Zach LarkinsCONFUSED
Okay, I'm rather baffled at this latest item. A story appeared in the National Post today saying that Canada is ousting a couple of citizens because of their ties to the Nazis. Remember them? Some 60 years ago they tried taking over the world. They did some pretty nasty things that shouldn't be forgiven, nor forgotten. No one will forgive them, a shame all Germans still bear to this date, and the Simon Wiesenthal foundation, with all the obvious flaws in its quest for justice, will never let us forget it.
Helmut Oberlander, 83, and Jacob Fast, 96, were stripped of their Canadian citizenship by Cabinet order. Not exactly spring chickens, but the search for justice knows no age limit. I've written in the past about a prisoner having to do life if that is the sentence he is handed. I'll stick by it. Some may say these two seniors have done nothing wrong during their time here in Canada and, after all, the war has been over for 60 years so why not let bygones be bygones? No, that shouldn't happen. They should be made to finally pay for their crimes.
Although the courts have ruled there was no evidence he personally committed war crimes, Mr. Oberlander was a member of a unit that carried out mass executions of Jews. Oberlander immigrated to Canada with his wife in 1954 and they became citizens in 1960. But in 1995, federal officials notified him that they were taking steps to revoke his citizenship for failing to mention his wartime past when he immigrated. In 2000, a Federal Court judge found that Oberlander had been a member of Einsatzkommando 10A, a "mobile mass killing squad" in Ukraine that implemented the Third Reich's Final Solution in the Soviet Union. The government subsequently ordered the revocation of his citizenship, but the decision was set aside by a court in 2004 and no further action was taken until yesterday. He lives today in Waterloo, Ontario.
Fast arrived at Halifax in 1947 and became a Canadian citizen in 1954. The government notified him in 1999 that it was revoking his citizenship. Federal officials alleged that from 1941 to 1944 he had worked for the Political Police, a unit in Zaporozhye, Ukraine, that enforced the policies of the German occupation forces. In October 2003, the Federal Court ruled that Mr. Fast had been a Nazi collaborator and that he had concealed his German citizenship when he entered Canada. He lives today in St Catharines, Ontario.
"The message should go out that this country is not a safe haven for anyone involved with a war crime, whether it be recent or quite some time ago," said Justice Minister Rob Nicholson. Bernie Farber of the Canadian Jewish Congress said, "Justice is finally being done and I think Holocaust survivors especially will embrace this decision as they are in their twilight years."
Neither Oberlander nor Fast face immediate deportation. That decision is up to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Diane Finley. Nicholson said, "They would be in the same position as other individuals without status in the country." Fair enough.
What concerns me is why we are picking on these two after so long, and yet we still allow terrorists into the country. Yes, both Oberlander and Fast lied to immigration officials in order to be admitted. Yes, they should be deported. But what about the terrorists who come here, seemingly daily, that we know about and do nothing about? As much as I love Canada, I have to side with the Americans when they say our borders are too porous and killers can come here in order to travel to the States to wreak havoc. We've seen too much evidence of it lately to ignore.
Are we targeting the old people because they're easier to catch? We know how many illegals we have in the country, aliens who are ordered to report to Immigration for a deportation hearing but somehow mysteriously disappear from view. And even when apprehended, they are given chance after chance to plead their case. No terrorist is going to go up to a Customs officer and say, "I am here to build a bomb that I intend to carry into the USA to blow innocent people up." So why, when we have indisputable proof that someone is carrying out nefarious acts, do we not act immediately?
"We've been very clear in our support of human rights and clear in our commitment that Canada will not be a safe haven for people involved with war crimes or crimes against humanity or genocide," Nicholson said. If that were true, he wouldn't be so slow on the draw when it comes to addressing the dangers we face today from a new enemy.
Sources: Stewart Bell Canada To Oust Ex-Nazis National Post
Helmut Oberlander, 83, and Jacob Fast, 96, were stripped of their Canadian citizenship by Cabinet order. Not exactly spring chickens, but the search for justice knows no age limit. I've written in the past about a prisoner having to do life if that is the sentence he is handed. I'll stick by it. Some may say these two seniors have done nothing wrong during their time here in Canada and, after all, the war has been over for 60 years so why not let bygones be bygones? No, that shouldn't happen. They should be made to finally pay for their crimes.
Although the courts have ruled there was no evidence he personally committed war crimes, Mr. Oberlander was a member of a unit that carried out mass executions of Jews. Oberlander immigrated to Canada with his wife in 1954 and they became citizens in 1960. But in 1995, federal officials notified him that they were taking steps to revoke his citizenship for failing to mention his wartime past when he immigrated. In 2000, a Federal Court judge found that Oberlander had been a member of Einsatzkommando 10A, a "mobile mass killing squad" in Ukraine that implemented the Third Reich's Final Solution in the Soviet Union. The government subsequently ordered the revocation of his citizenship, but the decision was set aside by a court in 2004 and no further action was taken until yesterday. He lives today in Waterloo, Ontario.
