Will the UK become more like the US, complete with a pledge of allegiance? From the Scotsman, with thanks to Eschwapp.
EVERY youngster in the UK will be required to take part in citizenship ceremonies under a radical government plan to boost "Britishness" and combat extremism, Scotland on Sunday can reveal.Ministers are considering the controversial move following the bomb attacks in London by UK-born Muslims, which have placed unprecedented focus on the question of British identity.
Experts have warned that the bombers are the product of Britain's ghettoised urban culture, which has failed to provide national symbols around which to unite.
Scotland on Sunday can reveal that Britain's first 'Citizenship Day' has been pencilled in for this October, to celebrate the value of community and volunteer work.
Ministers are also consulting on plans to copy citizenship ceremonies in Australia and Canada, where citizens are encouraged to take part in ceremonies pledging their allegiance to their country...
I'm sure they will have no problem in reconciling this with al-Taqiyya.
Attending primary school (ie "elementary" to you Americans") in Australia during the early 80s, we used to recite the following oath, which we referred to as "the declaration" (not sure if that is its official title): "I love my God and country; I honour the flag; I serve the Queen, and cheerfully obey my parents, teachers and the law." Every Monday morning.
(Fancy, a reference to God in the 80s of this bastion of diversi-libero-multiculti-ism - in a public school, too!)
Perhaps the Brits could try repatriating some of its spirt, eh? Why not? It certainly helped this immigrant (me) integrate.
One of the London bombers had gone through a citizenship ceremony in which he swore allegiance. This seems a load of futile window-dressing.
Will the UK become more like the US, complete with a pledge of allegiance?
Not if Hysterical people start screaming about Chirch and State, like they do here.
Such ceremonies already exist to swear in new citizens. Blair wanted to introduce one, till he was told that he would be inventing hot water. And as Elephant pointed out, they did not stop the murderers. However, a national day to celebrate the values of the country does not seem a bad thing to me. I only regret that they should be inventing it more or less out of thin air - and knowing the Blairites, one can only imagine what PC horror it will turn out to be.
In spite of the fact that a Mohammedan would lie through his/her teeth in order to get citizenship, the exercise may not be entirely futile:
Even the most cunning Kitman & Taqiyya-immigrant would then at least know that he will be held responsible when he engages in seditious activity, and should understand that there are consequences if not.
But you're right Paolo, it may be no more than hot water...
Paolo,
Yes, I agree with you that Britain needs a day when it celebrates its positive achievements. For too long we've been made to feel bad about ourselves, making us too tolerant of nonsense from others, part of our 'it's all our fault' mentality, whilst minorities have been encouraged to feel resentment and hostility towards the British, for example black people over slavery. If the truth be known, Britain was in fact the first country to abolish slavery, and the main role of the Royal Navy in the 19th century was to intercept slaver ships.
Terminator: you did not quite understand me. What I was trying to say was that a ceremony of swearing loyalty to Queen and Country already exists, and I beliefe that every new citizen takes the oath. It obviously did nothing to impress the bombers. That is what I was trying to say. As for Tony Blair, "to invent hot water" is an old expression meaning to invent something that has already existed since time immemorial.