House of Commons votes to let U.S. War Resisters stay in Canada

[RedSock]

Source: Canadian Newswire

The Opposition parties in the House of Commons joined together today to adopt a recommendation which, if implemented, would make it possible for U.S. Iraq War resisters to obtain Permanent Resident status in Canada.

The recommendation was adopted by a majority of Members of Parliament from the Liberal, Bloc Québécois, and New Democratic Parties. The Conservatives voted against the motion.

The motion, which originated in the House of Commons Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration in December 2007, calls on the government to "immediately implement a program to allow conscientious objectors and their immediate family members ... to apply for permanent resident status and remain in Canada; and ... the government should immediately cease any removal or deportation actions ... against such individuals."

Read more: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/June2008/03/c7865.html

---

Finally!

Canada does the right thing and stands up for the brave men and women who have defied the US and its murderous occupation and destruction of Iraq and chosen instead to follow their own consciences -- and international law.

[LakeSamish706]

1. Excellent, and way to go my fellow Canadians... Thats awesome news...

It was right during the Vietnam conflict, and it is right now that this should happen.

[tom_paine]

2. I love the Free World. I wish our country was still a part of it.

[Selatius]

36. If they can build a wall to keep out "illegals," the wall could just as easily KEEP US IN.

Jesse Ventura is more right wing than I am, but I agree with him on his stance about border walls.

"I don't want to live in East Berlin."

[tom_paine]

41. Too late. All of Amerika is East Berlin.

It is only fitting we surround ourselves with walls to cement the deep similarities on other levels.

[Greyskye]

3. On behalf of my 10 year old son...

...THANKS CANADA! :toast:

Keeping my fingers crossed...

[Drum]

4. Yayyy!

Way to go...love ya Canada! :hi:

[sinkingfeeling]

5. Wonderful news!!

[Chipper Chat]

6. In your (r)ear Bush!

God, the United States cannot get out of the 19th century.

[cascadiance]

7. Kool! It looks like Ann Wright, Dianne Wilson, and Medea Benjamin might have helped!

When a number of them endured a 2 hour inquisition by Canadian authorities at the border on Sunday to speak at a rally for this in Vancouver!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=3335308&mesg_id=3335308

At least this time around they defied Bush and let Ms. Wright in the country instead of keeping her out!

[Bush_MUST_Go]

8. I doubt it will pass but it sends a powerful message. Canada has ethics.

[HuffleClaw]

9. wooo!

and may I add, FUCK HARPER!

[FirstLight]

10. So should I send my son there for college?

...what's the most liberal province? Good thing in my family, we all know some french, eh?

[cascadiance]

15. I think I'll put my new "FUKENEH" bumper sticker on my car...

... that I just picked up in Vancouver last week.

[LynnTheDem]

18. BC, and you won't need to know French there.

[Ravachol]

25. Quebec is as liberal, if not more...

But yup, you 'need' to know french. Or just live in the 'english-speaking' parts of Quebec (aka western island Montreal and a couple small towns across the province). Actually, most people in Quebec will make an effort to speak english when spoken to in that language.

All in all, your choice. Canada, as a whole, is fairly more liberal than the USA, except if you compare Alberta to Vermont.

[FirstLight]

33. But the winters are cold, man!

I live in Lake Tahoe, and I don't know that I would move anywhere that would yield MORE snow and freezing temps...unless global warming will change all that, eh?

[LynnTheDem]

39. Not everywhere. Vancouver rarely gets any snow.

You want cold, try upstate NY. They beat Canada frozen hands down!

[babylonsister]

11. Great, great news!

:woohoo::woohoo:

[defendandprotect]

12. Bless the Canadians ---!!! Thank you!!! ---

[Judi Lynn]

13. It's a humanitarian gesture. So sorry it should ever have been needed.

Thanks to Canada for this kindness.

[NikolaC]

14. Wonderful News!

I knew that they had it in them to defy Harper and his goons (whom I hope will be voted out soon). It has disturbed me how the courts in Canada have bowed to pressure (in my opinion) to not allow the conscientious objectors refuge over the last few years. This is DEFINITELY a good sign and some sort of hope.

[Prophet 451]

16. Excellent news!

Hopefully, this will allow anyone who doesn't fancy getting shot to bits for the price of a gas to avoid that fate.

[devilgrrl]

17. Oh Canada!!!!!

:thumbsup:

[struggle4progress]

32. With glowing hearts we see thee rise, the True North strong and free!

[arikara]

19. Finally our opposition parties found some cojones and

went against the Harper neo-cons. Finally.

[erebusman]

20. fantastic!

Wow this is fantastic, ive often considered emmigrating to Canada but I have been uncertain if I would be accepted per the "point" system they have. Saving this link to discuss with my wife this evening in case they implement it!

cheers Canada!

[orleans]

21. i hope it is "implemented" and how very sad we need for them to do this. again. n/t

sorry canada. and thank you.

[ScottytheRadical]

22. Although I read that the Conservatives aren't going to implement the resolution...

Because Stephen Harper's too busy brown-nosing Bush on the war. Now that Tony Blair's out of office, I guess Bush needs someone to do it.

