Are Tamil's "Real Canadians"

[oldjones]

…edit…

If you ever go to the Irish-Canadian Centre, you'll notice that it doesn't matter if you're Catholic or Protestant, from the North or the South [NOW]. You're in Canada and those old ideas are not welcome here. We have no wish to see bombings and killings here because you're going to carry on the struggle. Don't even try it. Or you will find those very same fat and happy Canadians going to war with you.

I appreciated your account of the rigid, racist and bigotted whitebread society it sounds like we both grew up in. But I could not read that last paragraph without adding the 'NOW'. Back then, I saw more than one Orange walk in Ontario that was more about vocalizing prejudice and hate than about quaint historicity. And that's just one f'rinstance. Thankfully, for the most part, we have put that stuff behind us. But then I have a white skin, don't I? We have nothing very much to go boasting about yet.

Now we have to watch in frustration while others, whose wounds and grivances are fresher, work their way towards tolerance and reconciliation. Often clumsily, sometimes stupidly, and inconveniently for us. Labelling and condemning their entire group because some go overboard will only belie the spirit of acceptance as Canadians-all that we want. It uses the same tools of prejudice, racism and stereotyping we claim we've overcome here, and it can produce nothing but the same evils.

Starting with the OP's question: Are Tamils real Canadians?
You explain to me how you can even point out 'a Tamil', or talk about 'Tamils' as if they were a single homogenous group, without doing the same injustice previously done to the Paddies, Micks, Hunkies, Ukes, Bohunks, Kikes, Wops …

And those are just some of the white ones, never mind the ones we interned, stole property from, or condemned to reserves (and worse) and they were all native-born. Sickening what us good Canadians can get up to isn't it?

OTB has quite tidyly demonstarted by his poll numbers that Canadians are way more prejudiced than at your happy Irish-Canadian Centre. far more important we fix ourselve than waste time 'fixing' others. Never worked, never will. For starters, what we need to do is stop talking about law-breaking <Insert ethnic, racial, national origin name>, and just talk about law-breakers period.

 

[sibannac]

While clearly this isn't a scientific poll, it does seem there is a Canada first mindset that is popular.... look at the poll results.

OTB

I don't think you can really take this poll very seriously it certainly maybe a factor of who is drawn to this site and not reflective at all to the majority of Canadians.

I suspect most of the complainers are from GTA which has had a significant rate of growth of new Canadians. This is an age old complaint that is not unusual to the American or Canadian experience. New immigrants have always faced a back lash of sorts. Irish, Italian etc have all faced some sort of backlash when immigration reached it's peak for those groups and for the same old reasons, fear of losing jobs, stereotypes etc

I remember in the 1970's when there was a huge immigration from India, only to watch the intolerant refer to these people as PAKIS.

Anyways the Canada I know and love is not reflected by the intolerant views posted in this thread.

 

[Rockslinger]

if I moved to the States and became a citizen I would most likely renounce my Canadian citizenship to be more in line with US values.

Conrad Black had to renounce his Canadian citizenship (what a fool) when he was appointed a Lord in the U.K.

Anyway, I don't believe in citizenship polygamy. I also don't see the Canadian government promoting dual citizenships. In fact, there are questions about Michael Ignatieff's "Canadianess" because he lived outside Canada for 34 years.

I don't care if you are white, black, brown, yellow or purple or when you landed in Canada, I do care that you are 100% loyal to Canada. BTW My Canada includes Quebec and the High Artic, but it does not include Lower Svbobia.

 

[onthebottom]

I don't think you can really take this poll very seriously it certainly maybe a factor of who is drawn to this site and not reflective at all to the majority of Canadians.

I suspect most of the complainers are from GTA which has had a significant rate of growth of new Canadians. This is an age old complaint that is not unusual to the American or Canadian experience. New immigrants have always faced a back lash of sorts. Irish, Italian etc have all faced some sort of backlash when immigration reached it's peak for those groups and for the same old reasons, fear of losing jobs, stereotypes etc

I remember in the 1970's when there was a huge immigration from India, only to watch the intolerant refer to these people as PAKIS.

