An Excellent Letter...I got this in an email...

[Donna]

Fw: An Excellent letter! !


Wow! The offspring of our pioneers are finally standing up and saying
enough is enough……..about time, don't you think???



A Letter to the Editor (excellent letter) .

So many letter writers have explained how this land is made up of
immigrants. May be we should turn to our historybooks and point out to
people why today's Canadian is not willing to accept the new kind of
immigrant any longer.

Back in 1900 when there was a rush from all areas of Europe to come to
Canada, people had to get off a ship andstand in a long line in Halifax and
be documented. Some would even get down on their hands and knees and kiss
theground. They made a pledge to uphold the laws and support their new
country in good and bad times. They made learning English a primary rule in
their new Canadian households and some even changed their names to blend in
with their new home.They had waved good bye to their birth place to give
their children a new life and did everything in their power to help their
children assimilate into one culture.

Nothing was handed to them. No free lunches, no welfare, no labour
laws to protect them. All they had were the skills, craftsmanship and desire
they had brought with them to trade for a future of prosperity.

Most of their children came of age when World War II broke out.
Canadians fought along side men whose parents had come straight over from
Germany , Italy, France, Japan , Czechoslovakia , Russia, Sweden, Poland and
so many other places. None of these first generation Canadians ever gave any
thought about what country their parents had come from. They were Canadians
fighting Hitler, Mussolini and the Emperor of Japan. They were defending the
Freedom as one people. When we liberated France, no-one in those villages
was looking for the Ukrainian-Canadian or the German-Canadian or the
Irish-Canadian. The people of France saw only Canadians.

And we carried one flag that represented our country. Not one of those
immigrant sons would have thought about picking up another country's flag
and waving it to represent who they were. It would have been a disgrace to
their parents who had sacrificed so much to be here. These immigrants truly
knew what it meant to be a Canadian. They stirred the melting pot into one
red and white bowl.

And here we are in 2008 with a new kind of immigrant who wants the
same rights and privileges. Only they want to achieve it by playing with a
different set of rules, one that includes a Canadian passport and a
guarantee of being faithful to their mother country. I'm sorry, that's not
what being a Canadian is all about. Canadians have been very open-hearted
and open-minded regarding immigrants, whether they were fleeing poverty,
dictatorship, persecution, or whatever else makes us think of those
aforementioned immigrants who truly did ADOPT our country, and our flag and
our morals and our customs and left their wars, hatred, and divisions
behind. I believe that the immigrants who landed in Canada in the early
1900s deserve better than that for the toil, hard work and sacrifice those
legally searching for a better life. I think they would be appalled that
they are being used as an example by those waving foreign country flags,
fighting foreign battles on our soil, making Canadians change to suit their
religions and cultures, and wanting to change our countries fabric by
claiming discrimination when we do not give in to their demands.

Its about time we get real and stand up for our forefathers rights, we
are CANADIAN lest we forget it!!! I am a Native of this Country & proud of
it!

NO MORE POLITICAL CORRECTNESS
NO MORE not saying CHRISTMAS in stores and our schools,

Seasonal Holiday
be dammed ! ! !

I Want my Canada of birth BACK ! ! !


P.S. -- Please pass this on to everyone you know!!!
KEEP THIS LETTER MOVING!!

Hope this letter is read by millions of people all across Canada!!

 

[Donna]

I am Canadian and I loved this letter and wanted to share with all of you on https://terb.cc
I am sure it will make most of you smile like it did to me.

I Hope you enjoy.

 

[gramage]

The melting pot is an American concept (real patriotic). Canada goes with the philosophy of a cultural mosaic where the individual pieces makea beautiful whole. And fondly remembering people changing their names as a symbol of abandoning your culture and having no labour laws to protect them is a joke. And the Christmas thing at the end has nothing to national identity at all.

A few nice points but overall a letter written by someone a little to desperate to convince themselves that new immigrants are an Other.

 

[drstrangelove]

Recently heard about a Christmas pageant for school kids, one school won't send its students to see it because it was "too Christian"!?!? And this is in an area where visible minorities are very much still in the minority.

I think we've gone too far.

 

[oak]

Good for you Danna, I completely agree. All are welcome to come here but don't bring your problems with you. Accept and respect the laws and customs of this country. You can still practice your own customs/religion but respect ours.

 

[Questor]

Fw: An Excellent letter! !


Wow! The offspring of our pioneers are finally standing up and saying
enough is enough……..about time, don't you think???



A Letter to the Editor (excellent letter) .


