tell michael ignatieff we must let them stay!
Here's a riddle for you. How can you tell the difference between Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff?
. . . .
. . . .
. . . .
Damned if I know!
After Ignatieff's recent statement blaming Hamas for Israel's massive bombing seige of Gaza, calling Hamas a terrorist organization and Israel's actions self-defense, I see foreign policy will not be the area on which the two can be distinguished.
I know that tune well. I've heard it sung in the US all my life.
There is one issue on which the two leaders differ, at least in theory. Last year, when Ignatieff was Liberal Deputy Leader, he did support allowing Iraq War resisters to stay in Canada. Right now, we want him to reaffirm that support.
Supposedly Ignatieff now knows the Iraq War was a mistake (something even Harper has publicly admitted!), and has recanted his earlier support of the invasion. Supporting Iraq War resisters would be a concrete action he can take to stand by that revised opinion.
We are asking our supporters to email Michael Ignatieff, with a copy to MPs Borys Wrzesnewskyj, Liberal Immigration Critic, and Jim Karygiannis, a strong supporter of war resisters in the last Parliament.
Urge them to to immediately issue a statement about the deportation order against war resister Kim Rivera and her family (husband Mario, son Christian (6) daughters Rebecca (4) and Katie (6 weeks)). Ask them to oppose the deportation order publicly and decisively.
Don't forget the other war resisters facing imminent deportation: Chris Teske, Patrick Hart and his family, Cliff Cornell, Dean Walcott.
The Liberals supported the motion of June 3, 2008, recommending that "conscientious objectors to wars not sanctioned by the UN Security Council" be allowed to stay in Canada and apply for Permanent Resident Status after two years, and calling on the Government to "cease all deportation proceedings" against such people.
Despite this, as deportation orders have been issued against many war resisters, the Liberals have been silent. We need the Liberals' support - and they need ours.
Please urge them to speak up, demand that the Harper Government comply with the House of Commons motion of June 3, 2008, state their intention of supporting a similar motion when the House reconvenes later this month.
Emails to:
Liberal Party Leader Michael Ignatieff: Ignatieff.M@parl.gc.ca
Liberal Citizenship and Immigration Critic Borys Wrzesnewskyj: Wrzesnewskyj.B@parl.gc.ca
MP Jim Karygiannis: Karygiannis.J@parl.gc.ca
Email now! Thank you!
13 comments:
My letter:
Dear Mr. Ignatieff:
As you know, Kimberly Rivera, an Iraq War resister in Canada, has been issued a deportation order. She and her family have been ordered to leave Canada by January 27 or be forcibly removed. I am writing to urge you to issue a public statement opposing this.
Kim Rivera has three children: Christian, age 6, Rebecca, age 4, and Katie, born November 23, 2008. Other war resisters and their families also face similar deportation orders: Patrick Hart (and his wife Jill and their son Rian, age 6), Chris Teske, Cliff Cornell, and Dean Walcott. If deported, they face court martial and prison. This includes Rivera, whose baby - a Canadian citizen - will be sent to prison with her.
The Liberal Party supported the motion in Parliament on June 3, 2008, calling on the Government to allow "conscientious objectors to wars not sanctioned by the UN Security Council" to stay in Canada and to "cease all deportation proceedings" against such people. As you know, the Harper Government has ignored that motion.
But the Liberal Party also has been silent about these deportation orders. Please speak up for democracy and for a just and compassionate Canada. Please do not allow a woman of peace and her young children to be forced out of the country.
All polls show that the majority of Canadians support allowing war resisters to stay in Canada. This was affirmed in the House of Commons on June 3. Please publicly reaffirm your support for US war resisters. Canada must let them stay!
Laura Kaminker
[address, phone number]
Thanks for the email addy's. Letter written & sent. I agree that Ignatieff's foreign policy isn't much different from Harper's. But the liberals operate less from ideology and more from a position of what do most people want from them. All the more reason to let them know.
Thank you, Lillian!
But the liberals operate less from ideology and more from a position of what do most people want from them.
