12-13-2005, 12:01 AM
I vote AGAINST.
There are many RL examples which related to my RL country, but even if there weren't, I would still be against it. Unfortunately, it muddies the waters by adding citizens by birth and naturalisation, singles as well as duals. If substantially rewritten to meet my concerns, I would vote for it.
Cases where citizenship should be stripped:
A. War criminals: Many war criminals -- suspected, accused and convicted in absentia -- emigrated to Canada. In order to stay, they lied during their naturalisation process. Quite apart from the basic crimes they have or may have committed, this is fraud. Ergo, no perjurer or defrauder should benefit from their crimes. They should be sent back to their country of origin, no matter what punishment they may face in their homeland.
B. Ordinary criminals: In the large city I live in, there are many people who for whatever reason have not availed themselves of the naturalisation process and remain foreign citizens. Some of these commit crimes. When their sentence is up, some violent offenders are deported to their native lands. This is true even if they have been in Canada for decades, emigrated as children and have known no other country. Citizenship is not a formality or nicety, it means something. And if it doesn't mean anything to them, then they can find out what it means in their country of origin.
Naturalised citizens who commit crimes should not be deported; this would be a gross injustice. The only exception is in (A) or if they lied about their ordinary criminal past during the naturalisation process.
C. Petulant renouncers (hello, Lord Black of Crossharbour!): A small number of people for bizarre reasons of their own choose to renounce the citizenship of the country of their birth. This is their right. However, when it suits them, they claim the protection of that country. Sorry, it doesn't cut it.
Conrad Black so desparately wanted his peerage that he renounced his citizenship and publicly derided Canada and the Canadian government. Fine. He got his noble title, and finally his dubious accounting and business practices caught up with him. Now he's playing the Canadian card, but it's out of the deck; if necessary, he should be deported to the US like any other accused.
There are many RL examples which related to my RL country, but even if there weren't, I would still be against it. Unfortunately, it muddies the waters by adding citizens by birth and naturalisation, singles as well as duals. If substantially rewritten to meet my concerns, I would vote for it.
Cases where citizenship should be stripped:
A. War criminals: Many war criminals -- suspected, accused and convicted in absentia -- emigrated to Canada. In order to stay, they lied during their naturalisation process. Quite apart from the basic crimes they have or may have committed, this is fraud. Ergo, no perjurer or defrauder should benefit from their crimes. They should be sent back to their country of origin, no matter what punishment they may face in their homeland.
B. Ordinary criminals: In the large city I live in, there are many people who for whatever reason have not availed themselves of the naturalisation process and remain foreign citizens. Some of these commit crimes. When their sentence is up, some violent offenders are deported to their native lands. This is true even if they have been in Canada for decades, emigrated as children and have known no other country. Citizenship is not a formality or nicety, it means something. And if it doesn't mean anything to them, then they can find out what it means in their country of origin.
Naturalised citizens who commit crimes should not be deported; this would be a gross injustice. The only exception is in (A) or if they lied about their ordinary criminal past during the naturalisation process.
C. Petulant renouncers (hello, Lord Black of Crossharbour!): A small number of people for bizarre reasons of their own choose to renounce the citizenship of the country of their birth. This is their right. However, when it suits them, they claim the protection of that country. Sorry, it doesn't cut it.
Conrad Black so desparately wanted his peerage that he renounced his citizenship and publicly derided Canada and the Canadian government. Fine. He got his noble title, and finally his dubious accounting and business practices caught up with him. Now he's playing the Canadian card, but it's out of the deck; if necessary, he should be deported to the US like any other accused.