I don't understand Canada's government - the Liberals, New Democrats, and Bloc Quebecois have a majority in parliament, and yet the Conservatives are allowed to govern with a minority of seats and support. In any other multi-party democracy, the parties with a majority of seats could form a coalition government, but not in Canada. So Stephen Harper gets to be Prime Minister with 40% of the seats. It's almost as absurd as the electoral college in the United States, which brought us Bush.

[george_maniakes]

24. your enemy's enemy is not necessarily your friend. n/t

[lovuian]

23. Woohoo Canada AWESOME

:woohoo:

[orleans]

26. more from your link:

The motion, which originated in the House of Commons Standing Committee
on Citizenship and Immigration in December 2007, calls on the government to
"immediately implement a program to allow conscientious objectors and their
immediate family members...to apply for permanent resident status and remain
in Canada; and...the government should immediately cease any removal or
deportation actions...against such individuals."
Corey Glass, 25, a war resister who came to Canada in 2006 and was
recently told to leave Canada by June 12 or face removal to the United States,
welcomed the vote. "I'm thankful that the MPs voted to let me and the other
war resisters stay in Canada. I'm also thankful to all the Canadians who urged
their MPs to support us."
"This is a great victory for the courageous men and women who have come
to Canada because they refuse to take part in the illegal, immoral Iraq War,
and for the many organizations and individuals who have supported this
campaign over the past four years," said Lee Zaslofsky, Coordinator of the War
Resisters Support Campaign and a Vietnam War deserter who came to Canada in
1970.

The War Resisters Support Campaign is calling on the Conservative
government to respect the democratic decision of the Canadian Parliament and
immediately implement the motion and cease deportation proceedings against
Corey Glass and other war resisters.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

27. Thank you Canada! n/t

[DWilliamsamh]

28. So... does this mean that If I moved to Canada....

Which I have been SERIOUSLY considering because this country is on the cusp of fascism, that my objections to the Iraq war (well documented all across the net in a few e-mails to the chimp in chief) that I could get a form of political asylum, even if my life was not threatened?

This is a serious question.

[Solon]

30. No, I think it would only apply to active service members and reserve members who were called up...

to fight in the Iraq war. At least, that is how I read it.

[Towlie]

29. "Resisters" looks very odd to an electronic technician like me.

[Canuckistanian]

31. Whoa! I didn't see this coming....

Way to go, guys!

I'm sure the Conservatives fought it tooth and nail and the Liberal party usually wimps out and votes with the government.

They got it RIGHT for a change!

:woohoo:

[potone]

34. If this passes, it will be a blessing.

Thank you, Canada, for once again showing your neighbor to the south an example of decency and humanity that we are sorely lacking these days!

[Festivito]

35. Their gain, our loss.

Our once precocious determined intelligent energetic capable youth.

Now the Canadian dollar rises above ours. They have health care where we do not.

However, they probably want to take care of this before the next flood of once-American refugees.

[Mudoria]

37. Thanks for taking them Canada! Make sure they stay there

for the rest of their lives.

[Peace Patriot]

42. What do you mean--"make sure they stay there"? The Veterans Against the Iraq War,

and the Veterans Against the Vietnam War, are THE most courageous, patriotic citizens we have. There is physical courage, necessary for soldiering, and then there is MORAL courage--a far more rare and precious quality--to refuse to fight an illegal, unjust war, and to stand up against a rotten, warmongering government no matter what they can do to you--hunt you down, persecute you, jail you and ruin your life and your family's lives, and even kill you, because you wouldn't fight their heinous war against people who have done you and your country no harm.

We NEED citizens like this. I want them back! Many of them are veterans of multiple tours in the slavery that military service has become with the Iraq War. They've seen this war for themselves. And they have the incredible moral courage to say "NO!" to it, despite the consequences. There are others, barely out of high school, barely more than children, falsely recruited to defend Exxon Mobil, and intelligent enough, and courageous enough, to realize how wrong this is, and to ACT ON their convictions. If the generals and the politicians--including the politicians in our own country--had had MORAL COURAGE like this, and if more of our citizens had had this kind of courage, we wouldn't be caught in the disaster that is Iraq, we wouldn't have slaughtered 1.2 million innocent people to get their oil, we wouldn't be torturing prisoners, and we would be a far, far, far better country than we are.

You need to meet some of these courageous and patriotic men and women! Go to...

www.couragetoresist.org
www.myspace.com/couragetoresist

I suspect you don't know who they are. We need them back. We need them to run for office, and/or to receive PROMOTIONS and MEDALS within the military. They are leaders. They know what our military SHOULD BE FOR--defense, not aggressive war on behalf of multinational corporations and stupid, cowardly, lying-ass, egomaniac, unelected tyrants. Bring them home! Put them in leadership roles--and let them help us create a better country!

[raccoon]

38. I love Canada! nt

[Lucy Goosey]

40. Right on, eh?

This is good news. I was embarassed to be Canadian while we weren't accepting war resisters. I'm off to write my MP, and the PM, to try to make sure that this passes.

[Lucy Goosey]

43. Good LA Times article about this subject.

Canada's House backs war resisters

Contains quotes from Members of Parliament, info about some of the specific war resisters.

[LeftistGorilla]

44. Americans...

Please fix your country so we don't have to keep taking your war resisters...


Thanks....