Email I Got

[cadence]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Frankly, I agree that all immigrants should learn at least one of the languages - the language that is spoken in their particular place of residence the majority of the time.  If they settle in Quebec, they should at least learn French and maybe try some English. If they live outside Quebec, then they definitely need to learn English.  This is common sense.  How ELSE are you going to understand what is going on?  How will they get a job?  #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I also absolutely agree and insist that they follow our rules and laws.  Here in BC, a teenage Indian (India) girl was murdered by her father because she dared to date a native indian boy. They were going to get married and they deeply loved each other. The father hit the roof because he had arranged a marriage for her from someone back in India and she was to be sent back to India to live. She was not going to be allowed to continue her education at University, which is what she wanted, and frankly, an inherant right of all people living in this country.  YOUR PARENTS ARE NOT ALLOWED BY LAW TO STOP YOU FROM ATTENDING SCHOOL even university.  They may not support you financially, but they cannot stop you physically.  He killed her because it was a breach of his ownership and authority over her.  Now in India, I am assuming this goes on all the time, but how dare an immigrant believe he can follow his previous country's rights/rules and perform them here!  Canada has its own set of rules and laws and all people, including immigrants, are required to follow them.  And in Canada, no father or husband "OWNS" anyone in the family, wife, daughter, son, brother, sister, whatever.  #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#New Zealand's infrastructure collapsed a couple decades ago.  Now you cannot move to the country permanently unless you speak the official language, have the means to support yourself by being employable or have a business venture. They used to not have welfare so if you did not work, you starved. They had to do it this way because they suffered a severe collapse. Canada is, quite frankly, barely coping with the influx of immigrants who cannot speak the language, cannot get a job, cannot understand our rules because they don't know the language. So, they live on Welfare, basically getting handed their life on a platter, not a silver one because Welfare doesn't give much to live on, but nevertheless a lot easier than what I have to do in order to make my living, feed my family, pay my bills and taxes. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#On the flip side, I do know of well educated immigrants who do speak English and are willing to abide by our laws and rules, who cannot work in the field for which they were trained because Canada insists that they must go back to school, relearn what they already know and start from the bottom all over again.  Case in point, I have 2 friends who immigrated here from Sweden. These people are wealthy and they breed Swedish warmbloods.  When they came here, they brought their stallion and 5 premium mares with them to set up their breeding program here.  They are also physicians. She is a endocrinologist. He is a pathologist and a cell biologist specializing in oncology (cancer). They both taught at the top university in Sweden and both were at the top of their field.  They came to Canada and Canada absolutely refused to allow them to work. They had to go back to University, re-study everything they already knew and had been teaching doctors-to-be at University for years, in fact, be "educated" by professors who had themselves come to listen and learn from my Swedish friends' lectures at various conferences, they had to re-do their exams and then literally start a residency and internship all over again. Their colleages were flabbergasted and admittedly often asked for advice because everyone knows this is a crock of bull-****.  But, they swallowed their pride and did it, climbing back to the top after another 10 years of re-training, during all of which, they learned nothing new and during all this time were, ironically, repeatedly asked instead to be the lecturers at various medical conferences around the world. Not once were they a burden to the system. At one time, Immigration Canada stated that they might not even allowed entry because they feared they would be a burden to Canada's system.  Excuse me?  They people are independently wealthy.  Just how would they burden the system? They were also setting up a business, soon after of which they had hired closed to 15 employees to handle the horses, clean the barns and pastures, help them show these horses, buy more horses and ship them back to the farm, etc.  Burden on Canadian society and welfare system??????????    They are now retired.  This is ridiculous.  You think there are problems with immigrants who come here without an education?  What about the thousands who come here with an impeccable education and still cannot work in the field for which they are trained?   So tell me    ........    just exactly what kind of a burden is someone who cannot speak either English or French, does not work, sits on welfare for years at a time and yet they're allowed in? This happens in all trades.  Medicine, engineering, biomechanics, biology, computers, you name the field, we have the immigrants who are well-trained for it and yet not allowed to work in that field so they work as cooks, waitresses, Wal-Mart customer service representatives barely able to eake out a living instead of earning the living to which they should be entitled to earn.  #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Perhaps what you need to gain entry into the country is - you must not know English or French, must not be willing to learn either, must not be employable, must be willing to sit on Welfare for the rest of your life, must be unwilling to follow our rules and laws, or perhaps even be an ex-terrorist who has promised never to take up terrorism again and then you're allowed in the country.  