Anyways the Canada I know and love is not reflected by the intolerant views posted in this thread.

The question is, does the Canada you know and love real?

I've said a couple of times before that I was suckered into the multi-cultural smug image of Canada - perhaps the less egalitarian more traditional view is more accurate than you'd like to admit.

OTB

 

[Brandon123]

If you don't want to be here then go back home, plain and simple. I'm tired of people complaining how much Canada sucks. These people are here for a reason because Canada is the best country in the world to live in. I guess giving someone everything they could hope for is not enough (Freedom, Education, Health Care, Rub & Tugs).

 

[Rockslinger]

I've said a couple of times before that I was suckered into the multi-cultural smug image of Canada

Name me one other country on this planet that would allow a minority group to protest again and again and again. Day after day, week after week, month after month. Allow this same group to wave a terrorist flag and to hijack our sidewalks, roads and highways.

 

[Rockslinger]

Breaking News: The Sri Lankan government has issued a request for all overseas Tamils to return to Sri Lanka to help rebuild the country.

 

[fuji]

Breaking News: The Sri Lankan government has issued a request for all overseas Tamils to return to Sri Lanka to help rebuild the country.

"All overseas Tamils are to report to designated internment camps for re-education and re-integration. Please note that reports of gas chambers at these locations are fabrications of the LTTE."

Ok, well I hope that the Sri Lankan govt. is sincere and really will improve the lots of Tamils--that is the only thing that will result in lasting peace. As much as I hated the LTTE, the Sri Lankan govt. does have a whole lot to answer for and at the moment very little credibility on the matter of Tamil human rights.

 

[snowleopard]

I don't care if you are white, black, brown, yellow or purple or when you landed in Canada, I do care that you are 100% loyal to Canada.

ok, but what exactly does it mean to be '100% loyal to Canada', when we can't even agree on what it means to be 'Canadian?' Does it mean: "My country, right or wrong?" Is that ideal notion even possible in such a multi-cultural mosaic; in a place that was founded by immigrants, the children of whom still show at least some symbolic loyalty to their ethnic/cultural background; in a place where almost 50% of Quebecers, and apparently a significant number of Albertans, would like their own country, if given a choice?

And who, based on what arbitrary criteria, gets to decide who is, or is not, 100% loyal to Canada?

And once it's decided who isn't, what exactly do you propose to do with them? Should I be worried?

 

[Fatume]

They march around downtown brandishing a terrorist flag and we are supposed to be accepting of this. What would happen if somebody attempted to march around with a flag bearing a swastika? If memory serves me right, Ernst Zundel was sent packing. Perhaps these Tamil protesters should be afforded the same courtesy. There is simply no room in our Canadian society for the crap they have subjected our city to.

 

[fuji]

Well China appears to be pressing for reform in Sri Lanka:

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-05/19/content_11403553.htm

Nothing gets published in Xinhua without the express approval of the Chinese communist party:

It is time to rebuild the island of 20 million people more particularly the war ravaged northern and eastern regions. Among the foremost needs are to improve living conditions in the Tamil regions and bring separatists and Tamil minority nationalists into the political process.

The right place to apply pressure is China--China is Sri Lanka's backer at the UN security council, the source of its military hardware, and much of its funding. If China signs on to the idea that Sri Lanka owes the Tamils a fairer deal then I think Sri Lanka can be made to do give them one.

 

[oldjones]

They march around downtown brandishing a terrorist flag and we are supposed to be accepting of this. What would happen if somebody attempted to march around with a flag bearing a swastika? If memory serves me right, Ernst Zundel was sent packing. Perhaps these Tamil protesters should be afforded the same courtesy. There is simply no room in our Canadian society for the crap they have subjected our city to.