Exactly. Ignatieff is an ideologue, perhaps more so than most Liberals, but we're hoping that his career aspirations will override ideology in this case.
Here's a riddle for you. How can you tell the difference between Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff?
Their names are spelled differently.
Their names are spelled differently.
Ah-ha! I knew there was something!
For what it's worth: poll.
I have been looking for a bright spot to the day all day (talking about the diving bell was one)...and the poll results are another (I know it is JUST a poll but I needed that).
Glad to help. :)
I wrote the guys this:
Dear Mr. Ignatieff and colleagues,
Thanks so much for also voting for the resolution in Parliament which, if implemented, would allow war resisters to stay in Canada. Unfortunately, Harper and Kenney refuse to respect the will of Parliament. The best thing, in my opinion and in the opinion of many mores, would be to send the Harper Goverment packing asap and to establish a coalition government. In the meantime, it would be great and very appreciated if you speak up in public once again for letting war resisters stay!
Ms. Kim Rivera and her family have recently been ordered out of Canada although the youngest daughter of Ms. Rivera was just born some weeks ago in Canada. I hold it would be an extreme hardship if she was deported and got locked up in the stockade.
Hopefully you can help us to prevent this.
That would be wonderful!
Thanks so much in advance.
Sincerely,
Cornelia Maier
Thanks for clarifying that Kim's youngest daughter has Canadian citizenship by birth in the country. (The US has that, too but it's not like that per se in Germany. Therefore I wondered.) So I have a question:
one could also argue that by deporting Ms. Rivera, they would deport the mom of a Canadian citizen. Because once we had a case in which somebody who had been married to a German and they had a child together (who had gotten the nationality because of the German parent) was in danger of getting deported and my lawyer argued protection on grounds of the person having a minor German kid. Because in Germany that would have been kind of illegal, I think!
Of course this could be argued as a point anyway, but could somebody enlighten me to whether Canadian law forbids the deportation of a parent of a minor Canadian citizen?
Of course I don't agree with Ignatieff's hawkish position on Gaza. I know that the current policy of Israel is excessive and not okay and goes against civilians and won't remedy the problem. Rather, the Hamas - which is indeed a terrorist organization and extremely fundamentalist and sexist - is likely to get more support due to the mistakes the current Israeli Government makes. War, occupation, hawkish policy and the grievous political mistakes in terms of inflicting enormous hardship have not remedied the problem with the Hamas yet, and I don't think they will. Politics like the one of the Israeli Labour Party for negotiations and peaceful settlements - in addition to all action based on constitutional state and democracy and in accordance with basic human rights - are first thing much more humane, second more likely to deconstruct the Hamas propaganda and decrease its standing with a lot of Palestinians.
Of course this could be argued as a point anyway, but could somebody enlighten me to whether Canadian law forbids the deportation of a parent of a minor Canadian citizen?
There's no such law, unfortunately. Jeremy Hinzman and Nga Nguyen's daughter is also a Canadian citizen, so is Robin Long's son. At least two other resisters have had children with their Canadian girlfriends.
Naturally (as you suggest) Alyssa uses this as part of the "hardship" case, but as far as I know, there is no law forbidding the deportation of their parents.
I guess they want to guard against people having children just to stay in Canada.
Thanks for the info, Laura. But wouldn't the case of Kim's baby be different from the case of Robin Long's kid? Robin Long's kid can stay with its Canadian mom over here. But theoretically - if Kim got deported, her husband, who is American, too, would also get deported, right? So, in this case, would her Canadian baby get sent back with them, too (which would amount to the deportation of a Canadian citizen, right?)or would they keep the child in foster care in Canada (which would cost them a lot of money, and conservative governments are always crazy about saving money, right? Because we have been arguing something similar in a hardship case over here, too, I mean!)
I don't know whether this would work out but just an idea, at least for the hardship case. For luck Alyssa has been arguing all other points, too!
They would not separate the baby from its family. All the Riveras would be sent back. It's the same as the Hinzmans. Their baby was born in Canada, is a Canadian citizen, but as minor, would be deported with the rest of the family.
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