So, all those well-educated, well-trained, English or French fluent, well-mannered, well-behaved immigrants who want to follow our rules and laws, stay out!  (Dripping sarcasm.......) #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[GoDDeSSofWiNgS]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Ill agree with you on the educated immigrant shenanigans.  Especially in medicine.  They need to develop an equivalency test for doctors and other professions so their skill can be assessed and they can be let into the profession here istead of redoing school.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[Lix]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#STRONG#ed_cl#Immigrants cannot stay in canada unless they are working or unless they are staying here illegally which is very likely, or unless they are married to a canadian#ed_op#/STRONG#ed_cl#. If there were so many immigrants just coming to canada and going on welfare we wouldnt be bringing them in. A guy I worked with, his mother worked in an immigration department in toronto, still does... They actually have strict rules for people coming to canada. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#There are rules yes.  Whether people follow them... that's another story.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Xena - the statement I bolded is far from true.  There are MANY ways to come to Canada beyond what you described.  One can be sponsored by a parent, a brother, a sister.  They can also come as a visitor, up to six months.  They can get a study permit to attend University.  They can apply for permanent residence, etc.  There are SO many ways to immigrate to Canada. Not just working and being illega or being marriedl.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#What happens is that often, for example, an immigrant here to study will not leave when their permit expires.  THere are oodles of those cases out there.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Don't be fooled by thinking there are only a few illegal immigrants.  Some criminals, some not.  Some are actually fugitives from their own countries, here to escape the punishment of a crime they committed.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Cadence - of course, I can't say this for sure but sometimes, Immigration Canada has their own reasons for refusing entry to certain people and sometimes, that reason may not always be apparent.  For example, 'burden to Canadian society' is not automatically saying they are poor.  Often, it can mean that the person trying to immigrate has a serious medical condition and the treatment of this condition would be a burden.  Or, it could also mean that the person has a criminal record in their own country (sometimes as little as driving under the influence).  No matter what type of criminality it is, a person is not allowed into Canada if they have a prior conviction.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Before throwing facts around about what kind of immigrants are in Canada and what Canada does about them, it would important to get the facts and laws straight.  They are all available on the Immigration Canada site. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Aside from all that - the point is not about how many are nice and how many are not. I don't think anyone disputes that some immigrants are genuine and extremenly nice and others are just here to take advantage.  It's like anything else, there is the good and there is the bad.  It's the fact that there are some (define 'some' however you want) that are here and that don't respect the Canadian legal system and culture and put down Canadians for it.  THAT's what the writter is upset about.  Why come to Canada if you are not interested in assimilating into the culture and respecting the Canadian icons... #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[RioG]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Wow, this is a hot topic, and one people are obviously very passionate about.  All I can say is perhaps we should all try to put ourselves in the shoes of others for a short time.  Until we know what it is like to be faced with building a life in a land and culture completely foreign to what we are used to, until we truly know how difficult it is to try to live day to day not understanding and not being able to make people understand us, until we can honestly say that we feel unsafe in the land of our birth and so feel it is a matter of life and death to get out, we aren't really in a position to judge others.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Each and every immigrant is an individual, a human being, a person, and as such deserves respect and understanding.  Until you truly know a person's story, it isn't right to impose our judgement on them.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I haven't read all of the posts in depth, so forgive me if I am repeating comments already made.  It may sound trite, but I feel I am not only a Canadian, but also a citizen of the world.  I would hate to think that others would ever feel unwelcome in this country, just as I would hate to feel unwelcome somewhere else.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Edited just to add I hope that didn't come off as rude - I don't mean it to, just my feelings.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[chenders01]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#But Rio, I think you missed the point of the letter.  The writer isn't saying that he/she does not welcome immigrants.  The point is that he/she doesn't feel that Canadian society should conform to *their* beliefs and values, which is what a lot of them seem to be demanding.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#For what it's worth, I agree with most of the points in the letter.  I have no problem accepting people from other cultures, and I don't care how they choose to live their lives.  But *don't* ask Canada to change the beliefs and values upon which the country was built, just to accommodate YOUR beliefs and values.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#And I agree, if you're going to live here, learn to speak the bloody language (that being English or French)!!