Yup Ernst was arrested, because we have ugly, repressive hate-speech censorship laws in spite of our pious pronouncements about free speech. In the US, the ACLU held their noses, took their Gravol™ and defended the free speech rights of American Nazis.

We only mouth the platitudes, when it comes down to it conformity's what we value most of all.

 

[snowleopard]

That's why Tamils have stirred such rage: They shut down the King's Highway!!

Lol ... OMG! Next it will be 'Queen' St!

 

[euripides]

The citizens of Tamil background in Toronto apparently number about 200,000.That is a very significant portion of Toronto's, and Canada's, population.

Not only do we, as other Canadians, have a responsibility to understand the world situation and participate as "World Citizens", I would say that we have a special responsibility to be well aware of what is happening in Sri Lanka. Since the escalation of the protests the news coverage and general awareness in Canada has improved significantly. The Toronto Tamils had been protesting quietly for months and getting "no where." While I disagree with illegal protests; sometimes they may be necessary.

It is interesting to notice the lack of coverage on US television. I fear that the Yanks are still "well stuck" in their own parochial cement , even with the new thinking of Mr. and Mrs. Obama.

By the way, the original question is an affront to anyone calling themselves Canadian and is not worthy of a response.

 

[alexmst]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article6316972.ece

"Addressing Parliament, Mr Rajapakse said the government now controlled “every inch” of the island state and had rid the island nation of “terrorism” after crushing the rebels on Monday.

"We have demonstrated that we can solve our problems and we will come up with a homegrown political solution," he said.

Sri Lanka would seek international aid to rebuild devastated former Tiger strongholds in the north and east of the country, he added. He also made a veiled rebuke to the Britain and US, which are resented by some Sri Lankans for calling for a ceasefire just days before the Tigers were defeated.

"What we need from the international community is not advice, but material help to carry out our reconstruction effort," he said.

Government forces said yesterday that they found 300 bodies strewn over the 100 metre by 100 metre stretch of land where the last Tiger troops had dug in. The pro-Tiger Tamilnet website said the military had carried out a “determined massacre”. "

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Rebukes Britain and the U.S., says he has all the answers, then holds his hand out for international aid...LOL...yep, 'give me cash' is certainly the answer. Since he says his true friends are China and Russia, I hope he confines his aid requests to them, but I doubt it.

For the record I support neither side in this conflict (just keep the T.O. streets open, please) although I am impressed whem military or quasi-military forces fight until the last man in a hopeless situation, so the 300 troops who seem to have fought to the death on the last day of fighting impresses me. Tamils standing on the Gardiner blocking traffic does not impress me. As I 've said before about this - if one feels strongly about a civil war in another country, either go over there and fight it or stay here and be thankful you're not over there anymore. Killing civilians through acts of terrorism is not brave, but picking up a rifle and fighting other military forces in the field is brave.

 

[onthebottom]

Name me one other country on this planet that would allow a minority group to protest again and again and again. Day after day, week after week, month after month. Allow this same group to wave a terrorist flag and to hijack our sidewalks, roads and highways.

Are you familiar with the pro-amnesty protests that happened in the US?

OTB

 

[oldjones]

The citizens of Tamil background in Toronto apparently number about 200,000.That is a very significant portion of Toronto`s, and Canada`s, population.

Don`t repeat this erroneous crap: that`d make the Tamils a city bigger than Regina. Read earlier posts before perpetuating the mistake. Or look up a reputable source for your 200K in TO. In Canada, perhaps.

 

[euripides]

For the record I support neither si... problems. It is getting smaller and smaller.

 

[Rockslinger]

Are you familiar with the pro-amnesty protests that happened in the US?

Are you referring to the illegal immigration issue in the U.S.?

 

[Rockslinger]

ok, but what exactly does it mean to be '100% loyal to Canada'

To defend Canadian laws, values, institutions and sovereignty. To be a 100% Canadian citizen (none of this dual citizen crap). To vote only for the Liberal or Conservative Parties and never vote for the NDP.