"And we'll make sure that deported criminals actually leave this country"
That's Stephen Harper from the Conservative ad on crime.
It's also a perfectly reasonable position.
Immigration to Canada is a privilege, not a right. And therefore, those who aren't naturalized citizens (i.e. immigrants and those on visas) should be deported if they're found guilty of serious crimes.
However... and I know this is partly due to the 30-second length of the piece, the impression given off by Harper is not a good one.
Objectively, almost everyone agrees with his position. When a couple of Punjabi Sikhs were being deported not too long ago, and when a certain Sikh temple decided to stand up for those two men, there was a degree of anger in the Sikh community, due to the impression that the Sikh temple was in favour of keeping convicted criminals in Canada. So obviously, it is both immigrant communities AND the public at large who want to see convicted criminals (who are not citizens) deported.
However... let me explain why the impression given off by Harper is not positive, and maybe even negative... and again, much of this is obviously due to the restricted time. He does not mention the fact that he is referring ONLY to those who are not yet citizens. This might be obvious to those who have half a brain, but, in reality, most of the electorate is simply stupid, and might've gotten the impression that serious crimes for all people are worthy of deportation.
Secondly, Harper still does not have enough trust and goodwill in minority communities to say something about deportation without provoking some fear and anxiety.
And there's even a reason why I'm a bit upset about the ad. If the ad does gain the Conservatives votes, it will do so in some part to the deportation line, and in some cases, it will be because of racial tension or even racial animosity. I don't like that. I don't like it when political parties play to racial problems. I find it offensive and I find it regrettable even if Harper did not intend to say it that way.
An ad about crime did not need to carry a line about deportating landed immigrants or those on visas - the amount of those people who are deported and then do not actually leave constitute a whopping fraction of a percentage point of the Canadian crime rate. He could've discussed something more substantive, and he didn't.
It's also a perfectly reasonable position.
Immigration to Canada is a privilege, not a right. And therefore, those who aren't naturalized citizens (i.e. immigrants and those on visas) should be deported if they're found guilty of serious crimes.
However... and I know this is partly due to the 30-second length of the piece, the impression given off by Harper is not a good one.
Objectively, almost everyone agrees with his position. When a couple of Punjabi Sikhs were being deported not too long ago, and when a certain Sikh temple decided to stand up for those two men, there was a degree of anger in the Sikh community, due to the impression that the Sikh temple was in favour of keeping convicted criminals in Canada. So obviously, it is both immigrant communities AND the public at large who want to see convicted criminals (who are not citizens) deported.
However... let me explain why the impression given off by Harper is not positive, and maybe even negative... and again, much of this is obviously due to the restricted time. He does not mention the fact that he is referring ONLY to those who are not yet citizens. This might be obvious to those who have half a brain, but, in reality, most of the electorate is simply stupid, and might've gotten the impression that serious crimes for all people are worthy of deportation.
Secondly, Harper still does not have enough trust and goodwill in minority communities to say something about deportation without provoking some fear and anxiety.
And there's even a reason why I'm a bit upset about the ad. If the ad does gain the Conservatives votes, it will do so in some part to the deportation line, and in some cases, it will be because of racial tension or even racial animosity. I don't like that. I don't like it when political parties play to racial problems. I find it offensive and I find it regrettable even if Harper did not intend to say it that way.
An ad about crime did not need to carry a line about deportating landed immigrants or those on visas - the amount of those people who are deported and then do not actually leave constitute a whopping fraction of a percentage point of the Canadian crime rate. He could've discussed something more substantive, and he didn't.
posted by Japnaam Singh at
11:31 PM
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