#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[Positively4thStreet]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Wow, this is a hot topic, and one people are obviously very passionate about.  All I can say is perhaps we should all try to put ourselves in the shoes of others for a short time.  Until we know what it is like to be faced with building a life in a land and culture completely foreign to what we are used to, until we truly know how difficult it is to try to live day to day not understanding and not being able to make people understand us, until we can honestly say that we feel unsafe in the land of our birth and so feel it is a matter of life and death to get out, we aren't really in a position to judge others.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Each and every immigrant is an individual, a human being, a person, and as such deserves respect and understanding.  Until you truly know a person's story, it isn't right to impose our judgement on them.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I haven't read all of the posts in depth, so forgive me if I am repeating comments already made.  It may sound trite, but I feel I am not only a Canadian, but also a citizen of the world.  I would hate to think that others would ever feel unwelcome in this country, just as I would hate to feel unwelcome somewhere else.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Edited just to add I hope that didn't come off as rude - I don't mean it to, just my feelings.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#P#ed_cl#

#ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#P#ed_cl# #ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#P#ed_cl#Beautifully written, RioG, and I agree wholeheartedly. The point (most of) the others are trying to make is about the ones who aren't willing to try to learn.#ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[Positively4thStreet]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#  But *don't* ask Canada to change the beliefs and values upon which the country was built, just to accommodate YOUR beliefs and values.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#P#ed_cl#

#ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#P#ed_cl# #ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#P#ed_cl#Most of them aren't trying to impose anything, except the recent Shiite (sp?) Muslim thing. Instead, they're getting Christianity shoved down their throats from all angles (everyone who is non-Christian gets Christianity shoved down their throats.. sigh). So maybe they're only trying to fight back.#ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#P#ed_cl#Canada changed the beliefs and values upon which the country was built when they took it over from the Native Americans, so it's kind of hypocritical, but I agree.#ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#P#ed_cl#I wonder what Canada would be like today if the British hadn't invaded it and the Native Americans had been allowed to carry on.#ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[RioG]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#But Rio, I think you missed the point of the letter.  The writer isn't saying that he/she does not welcome immigrants.  The point is that he/she doesn't feel that Canadian society should conform to *their* beliefs and values, which is what a lot of them seem to be demanding.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#P#ed_cl#

#ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#P#ed_cl#No, I think I understand that part Chenders.  What I am saying is that we need to be more patient.  Perhaps in their fear/anxiety this is the only way they feel comfortable behaving?  That is a very generalized statement, and I hate to generalize, but am not sure how to put it in better words.#ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#P#ed_cl#On an individual case basis those people who deliberately  and knowingly abuse/take advantage of Canadian society of course need to be dealt with.  But I can't comfortably say that just because a person new to this country appears to be demanding and unappreciative truly feels that way.  In all likelihood they feel overwhelmed, afraid and unsure of how to proceed.  Were I to suddenly find myself living in Afghanistan as an immigrant, I know for sure that is how I would feel.#ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[RioG]

#ed_op#P#ed_cl#

#ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#P#ed_cl#I wonder what Canada would be like today if the British hadn't invaded it and the Native Americans had been allowed to carry on.#ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Oh goodness... don't get me started on this!!  I have some passionate views on this subject.  But we can not un-do the past and instead need to learn how to move forward in a manner that is healthy for all.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[graciespook]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#But Rio, I think you missed the point of the letter.  The writer isn't saying that he/she does not welcome immigrants.  The point is that he/she doesn't feel that Canadian society should conform to *their* beliefs and values, which is what a lot of them seem to be demanding.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#P#ed_cl#

#ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#P#ed_cl#No, I think I understand that part Chenders.  What I am saying is that we need to be more patient.  Perhaps in their fear/anxiety this is the only way they feel comfortable behaving?  That is a very generalized statement, and I hate to generalize, but am not sure how to put it in better words.#ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#P#ed_cl#On an individual case basis those people who deliberately  and knowingly abuse/take advantage of Canadian society of course need to be dealt with.  But I can't comfortably say that just because a person new to this country appears to be demanding and unappreciative truly feels that way.  In all likelihood they feel overwhelmed, afraid and unsure of how to proceed.  Were I to suddenly find myself living in Afghanistan as an immigrant, I know for sure that is how I would feel.#ed_op#/P#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Thats a good point. But honestly, I think as Canadians, being so immersed in a diverse culture adapt more readily--most of us do not stop at periods during the day to pray, and when I used to work at a huge High-Tech company, they'd be praying in the conference rooms when they had been booked, and wouldn't leave, or they would be washing their feet at the bathroom sink. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Don't get me started on the issue with the gentleman who gets to wear his turban instead of the standard canadian mounties hat. It angers me. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[chenders01]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I'm with you, Gracie.  And I *do* see your point too, Rio.  We do need to be compassionate to others. That's probably one of the biggest problems with society today...the fact that people have forgotten to be patient and compassionate with each other.  #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#BUT, having said that, using your analogy, IF you were to go to Afghanistan, yes, you would feel overwhelmed, but it's not likely that you would go to the government of that country and DEMAND that things be changed to accommodate you and YOUR beliefs and values.  I think that this is what the writer of that letter is complaining about...and I agree with him.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[GoDDeSSofWiNgS]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Perhaps where the letter fails is that he/she doesnt mention the good people who come over, adjust and become productive.  It focus' too much in the negative.  Thats human nature though - we dont remember for example the nice things that happen to us through life always the bad/irritating.  When reading that letter thats what you have to take into context but you still have a right to be irritated over those extorting the system.  And perhaps its the system/governments own fault?  They dont moniter it closely enough, they do too much or too little ect.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I still will not accept and never will me not qualifying for OSAP period when my parents have paid taxes and I as well have paid taxes and been a law abidding productive citizen my whole short life and someone gets off the plane and has money and a free education handed to them.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[babytigger]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#thank you GoW - this is exactly what i've been trying to say............look after us Canadians first. Take care of your own.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#i have never once been handed anything in my life (except the opportunity to ride a wonderful horse).#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[graciespook]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#TEll me about it GofW....I can't go back to school because of that fact. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[RioG]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Gracie, I understand your frustrations, and I don't think there is an easy answer.  I do think that both sides need to bend.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Chenders, you're right, were I to find myself in a foreign country, no, I would not go to that government demanding change, but that is because that is not what my culture calls for.  Canadian "culture" grooms us to be undemanding, placid, (another word I can't think of that means passive) people.  In all likelihood I would politely ask for whatever I needed and no doubt be shocked and outraged when politeness didn't give me my desired outcomes.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I'm not suggesting that it is appropriate for people to demand change and accomodation on all levels.  But I can understand how it could be in their nature to go about making their requests in a demanding fashion.  Because that is what their culture brought them up to do.  Again, more generalizations, but it makes for easier writing.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I just find it so ironic that people can be so abhorred by the idea of "our" country being taken over by "foreigners" when less than 3 centuries ago that is exactly what we did to them.  Of course that is an argument that can go nowhere, but it is still one I find grating.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[RioG]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Student loans and being denied is a very hard pill to swallow... but I know plenty of farmers (Canadian back to the beginning of time) who received the max every year because their parents income was easily hidden.  It's not only those fresh off the boat who are milking the system.  I was first denied my OSAP in college and then had it taken away in university because I dared to get a part time job - still haven't finished that degree.  Friends of mine had their entire educations paid for by their agriculturally employed parents and received OSAP for "shopping money".  Bitter.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[cadence]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#"Cadence - of course, I can't say this for sure but sometimes, Immigration Canada has their own reasons for refusing entry to certain people and sometimes, that reason may not always be apparent.  For example, 'burden to Canadian society' is not automatically saying they are poor.  Often, it can mean that the person trying to immigrate has a serious medical condition and the treatment of this condition would be a burden.  Or, it could also mean that the person has a criminal record in their own country (sometimes as little as driving under the influence).  No matter what type of criminality it is, a person is not allowed into Canada if they have a prior conviction."#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#My Swedish friends do not have criminal records and are healthy. Frankly, you cannot practice medicine if you have a criminal record. The laws in Sweden have far more severe penalties than Canada.  