On Friday, November 7th, I attended the Remembrance Day ceremony at the elementary school where I live. I wore my ceremonial dress, as requested, and joined a couple of veterans who were also in attendance. During the singing of “O Canada”, for the first time in my life, I felt really conflicted. After 30+ years as a law enforcement officer in Canada, during the singing of our national anthem, it started to really hit home that the current Canadian government does not consider me to be a Canadian.
On Sunday, November 9th, the church I attend invited the veterans from the community and honoured them. Once again, as we sang “O Canada”, a series of unexpected emotions surged through me. I am 55+ years old and have spent over half of my life serving my country, only to find out that my government does not consider me to be a Canadian, but has rubber-stamped the US designation of me as a US person who just happens to be living in Canada.
I grew up on Campobello Island. When it was time for me to be born, my “pure” Canadian parents crossed the border to the nearest medical facility in Lubec, Maine where I was born. After spending a couple of days there, we returned home to Campobello. During my teen years, sports teams I played on often competed against American teams from Lubec, East Machias, Eastport, Machias and sometimes Calais. These games often took on special significance because, on our own small scale, we were representing our country. When in the US, if we spoke of Campobello, we would always refer to it as “over home” to the point that some of our closest American friends referred to us as “ovah homahs” (over homers).
I spent 4-5 summers while I attended university working at Roosevelt Campobello International Park. The park’s motto is, “A Legacy of Friendship”. To quote from the park’s website, “Roosevelt Campobello International Park is a singular example of international cooperation – jointly administered staffed and funded by the peoples of Canada and the United States.” Canadians and Americans worked side by side at this park commemorating an American president but located on Canadian soil (Roosevelt’s “beloved island”) – the Canadians got paid in Canadian money and the Americans got paid in American money. We were all the same, except they were Americans and we were Canadians (ovah homahs!). No one really differentiated much, except on the sports field – there we competed fiercely to do our respective countries proud!
I have never questioned my “Canadian-ness” and still don’t. Yet, the last two times I have sung our national anthem, I have felt strangely conflicted. I have been thinking about the fact that the Harper conservatives do NOT consider me to be a Canadian, as clearly stated by their spokesman Gerald Keddy when he made it clear that the government position is that I am a US person residing in Canada. I thought about all the comments I have read from people who consider themselves “pure” Canadians, who basically scorn my situation so much that they support giving away Canadian sovereignty to the IRS just to punish me. These people seem to have such disdain for people with some possible clinging US connection that they celebrate allowing the CRA to become a foreign office of the IRS.
Tomorrow, I will once again don my ceremonial uniform to commemorate Remembrance Day and honour those brave men and women who have paid with their lives to protect the freedoms we enjoy. I will once again proudly sing “O Canada” and undoubtedly struggle with the fact that our government has capitulated and sacrificed a portion of the population who are not “pure” enough because the US has deemed this to be the case.
But as I remember the brave men and women who paid the ultimate price to make me free, I will also remember that, if there is a hierarchy of “how Canadian” we are, it is not based on how “pure” we are. If there are “degrees” of Canadian-ness, those who are “most Canadian” are not necessarily those who are most “pure”, but those who are willing to take a stand to protect Canada from foreign governments infringing on Canadian sovereignty. By this standard, our current government and those commenters who are supportive of its actions regarding the FATCA IGA hidden in omnibus Bill C31 are “not very Canadian”.
If there actually are now degrees of Canadian-ness, to me those who are “most” Canadian are those who are going above and beyond the call of duty to force back the IRS barbarians at the gate that the Canadian government left open for them. Most (if not all) of them are not “pure”, but have some US taint and include (in alphabetical order): Gwen Deegan, Peter Dunn, Ginny Hillis, Stephen Kish, Tricia Moon, John Richardson, Lynne Swanson and Carol Tapanila (and others – those I have overlooked, please forgive me). Also included are the many who work tirelessly behind the scenes, most of whom I know only by the nicknames they post. They moderate and administer websites, post ads and articles and battle it out in the Comments sections following FATCA stories. Inch by inch, these warriors are gaining the upper hand in the battle for public opinion and educating those “pure” Canadians who seem only too eager to relinquish Canadian sovereignty to the US.
