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| Great White North |
| Totonto Star: Canada should put out the welcome mat |
| 2005-03-26 |
| This link is huge. That may be why I could not put it in the Source box. EFL Let American war deserters apply for immigrant status By any normal measure, Jeremy Hinzman is no refugee. The 26-year-old American does not face persecution if he returns to the United States. He faces court martial and, probably, jail for deserting his regiment in late 2003 just before it was deployed to Iraq. But that is not quite the same thing. He is not likely to be prosecuted in the U.S. for his political or religious beliefs. He does not face torture. These are the criteria to qualify as a refugee under the United Nations convention that Canada follows. That having been said, there are good reasons why he should be allowed at least the chance to stay. The main one is that he would probably make a good citizen. Canada did well in the 1970s, when the last flood of war resisters - both draft dodgers and deserters - came across the border. Some went home eventually, but a good many - including House - stayed on. Most integrated themselves easily and loyally into their adopted country. Some became quite well-known, and well-respected, figures in Canadian society. Others pursued slightly more disreputable occupations in the media (no, I'm not one). These draft dodgers and deserters did not come as refugees. They did not have to. In those days, foreigners were able to apply for landed immigrant status once they were in Canada. Hinzman would have done the same but for one thing. Since 1976, foreigners wishing to immigrate to Canada have been required to apply from outside the country. So, here's an idea. Let's stop bending the very valuable category of U.N. convention refugee into pretzel shapes in order to accommodate people who realistically do not qualify. Let's create new categories instead for people like Hinzman. During the Cold War, for instance, Canada created a special category for immigrants from Communist countries. We called them defectors and they were almost always allowed in. So let's consider Hinzman and other U.S. deserters to be defectors from George W. Bush's America. Most Canadians don't agree with his war in Iraq and neither does the federal government. Why not follow through? Let's allow these defectors to apply for permanent resident status - not as refugees but as immigrants - after they've crossed the border. And then let's apply the same standards we would for any other immigrant: Do they have useful skills? Do they pass security checks? Are they free of criminal records? If these standards were applied to Hinzman and his wife, social worker Nga Nguyen, they would almost certainly be accepted. So, why don't we let them make their case as potential immigrants? We can only win. Let's fortify our borders and quit NAFTA. Let's see how long the Canadians last without being able to sell us car parts and the Mexicans without picking fruits and veggies. Let's face it, our neighbors are welfare queens. |
| Posted by:Mrs. Davis |
| #18 TGA's my hero too, badanov. Only a year or two older than my dad. Prost! |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2005-03-27 12:01:04 AM |
| #17 You might want to skip the GULag decade though... If Hilary and her communettes get in in 2008 that may be hard to avoid. |
| Posted by: badanov 2005-03-26 11:56:41 PM |
| #16 TGA---running out o' sand after 5 years. LOL! |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2005-03-26 11:56:37 PM |
| #15 You might want to skip the GULag decade though... |
| Posted by: True German Ally 2005-03-26 11:52:53 PM |
| #14 even less with a lovely wife attached and 4 children
You are my HERO! When I grow up I wanna be just like you. ;o) |
| Posted by: badanov 2005-03-26 11:43:24 PM |
| #13 Barbara, at 79 (going on 80) you don't change locations easily... even less with a lovely wife attached and 4 children. We got some regime change business to do as well. You know what happens when you send Schroeder into the desert? Nothing for 5 years, then they run out of sand... |
| Posted by: True German Ally 2005-03-26 11:39:49 PM |
| #12 Come on over, TGA. It's not that bad. ;-p You'd certainly raise our collective IQ. If you're concerned about missing Germany, we have lots of Germantowns around the country. You can at least get authentic food. :-D (If you want a warm climate, I'd suggest the Fredericksburg, Texas, area.) |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2005-03-26 11:24:20 PM |
| #11 Lol! Lessee, I'll wager we could find regions in the US that bring Bavaria and Provence to mind... ;-) |
| Posted by: .com 2005-03-26 6:46:53 PM |
| #10 Well, Canusckistan is not composed of moonbats entirely, I know about 5-6 people that aren't. Maybe there is more of us... Well, there would be a bit of decline of that count, at lest 2 of us are heading south... But I would suggest that Canada sets aside some territory, like Baffin Island--quite large piece of surreal estate--it is pristine, natural, a bit icy but the moonbats can surely find ways to warm themselves, maybe snuggle up with baby seals... they could create the utopia of their dreams there for all of us to see... What? That they wouldn't last a month? What has that to do with anything!? ;-) |
| Posted by: Sobiesky 2005-03-26 6:23:55 PM |
| #9 Don't make me start thinking about the idea... |
| Posted by: True German Ally 2005-03-26 6:12:54 PM |
| #8 Now that's a plan, JFM! How do we encourage the first part - they'll get cold feet when they're informed they are pemanently giving up their US citizenship, lol! Finding immigrants is no problem - even the loonies want to come - and join our loonies, I guess. That first bit is the hard one, lol! |
| Posted by: .com 2005-03-26 5:47:56 PM |
| #7 Ok, .com. Just what I wanted to hear. Then let's organize an effort for having the greatest number possible of useless Democrats (Hollywood types, professors in pseudo-sciences, ambulance chasers) migrate to Canada and take Canadian nationality while replacing them with some red blooded, Chirac and EU hating, rifle thumping, football loving, pro-Bush engineers of old Europe. :-) |
| Posted by: JFM 2005-03-26 5:34:27 PM |
| #6 Yep, that's the way it is. Still you gotta do the right thing the way you see fit. |
| Posted by: Bobby Lee 2005-03-26 3:56:11 PM |
| #5 If, while an American citizen, you apply for and accept another nationality, you lose your American citizenship. That is what was explained to me when I was in Thailand and toying with the idea of staying permanently. If you are a citizen of another country and apply for and are accepted for US citizenship is where it gets murky, muddy, and irretrievably stupid. "Officially", the US does not recognize dual citizenship -- except under a certain list of circumstances. Otherwise, when you think about it, the oath is a joke. The oath is a real, no-shit, oath of loyalty - read the words and it's clear enough. Dual citizenshipt is just fucking stupid. I've heard the arguments, and they don't change dick, IMHO. ;-) |
| Posted by: .com 2005-03-26 1:49:07 PM |
| #4 Someone relieves me of a doubt. What happens to Americans taking another nationality? Do they get a double nationality or do they automatically lose their american citizenship and their right to vote for Hillary/Dean in 2008? |
| Posted by: JFM 2005-03-26 1:38:47 PM |
| #3 Good to hear not everyone in the GWN thinks that way. I was beginning to wonder. |
| Posted by: Mrs. Davis 2005-03-26 11:20:06 AM |
| #2 And then let’s apply the same standards we would for any other immigrant: Do they have useful skills? Do they pass security checks? Are they free of criminal records? In which case they can return to Detroit, and apply for landed immigrant status. Bwahahahahah! Apparently the TS would not only change the definition of refugee status, they would change the rules regarding all landed immigrants. There is a reason I cancelled my Star subscription, and complimentary copies left in my driveway go straight in the recycle bin. Logical thinking is not in the Star writing guide. Next week, they will be arguing that feeding tubes are just artificial life support. |
| Posted by: john 2005-03-26 10:52:45 AM |
| #1 Mrs. Davis...Ssshhhhhhh. Please, let there be an inviting escape route for all the Moores and moonbats. Let the blue leak freely out of the land. Once they take citizenship from another country and then overburden and trash the system [like they've already done in California], we don't have to take them back, that's when we seal the border :) |
| Posted by: Glereger Clugum6222 2005-03-26 9:09:38 AM |