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| Canadian Citizenship, issued 1947, from my collection |
After the publication of my last blog entry (about King George VI) I began thinking about the momentous changes that have taken place in my lifetime within the British Empire. You would be correct in reminding me that the sun was already beginning to set on this vast realm in 1950 and new flags of independance were being flown where the Union Jack used to be unfurled, the world not yet in the turmoil it finds itself in today. This new global community, brought about by modern telecommunications where all nations strive to be economically, socially, and politically interdependent of one another has only resulted in increased climate change, terrorism, endless conflicts and poverty. It is difficult not to have an opinion on what is happening in the Middle East and Africa with the images in the media and I have been biting my tongue for the past few years now so I wouldn`t offend, but I am fed up to here with the killing and hatred I see everyday in the rest of the old British Empire and fear especially for Canada and it's rapidly changing demographics. I´m not blind - I`ve been to Vancouver, Toronto and lived in Ottawa for ten years and what I have seen is scary. Certain communities from the Middle East live totally apart from and do not want anything to do with our culture or the values of mainstream Canadian life. They stress the superiority of their own religion and faith and see no particular separation between church and state - they look upon us as either infidel or crusader. Multiculturalism may create diverse societies, but also closed shops with no respect for people of other faiths and religions. Here in Montreal it seems everyone sort of gets along - could it be the wish to preserve the French language and maintain Quebec's distinct society that is still so strong? In La Belle Province, unlike the rest of the country, newcomers are expected to fit in and, those who try to change it so it is more like their homelands, are not welcome. Only through assimilation and integration will these people find peace. Our future depends on the commitments of all Canadian citizens to a unified Canadian identity. gws