Tomorrow, I will do my best to focus exclusively on those brave men and women who gave their lives to protect our freedoms. But I know, during the national anthem, when those conflicted feelings again start to arise within me, I will also think about those who are continuing to fight for our freedoms. I hope I can eventually put those conflicting feelings behind me, knowing that the problem is not with me but with my government.
This post is not meant to in any way trivialize Remembrance Day and the sacrifices of our veterans. We cannot control the thoughts and emotions that confront us, and writing this was therapeutic as I struggle to come to terms with being a second class Canadian.
Canadian Cop
Yes, EmBee! Do I recall you doing your own rendition of it?
We definitely have something in common with Canadian veterans. Some are feeling angry, bitter and betrayed by the Harper government and have launched a lawsuit.
They, like us, want the Harper gang defeated next year.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/angry-veterans-call-on-serving-soldiers-to-help-defeat-tories-in-next-election/article21568850/
Thanks for all your work on this, bubblebustin. I’ll look forward to hearing about “the breakfast conversation”. Hope Mr. Martin will give this good attention and response.
I think it’s outrageous that the leader of the Liberal Party hasn’t yet done anything with this, Calgary411. I don’t even know if it’s on his radar. We’re talking about at 3% of Canada’s population, their families and business partners. I think it was John Richardson who said that CBT enforced by FATCA will affect at least 10% of Canada’s population in the end, but right now I feel like we’re the invisible elephant in the room.
I’ll be sure to follow up with Pam after Friday.
I still maintain some hope. Maybe I’m just a fool, or maybe I recognize that as long as people here are ready and willing to fight the good fight, that there is reason to have hope in the first place.
Meanwhile, I hope people may forgive me if I choose not to wallow in despair and defeatism. If I want to go home in defeat, I know where the border is.
@ Bubblebustin
Nope, no parody of that one. I was just guessing about what tune you might have in your head. Thanks for making those Liberal connections. JT just doesn’t seem to be able to dig deep into the FATCA of the matter. He needs some prodding from his team mates.
Here’s a good example of the US changing the rules at will.
Bitcoin or even Foreign Exchanges may be reportable on FBARs. Foreign Exchanges may be considered FFIs in future.
Think about it – you’re in London enjoying an afternoon down Oxford St and you pop into the Bureau de Change and you have to prove you status whether you’re a US person or not.
For me the four ‘elements’ of FATCA are:
US Indicia (everyone knows that one)
FFI (what is actually considered a FFI)
Data Set (Data required from the FFI)
Reportable Account (any balance limits or other definitions)
The US Government at will can change any of these four elements and tighten the net to capture more and more ‘US persons’ data.
And remember if the bank thinks you may be a US person, writes to you and you don’t respond – guess what you’re now a US person making your account reportable to the IRS.
It doesn’t matter what nationality you are everyone can be caught in the FATCA net.
Link for BitCoin story as well.
http://www.bna.com/bitcoin-accounts-may-n17179911550/
@all
This is what I have come up with to send to National Newspapers and News stations. It seems a little long and I would appreciate any comments to make it better. I also don’t know how to link to specific comments (Anne Frank’s) so I don’t need to attach hard copies. Any help there?
@Canadian Cop. Are you still OK with your story being sent to these organizations. I don’t know if anything will come of it but it does put your story more “out there”
Canadians Afraid of their own Government
I have been concerned with the lack of interest in the media about the recent Government of Canada Statement of Defense to the lawsuit filed against the government by the grassroots organization “Alliance for the Defense of Canadian Sovereignty.” This is the charter challenge filed in the Canadian Federal Court against the Government of Canada FATCA/IGA agreement.
I am also concerned that the plight of over a million ordinary, law-abiding Canadians and their spouses, business partners and employers trapped in the extraterritorial tax and extreme penalty grab of the United States Government against Canadian citizens with often tenuous ties to the U.S. does not seem to be resonating with Canadians.