Fast arrived at Halifax in 1947 and became a Canadian citizen in 1954. The government notified him in 1999 that it was revoking his citizenship. Federal officials alleged that from 1941 to 1944 he had worked for the Political Police, a unit in Zaporozhye, Ukraine, that enforced the policies of the German occupation forces. In October 2003, the Federal Court ruled that Mr. Fast had been a Nazi collaborator and that he had concealed his German citizenship when he entered Canada. He lives today in St Catharines, Ontario.
"The message should go out that this country is not a safe haven for anyone involved with a war crime, whether it be recent or quite some time ago," said Justice Minister Rob Nicholson. Bernie Farber of the Canadian Jewish Congress said, "Justice is finally being done and I think Holocaust survivors especially will embrace this decision as they are in their twilight years."
Neither Oberlander nor Fast face immediate deportation. That decision is up to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Diane Finley. Nicholson said, "They would be in the same position as other individuals without status in the country." Fair enough.
What concerns me is why we are picking on these two after so long, and yet we still allow terrorists into the country. Yes, both Oberlander and Fast lied to immigration officials in order to be admitted. Yes, they should be deported. But what about the terrorists who come here, seemingly daily, that we know about and do nothing about? As much as I love Canada, I have to side with the Americans when they say our borders are too porous and killers can come here in order to travel to the States to wreak havoc. We've seen too much evidence of it lately to ignore.
Are we targeting the old people because they're easier to catch? We know how many illegals we have in the country, aliens who are ordered to report to Immigration for a deportation hearing but somehow mysteriously disappear from view. And even when apprehended, they are given chance after chance to plead their case. No terrorist is going to go up to a Customs officer and say, "I am here to build a bomb that I intend to carry into the USA to blow innocent people up." So why, when we have indisputable proof that someone is carrying out nefarious acts, do we not act immediately?
"We've been very clear in our support of human rights and clear in our commitment that Canada will not be a safe haven for people involved with war crimes or crimes against humanity or genocide," Nicholson said. If that were true, he wouldn't be so slow on the draw when it comes to addressing the dangers we face today from a new enemy.
Sources: Stewart Bell Canada To Oust Ex-Nazis National Post
the whole immigration fiasco has been a thorn in my side for years now...But at least Canada deports them...
What do we do down here? Why we give them free shelter, food, clothing, education and citizenship of course!
Gimme a freakin break...
And don't kid yourself, it's just as easy to walk across this border as anywhere else...
The problem lies not with the average citizen, but with the political pundits that run our governments...If it were up to them, they'd pull Iraq over with ropes and tackle, knock down the wall to Mexico and make them both part of the United States!...
Hey, to them it's just that many more voters come election time right?
Although I agree that we should let bygones be bygones, there are still numerous Holocaust survivors and their families who may feel differently...
Only problem is, you can't simply blame an entirely new generation for something that happened over 60 years ago...
Hitler and his SS men were brutal mindless murdering fucktards, but people have to keep in mind that not all of Germany supported him...
Hundreds and thousands of German refugees swamped Ellis Island in order to escape Hitler's Nazi Regime...and those were not German Jews either, but simply normal, God-fearing people who hated Hitler and everything he stood for...
Terrorism of any kind should never ever be tollerated...and those who would seek to use it as a tool to attack the so called "infidels" need to be rounded up, stuck on a boat to Cuba with no food and no water, and then have nuke tipped missiles shot over their heads just to drive the point home...
If we keep blaming everyone from past generations for their mistakes and transgression, shouldn't we all be giving back the land we stole from the Native Americans right about now???
Yes, Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini, Lenin, Pol Pot....they all charmed and terrified nations with their silver tongues and terroristic ways...but should today's generation still have to pay for their mistakes?
Gives you pause to wonder..
Great post!
Take care...
Your buddy,
Nick
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Your point about coddling the illegals strikes home. We give them more in welfare than a pensioner makes. Plus all the freebies. Dental, medical and legal help. It's enough to drive you nuts. Then they get to open their mouths about how much they want Canada to be like the place they just escaped from. Give me a break.
The politicians need to find a backbone and get rid of these a-holes. New and old. We, like you, don't need them.
absolutely! If your own country is so bad that you had to escape to the West, then do NOT expect "us" to change to suit "your" needs!
Learn the laguage, get a job, an education and start paying taxes just like everyone else!
Cause frankly, I'm damned sick and tired of supporting you!
If you loved your own country that much, then GO HOME!
Take care,
Nick
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While I hear of many who want to see terrorists ousted, I have yet to see any powerful political groups lobbying for that action to be taken...organization is the key, and who shall be the organizer(s)?
P.S.-"Are we targeting old people because they're easier to catch?" LOL!!!
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