Most of their children came of age when World War II broke out.
Canadians fought along side men whose parents had come straight over from
Germany , Italy, France, Japan , Czechoslovakia , Russia, Sweden, Poland and
so many other places. None of these first generation Canadians ever gave any
thought about what country their parents had come from. They were Canadians
fighting Hitler, Mussolini and the Emperor of Japan. They were defending the
Freedom as one people. When we liberated France, no-one in those villages
was looking for the Ukrainian-Canadian or the German-Canadian or the
Irish-Canadian. The people of France saw only Canadians.

Well, there are a lot of things wrong with this letter, but I wanted to point out that Japanese Canadians did not fight for our country because our country confiscated their possessions and put them in internment camps for the duration of the war. It didn't matter if they were loyal citizens or not. I guess that would have been some of that politically correct mumbo jumbo to not lock them up based on the country their parents or grandparents were born in. In fact that attitude permeates the whole letter. "Those people there - they should be like me." Yet, when the original English, Scottish and French settlers came here they did not hold themselves to the same standard. They did not feel they had to learn the language and customs of the original inhabitants of this land. On the contrary, they labeled the original inhabitants as "savages" and gradually eradicated them and took control of the land. This letter is all about Anglo Saxon ethnocentrisim and a delusional sense of superiority.

 

[RTRD]

You mean....

"Those people there - they should be like me." Yet, when the original English, Scottish and French settlers came here they did not hold themselves to the same standard. They did not feel they had to learn the language and customs of the original inhabitants of this land.

...this is that country that I hear about where a large percentage of the population absolutely refuses to assimilate, has there own province, and periodically attempts succession from the rest of the country?

Oh yeah - those immigrants from the 1900 made every effort to fit right in....

 

[rosemount36]

Hmmm...another anti immigrant rant masquerading as a "patriotic" letter. Overly simplistic and xenophobic and, like many letters of this ilk, romanticizing the good 'ol days. Sure there are new immigrants who are obnoxious in their behaviour, but there are far, far more who realize, probably better than most, how special this country is and how appreciative they are of being citizens of our country. They call themselves Canadian and most, contrary to the ugly sentiment of this letter, are quite happy to wish people a Merry Christmas and receive the same in return understanding the sentiment of the greeting as being communicated in a spirit of fellowship. The problems that are described in the letter are more a result of native born politically correct morons who wish to suck the joy out of life in all of its diversity.

 

[tboy]

No, it's not anti immigrant, it's anti handout.

Here is Canada we celebrate Christmas. EOS. If you don't like it? Don't celebrate it but don't you DARE dictate to us (ALL of us) whether we can call it Christmas or not.

As Questor said: there are a lot of things wrong with that letter. Not ALL immigrant sons and daughters fought for Canada. Many german sons went back to the homeland to fight for the fatherland. This happened here as well as in the US.

Not to detract from the millions of varied nationalities who fought and died for our freedom, but don't say all if it ain't all.....(been chastised for that myself on many an occasion).

 

[Hangman]

This whole "new immigrants ain't like us" thing comes up with increasing frequency. The fact is that this country is actually quite able to absorb people from new cultures and have everyone be who they want to be. Some reactionary rascist, however, not so much.

making Canadians change to suit their
religions and cultures, and wanting to change our countries fabric by
claiming discrimination when we do not give in to their demands.

The Canada we have today is a result of decisions made by your so-called 'native Canadians' (though I expect First Nations persons would disagree with the term). If we create an inclusive society that doesn't force people to learn our way of doing things (pesky rights and all), who are we to criticize the people who come here?

If you don'ty like it, write to your MP. Maybe they'll pass a law making it 1950 again.

 

[Dong Joe]

And we carried one flag that represented our country. Not one of those
immigrant sons would have thought about picking up another country's flag
and waving it to represent who they were. It would have been a disgrace to
their parents who had sacrificed so much to be here. These immigrants truly
knew what it meant to be a Canadian. They stirred the melting pot into one
red and white bowl.

Well, the Canadian flag at the time of the second world war was the Red Ensign,
and it had a British Union Jack at the top.

I was on the phone with an American at work who told me this cheesy joke:
"If the United States is a melting pot, then what is Canada?
Tossed Salad."

 

[dreamblade]

Inside Canada, I'm Polish.
Outside of Canada, I'm Canadian.

I carry both quite proudly, too.

My children (the ones I know about ) will speak at least three languages fluently.

 

[LancsLad]

...this is that country that I hear about where a large percentage of the population absolutely refuses to assimilate, has there own province, and periodically attempts succession from the rest of the country?

Oh yeah - those immigrants from the 1900 made every effort to fit right in....

We've been over my thoughts on this problem many times.