Please read the compelling story of one such Canadian; an “Accidental American” or “Border Baby” which was posted on the Isaac Brock Society website Nov. 10, 2014. I hope this can put a human face to these devastating laws and clearly demonstrate how ludicrous and unfair both the United States and Canadian government’s actions are in this matter. This post and subsequent discussion can be viewed online at: http://isaacbrocksociety.ca/2014/11/10/oh-canada/#more-33537
Our Canadian Government is helping the United States with this action by signing the FATCA IGA which is now being implemented across the country. The result is that many Canadian citizens feel they must go in to hiding to protect themselves and their families and our government, the Harper Government, is doing nothing to help them and indeed has admitted in the Statement of Defense that it has sacrificed these Canadians in order to protect the big banks.
The truth is that the Harper Government has again defined two classes of Canadian Citizens:
The A class are those Canadians who are non-immigrants and have no United States “taint”.
The B class are all the rest of us; naturalized Canadians, Accidental Americans, and dual nationals who are being denied our Charter rights and the protection of our government as Canadian citizens.
The Isaac Brock Society and Maple Sandbox are grass roots organizations formed in the early days of FATCA with a mission to help Canadian citizens learn about United States citizenship and tax laws and how to extricate themselves from its web but also to protect themselves from the blossoming Compliance Industry and large amounts of misinformation that is out there. Many Canadians still cannot easily extricate themselves and have to go through expensive accountant and lawyer’s fees to become compliant with the US hoping that all of their legitimate Canadian RRSP, RESP, RDSP savings and other investments are not handed over to the United States. Some have already lost much. The United States is making it even more difficult by creating long wait times for renunciation appointments and increasing the fees for renunciation by huge amounts. There is a legitimate and palpable fear among these Canadians.
You can read full accounts of the Charter Challenge and analysis of the Government of Canada Statement of Defense at: https://adcsovereignty.wordpress.com
I have attached two excellent analyses of the Statement of Defense taken from the above website written by Anne Frank. The first is more legal in its discussion whereas the second is more designed for the lay person and easier to understand.
There is also a lot of background information and ongoing stories of our new second class Canadians on the Isaac Brock Society website at: http://isaacbrocksociety.ca
I have to say this after reading this post. It is such an incredible shame that Harper and the Cons have made this man feel this way after this agreement to turn him over to a foreign country. This man, in his career in law enforcement for Canada, has put his life in danger on many many occasions to stand on guard for us Canadians. Furthermore, he has been instrumental in helping us in our fight for justice. The Canadian government answered our cries for help and justice by ignoring our letters and requests for meetings with our local MP’s. This makes me really wonder if all of us Canadians are just dollars and nothing more. This is not Canada, this is a country that will change for the bad unless we stop it now. Canadian Cop, thank you for your service to our country. We will thank you and stand by you and all others who were thoughtlessly ignored by our “elected officials”. This is a dark time for Canada. I’m sure Harper and Obama(bam bam) are toasting to their partnership as I write this.
@ Cheryl
Feel free to send my post to whoever you would like. I guess once it is on the web, it is already “out there” anyway!
@NativeCanadian (and others)
Thanks for your kind words. All of us have had this foisted upon us and are trying to cope as best we can. I guess for me, another one of the triggers that brought home how totally ludicrous and unjust this situation is was wearing my ceremonial dress (a Canadian symbol) while singing the national anthem and realizing that I had been relegated to second class citizenship. We are all in this together and we are all having our peaceful lives disrupted unjustly. The fighting spirit I see displayed by Brockers and Sandboxers is an inspiration to me and renews my hope that good will prevail in the end.
Thanks Csnadian Cop. I wish you and all of us good luck!
To me, if I didn’t fight this, I would feel like a soldier who left a wounded friend in the field knowing I could have saved his/her life by helping them. We will keep fighting together, and you can bet on that!
