Bringing our people home

I know, with a title like that, you're probably thinking, "Oh, here comes another anti-war screed."

Well, no. In this case, I'm speaking about letting Canadian citizens return home where they belong. And about it not making a damn bit of difference to that right of Canadian citizenship (not privilege - RIGHT!) whether the citizen was born in Montreal, Manchester or Mogadishu. An immigrant citizen is a citizen. Period.

Not only do we (for I, too, am an immigrant to this country - though in my case, since I come from one of the "good" countries, I'm considered an expat, not an immigrant - classism and racism combine in this nasty little meme) take the same oath, it occurs to me that we take an oath that native-born Canadians don't.

Ms. Suaad Hagi Mohamud and I swore the same oath, this one (well, okay, I affirmed mine, because I'm an atheist and serious about it, but same effect under the law):

I swear (or affirm) that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada, Her Heirs and Successors, and that I will faithfully observe the laws of Canada and fulfill my duties as a Canadian citizen.

Anyone think I'm shooting wildly in the dark when I suggest that most of those making such pungent, racist and xenophobic criticism of this Canadian mother haven't taken a similar oath or affirmation, because they were almost certainly born here? Me either.

It's not supposed to matter: a citizen is a citizen is a citizen. We have the same rights, the same responsibilities, the same loyalty. To suggest otherwise, based solely on the fact that someone was born in Somalia instead of the UK is, plainly, racism.

The Canadian government needs to get its collective thumb out of its collective Harper and bring this Canadian home, where she belongs, with her Canadian child. Our lads aren't dying in Afghanistan to defend this kind of racist bullshit.

Canadian Shakers are urged to contact their Members of Parliament to make it clear that Canada doesn't treat its citizens this shabbily.