I blame Wolfe's men.


Lesson: Finish what you start.



.

 

[gramage]

Inside Canada, I'm Polish.
Outside of Canada, I'm Canadian.

Person I meet: "Whats are you?"
Me: "I'm Canadian."
Person I meet: "No really."
Me: "Canadian, thats it."
Person I meet: "Ok.... but whats your background?"

Is it wrong how much this pisses me off? I've got to go back about 200 years to find a relative not born here, so I don't like adding a hyphen that doesn't say anything about me.

 

[tboy]

Inside Canada, I'm Polish.
Outside of Canada, I'm Canadian.

I carry both quite proudly, too.

My children (the ones I know about ) will speak at least three languages fluently.

Nothing personal but this IS the problem in a nutshell. Sorry dude, IMO if you were born here or became a landed immigrant or achieved citizenship status, you're Canadian, end of story.

Now if you want to take it one step further and say you are Canadian of Polish decent, that's totally cool but to say you're polish? If you are, why aren't you in Poland? Or do you use your Canadian status only when it suits you?

When you're outside of Canada, why aren't you still polish? That's what I'd like to know...

(btw, I"m polish Ukrainian British decent but Canadian first foremost and always....)

 

[The Bandit]

Donna,

Which new Canadians that chose to blend into the melting pot are you referring to in your posted letter?

Gilligan go back to your island...she's not referring to anyone...she didn't write the letter, just posted it.

 

[The Bandit]

Yet, when the original English, Scottish and French settlers came here they did not hold themselves to the same standard. They did not feel they had to learn the language and customs of the original inhabitants of this land. On the contrary, they labeled the original inhabitants as "savages" and gradually eradicated them and took control of the land.

When my parents came in the 50's the English and Scottish were the worst at discriminating against immigrants. Not knowing the language my parents sort of said yes/okay to everything as a courtesy. They told all the "wops" to go back home....even though they were immigrants themselves.

 

[dreamblade]

Nothing personal but this IS the problem in a nutshell. Sorry dude, IMO if you were born here or became a landed immigrant or achieved citizenship status, you're Canadian, end of story.

Now if you want to take it one step further and say you are Canadian of Polish decent, that's totally cool but to say you're polish? If you are, why aren't you in Poland? Or do you use your Canadian status only when it suits you?

When you're outside of Canada, why aren't you still polish? That's what I'd like to know...

(btw, I"m polish Ukrainian British decent but Canadian first foremost and always....)

Well, considering I was born there, and raised in a Polish household, I still identify strongly with that country. However, I have no accent when I speak (whichever language), and my views on religion, politics, and pretty much everything is definitely not reflective of the rest of the Polish community in Canada (I'd probably get along better with Esco if they did).

It's all part of the cultural mosaic. Maybe my kids will have a different view on it, as I already have a different outlook than my parents do. All I can tell you is I am a proud Canadian, but also a proud Pole. I'm 1st generation, sort of, so I often straddle both cultures.

When I lived down in the States for 5 years, I FELT Canadian. There definitely is a difference in mentality between the two countries, and I think it has a lot to do with the melting pot vs. cultural mosaic approach to accepting immigrants.

I don't see the point in denying one's roots. To me, they add to Canadian culture. As much as I enjoy celebrating the July 1st, Halloween and Christmas, I also feel priviledged to have celebrated Eid, Seder, and Beltaine. I feel every culture added makes Canada stronger. It gives each person a sense of continuity that is as important as having children is.

 

[rosemount36]

Nothing personal but this IS the problem in a nutshell. Sorry dude, IMO if you were born here or became a landed immigrant or achieved citizenship status, you're Canadian, end of story.

Now if you want to take it one step further and say you are Canadian of Polish decent, that's totally cool but to say you're polish? If you are, why aren't you in Poland? Or do you use your Canadian status only when it suits you?

When you're outside of Canada, why aren't you still polish? That's what I'd like to know...

(btw, I"m polish Ukrainian British decent but Canadian first foremost and always....)

Actually, I think Dreamblade is making a legitimate point....inside of Canada most Canadians assume that you are Canadian, so the question is determining what your heritage is.....therefore, "Polish". Outside of Canada if someone asks what your nationality is, there is no hesitation....."Canadian". His point is actually quite a good one and represents the strength of Canada. Unfortunately some of us have to travel outside of our country to have the epiphany of who we really, in our heart of hearts, are.....Canadian and damn proud of it......

 

[Thousand]

Could we just accept the fact that Canada has became a "Utopia" where different races and cultures unite and live together in harmony? Does it matter that we aren't how US beer companies portray Canadian to be?