Tuesday, September 07, 2004
POLITICS AS USUAL: WELCOME TO CANADA--PLACE YOUR EYE HERE, PLEASE...
It seems the Federal government is finally taking some initial steps to tighten up security at our pourous borders. In their new scheme, refugees, immigrants to Canada as well as Canadian citizens will be registered with an Identity Card embedded with biometrics (you know, things that utilize specific characteristics like fingerprints and retina scans to make sure you are really you).
While regrettable than these kinds of measures are even necessary, they are sorely needed. In this day and age, where terrorists show no regard whatsoever for innocent lives and have open threatened Canada with attack, security measures such as these are prudent, to say the least. Coming to Canada to work and/or live is a privilege and should not be taken lightly. Indeed, Canadian citizenship is something that has value across the globe.
People who come to this country (and even those who were born here) should have a method of identification which we can have faith in. I always find it interesting when a spy movie shows the villain thumbing through his/her fake passports and Canada's are always in the pile. There is a societal value of knowing who is whom. Even from a safety point of view, registration of those entering the country can be helpful for notification purposes (family illness, natural disaster, etc).
Unfortunately, the usual suspects claim this idea is nothing short of creating a "surveillance society". Over an ID card? Please. Maybe they should save that for the "a camera in every home" Safety and Security Plan the Conservatives plan to put into place once elected (kidding).
BOTTOM LINE--Those who have nothing to hide hide nothing.
While regrettable than these kinds of measures are even necessary, they are sorely needed. In this day and age, where terrorists show no regard whatsoever for innocent lives and have open threatened Canada with attack, security measures such as these are prudent, to say the least. Coming to Canada to work and/or live is a privilege and should not be taken lightly. Indeed, Canadian citizenship is something that has value across the globe.
People who come to this country (and even those who were born here) should have a method of identification which we can have faith in. I always find it interesting when a spy movie shows the villain thumbing through his/her fake passports and Canada's are always in the pile. There is a societal value of knowing who is whom. Even from a safety point of view, registration of those entering the country can be helpful for notification purposes (family illness, natural disaster, etc).
Unfortunately, the usual suspects claim this idea is nothing short of creating a "surveillance society". Over an ID card? Please. Maybe they should save that for the "a camera in every home" Safety and Security Plan the Conservatives plan to put into place once elected (kidding).
BOTTOM LINE--Those who have nothing to hide hide nothing.
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