The burden they had to prove was whether or not they could "afford" to live here.  It took a year and many, many documents to prove their education and their income potential.  The maze of paperwork immigration put these people through was incredible.  The point is this, if they are so well educated with clean records, they should be allowed to work in this country.  The educational system in countries like Sweden, Switzerland, and German are tops in the world.  #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#There are plenty of people who manage to get through immigration through Canadian legal means, only to be discovered much later that they do have a serious criminal past.  Immigration Canada has had a lot to answer for in the past few years and they still do as many questions regarding their rulings have come to light. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[Ruth]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I want to start by saying I AM AN IMMIGRANT. One of my bosses is an immigrant, she's German. I can often catch people on that, we will get some patients who will come in and start complaining about the state of the world and immigration (we have some real Archie Bunkers who come in here). I'll let them go on and then say "I'm an immigrant". Shuts them up. They don't realize off the bat I'm an immigrant because I'm white and don't have an accent anymore. This sort of behaviour is a pet peeve of my mother's too - she grew up a minority, she is a white West Indian. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I'm not sure of the exact statistics here, but I believe each immigrant to our country creates something like 30 jobs. Obviously the system is far from perfect, though, and I'm sure the answers are not easy ones.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I lived in Muskoka for some time and I can assure you there are plenty of folks up there who are Canadian for generations, alcoholic and on welfare. In Hamilton there are 5th generation Canadian born welfare families. Laziness is multi-cultural. On the other side of the coin how many white Canadians do you see picking vegetables in the Holland Marsh? Fruit in Niagara? A lot of illegals for who to them the hard work for low pay is a godsend. A lot of Canadians won't work so hard for little. Some will, but there is a segment of the population, some born here, some not, who seem to think they are owed a living and I don't think it's at all fair to say it's specifically an immigrant problem. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I do agree with the intent of the letter, that political correctness goes overboard, and that when you move to a country you should expect to adapt to the country, but it is evolution that the country will adapt somewhat to it's new occupants too.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I also agree that if a certain job calls for a certain uniform and your religion wants you to wear something else on your head that you should either put up with the uniform or find another job.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I also disagree that the tests for firefighters should be adapted so that women can pass them. The job calls for what the job calls for, and if I need rescuing I want someone fit enough and strong enough to do it. Does anyone remember that incident from a few years ago?#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[Gemina]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I believe that everyone who maintains a certain level of academic ability should be entitled to go to college, university, etc. free. It can be paid back later when that person is working. I think they do this in Australia and it makes sense to me.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I'm with the person who wrote the letter and Lix's view and many others of it. Yes, there are many immigrants who come here, learn the language, get a job and don't complain, I say good for them.  It's getting absolutely crazy. Students being allowed to carry a knife to school, those that insist on having a prayer room in the school. Why did they come here? I just don't understand how our government can be so dumb...it's all about votes, I guess.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[GoDDeSSofWiNgS]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#But it isnt free here.  We all pay.  Im in third year, 21years old and Im almost $20,000 in debt.  My father works a great job enabling my mom able to stay home and take care of my 4 other siblings.  I applied for OSAP and apparently I qualified for the grand amount of $204.  That will buy about 3 cheap text books.  My father does not have the money to hand me $10k a year to go to school so I have to go through the bank, and they are sure as hell not like OSAP.  I hand them a huge interest payment monthly on top of paying them $3000 every summer to try and pay it down.  And it isnt just me so Im not just angry/bitter.  I accept I have to pay for an education.  #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#What I dislike is people who have done nothing to contribute to the social welfare structure of this country come here and get OSAP.  Do they need the money yea maybe some do, do they deserve education, yea they do...but maybe they deserve it in their own country where they have been paying their taxes?  Or maybe their country of origin should be handing them some assistance since they sure have earned it if they paid it.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Now I dont wanna turn this into the great OSAP debate because that isnt what the original letter is about.  I am not anti immigration, I as stated before think its awesome people in bad situation economically and politically have a place to come to.  That is what makes this nation great.  Immigrants and other cultures make this country interesting and vibrant.  #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Everyone interested in this needs to watch W5 this Saturday at 7pm on CTV.  This weeks program is all about immigration and its current state.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#