Story here. You can read it for yourself to understand why Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Jason Kenney wants an already-existing requirement for acquisition of citizenship by immigrants to actually be applied in practice.
ht: National Newswatch
Of course, no surprise, the "Progressive" Liberal Left "has a problem" with it. No surprise. Cue the violins. Deja vu. Here we go again. Hello again. Yadda, yadda....
Here's Olivia Chow of the extreme-left-wing NDP.
"If the government is saying if you’re not fluent in English or French then you can’t be citizens, I have a real problem with that," said Chow, who sat in on Kenney’s speech.
Typical. Why do Leftists believe that people shouldn't have to try harder and apply themselves to qualify for stuff? Why do leftists think that people should have a "right" to get into whatever without being even basically competent to deserve getting into whatever?
I'd like to use an example for comparison purposes:
It's just like lowering standards so as to enable the quota-hiring of women for the fire department, even though there's no doubt that most women, like most men (not all men can meet the physical-ability requirements, obviously, either!) can train themselves to meet the physical-ability requirements of the job of a firefighter. The Left, one might be caused to think, just wants to "make it easier" by saying, "well, she can get a capable man to do it for her... she can, well, just stand around and pretend to be busy or something, and be satisfied 'cause she gets paid anyway...". Come on! It's an insult to women to say that they can't apply themselves, say, in the gym, and train so as to enable themselves to pass the basic physical-ability tests! A grave insult! The Left must hate women or think they're helpless invalids or something! The Left doesn't understand that women can do anything men can do, except for maybe writing their name in the snow, though a stencil can let 'em do so if they really wanna do such a silly thing (we guys think it's cool to leave our yellow signature in the snow, for some reason).
It's not logical to say, "If you can't communicate in this country, no biggie. Here's your citizenship. Go now. You're on your own. Good luck. Mmm? Oh, sorry, I don't speak whatever language that is. Let me try again. You. Citizen. Of Canada. Now. Now go."
Gimme a break, Ms. Chow! You are insulting immigrants who had the courage and self-discipline to learn one of the official languages! You are telling those immigrants who applied themselves that you don't value their efforts to better themselves, that it's not necessary after all! Shame on you!
And you're telling pre-citizenship immigrants that they needn't bother, that they can pretty much isolate themselves virtually, impose a sort of communication apartheid upon themselves or something. This is wrong, wrong, wrong and hurtful! Give your head a shake, Ms. Chow, and think about what you're saying. Your attitude is only going to hurt people and make them weak and helpless! Isn't this hateful? Isn't this discriminatory? Doesn't this devalue immigrants and condemn them to be isolated, excluded, unable to be a part of the mainstream society, mainstream economy? What's the matter with you? Don't you use your head? Or do you have a hidden sinister agenda to do something mean to immigrants?
Come on; just support this helpful, progressive move by Minister Kenney. It will help all immigrants to help themselves by giving them motivation to learn an official language. Don't worry if it's hard; they can take their time and even do it at home on their free time if that's what they need. There's all kinds of ways to learn; everyone just needs to find their own way, and the Department can help them with that. Of course it's possible. Yes, we can. Let's have the audacity to hope. Look, I'm saying the same words like Obama, so I must therefore be right.
