others, now you owe such support as you are able to give. A person who has never lived here (unless working FOR Canada overseas) cannot be part of that pact.
Wait, if he has Canadian citizenship and we can't revoke it over him working for a hostile government openly threatening us, can he at least be arrested for treason?
... You don't think that a Canadian citizen currently conspiring with the guy who has openly said that he plans to use economic force to overthrow our government at least warrants an investigation under Paragraph C here?
He's going to do that regardless. Are we supposed to stop the boycott of US products because it might offend Musk? How about Tesla, should we all buy Teslas so we can stay on his good side? Maybe we shouldn't cancel Starlink?
The principled approach is to stand up to people like Musk.
can't read the article, but sure you can. you just change the law. lots of countries in the world already have revocation processes and we've certainly tinkered in this space here in Canada.
I'm not suggesting we revoke citizenship for 'being an asshole'. I'm suggesting that revoking citizenship is not a particularly novel legal concept and the discussion can be had. I'd further add that the elon situation *is* novel, and I disagree that any such 'slippery slope' argument is valid.
Isn't the "place of privilege" in this instance the fact that Dale has Canadian citizenship and... we don't strip people of their Canadian citizenship for expressing political opinions we don't like?
Sometimes it's not so important whether his citizenship can be revoked or not, it's simply the standing together in the effort to remove his citizenship that gives us power. It's uniting us.
This comes across to me as basically saying, "We don't actually treat Canadian citizenship as a transitory thing that's easy to strip away but it sure feels unifying to PRETEND that Canadian citizenship is just a transitory thing that we might strip away from citizens if they express a bad opinion".
Comments
I have not the slightest loyalty to the country where both MY parents were born... Same goes for most ppl I know.
Canada itself is proof that where your PARENTS were born is irrelevant to your loyalties.
And didn't sign, but understand that some folks need to release their understandable rage in some way...
https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-46/section-46.html
Renouncing citizenship.
Which is much more likely for Musk to do now that the petition garnered so much attention and support.
#cdnpoli
The principled approach is to stand up to people like Musk.
#cdnpoli
But if you suggest boycotting Musk is OK, but using other means to send a message to him is not, you're sending a mixed message.
https://kingwellimmigrationlaw.com/can-canadian-citizenship-be-revoked/
Musk wasn't born here.
But regardless, this petition -- whether it leads to results of not -- sends a message to Musk that Canadians reject him. Even if it's just symbolic.
For some it's the only way they can fight back.
I don't think that should be dismissed or belittled.
There are far better and more productive ways to send a message.
But you do you, boo.