Jim Elve has a very interesting post on the process of getting citizenship in Canada which includes the following passages from a booklet, A Look at Canada, which is the study guide for the citizenship test. Jim states: “I think that the Citizenship responsibilities defined and the ways of Getting involved in Canada suggested can serve as a partial guide to a set of shared Canadian values.” The responsibilities set out are these:
Citizenship responsibilitiesAll Canadian citizens have the responsibility to:
- vote in elections;
- help others in the community;
- care for and protect our heritage and environment;
- obey Canada’s laws;
- express opinions freely while respecting the rights and freedoms of others; and
- eliminate discrimination and injustice.
Being a Canadian citizen is more than voting and obeying laws. Being a citizen also means getting involved in your community and your country. Everyone has something to give to make Canada a better place. Here are some ways to participate:
- join a community group such as an environmental group;
- volunteer to work on an election campaign for a candidate of your choice;
- help your neighbours;
- work with others to solve problems in your community; and
- become a candidate in an election.
I suppose the oddest thing about this list is how utterly untrue it is – so while I respect the rights and freedoms of employed by Jim in making his quite honourable statment, I would myself express a different opinion freely.
Our democractic process has very little to do with joining the Boy Scouts, whose tenents this list bears some resemblance. I much prefer the list of Charter rights and freedoms as a description of our values. Amongst all the great and good freedoms and rights we enjoy both from and distanced from the state, it also confirms we have the right to be left alone, to argue, to make things uncomfortable for those who would require us to channel discontent into the political structure, to paint your house purple and lay around on the front law with your shirt off as passers-by tisk and the weeds deepen around you. We have ill-defined autonomy and are, honestly, more likely to enjoy beer and hockey on the TV than the company of many of our neighbours. Are not these our values?