As a new Canadian, I don’t feel betrayed really. I didn’t grow up believing that govts protect the little guy b/c, well, I grew up in America where there simply isn’t the case. The fact that it is also not really the case here does not surprise me.
I’m a Gen X. Low expectations come naturally to me.
I wore my poppy but I have never bought into the honouring of soldiers. Remembrance Day (Veteran’s Day, Memorial Day) is about mourning, remembering the horror and the tremendous waste. To me that’s what “lest we forget” means and it’s clear that a whole lot of us have forgotten which makes the whole thing even more sad.
And for those of you wondering where the Liberals are?
They are trying to win, so don’t look for any heroics.
I had to quit the party a couple of months back b/c the involvement of Obama minions and Democratic ass kissing was not good for my blood pressure. I even told them as much when I resigned from the riding’s board and they are still trying to get me to come back (that’s how little they care about what people really think or feel just as long as you make donations and volunteer, they’re fine with reassuring you that what you think is going on – isn’t really going on – even though it is.)
But even if we all voted Green, it would make no difference. The system is not set up in a way that dissenters can ever change things or make a difference by voting b/c we are scattered all over. Best bet is still the Charter challenge and shit-kicking in the social and mass media as much as possible.
The Party System will forever be corrupt, until we make serious changes to the system ie. proportional representation and accountability, it won’t change.
I’ve never observed Remembrance Day, I don’t understand the practice of bringing honor to murderers who are tools of their government. ”In Flanders Fields” is the most successful piece of war propaganda of all time. Remembrance was to be a day to reflect and to say never again, instead we bang the drums for more, in lockstep with the US and Britain. It has nothing to do with human rights or educating girls, it is about regime change, and destabilizing the middle east.
The Truth About War
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DOgWuGYGeo
A Very Canadian Coup D’etat
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1mFGxvCK3E&list=UUEDloExLjIF8S1bRN_XPMdQ&index=84
How Many Wars has Britain Fought
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1008209932539063&set=vb.531336173559777&type=2&theater
Yes, YogaGirl, in summary our best bet is the litigation on both the Canadian side and the US side of the border — and in any other country that will take go forward with their own Challenge. We cannot depend on any of our political parties rushing in on a white horse to save us or the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Donate, Donate — help make it happen, everyone: http://www.adcs-adsc.ca/
@Calgary411 – The EU has been quite on this issue apart from some articles in UK newspapers.
Someone needs to mount a legal challenge to get the issue up to the European Court of Justice.
Even if governments agree to share everyone’s data, it still may be possible to demonstrate an EU citizen with US place of birth or US citizenship is being disadvantaged / burdened by either the IGA or these new information sharing clauses showing up in EU banks terms & conditions
Every EU citizen should have a ‘level playing field’ vis-à-vis the rights / privileges of EU citizenship. FATCA undermines someone’s EU citizenship rights. Shouldn’t every resident EU citizen have the same financial autonomy? Shouldn’t all resident EU citizens be subject to Residence Based Taxation along with being only taxed in their home country? To say otherwise isn’t a level playing field.
Ironically the US make answering the question ‘why don’t you renounce?’ easier to answer by bumping up the renunciation fee to $2350 along with all the hoops you need to go through.
In the EU some governments may offer legal aid to fund the case so the need to raise money may not be as great.
With possible legal aid to fund such a case, I believe EU courts would be more likely to rule against FATCA for resident EU citizens. The IRS should be concerned if legal challenges in the EU start popping up.
Here is George Carlin’s take on the effectiveness of political action: George Carlin Clip on Political Action — or the Illusion of Meaningless Choice
Thanks, Sid.
Dear Canadian cop:
Renounce! Renounce! Renounce! US citizenship is NOT worth the hassle. I have an appointment in March, and it will be the second happiest day of my life to get rid of my unwanted US citizenship. I hope you do consider renouncing and getting rid of your citizenship. The US really does a # on its young people (children) by beating it into their heads that US citizenship is precious and is wanted by people worldwide. I was taught US history in 3rd grade, 5th grade, 8th grade as a junior in high school, I had to take American literature before I graduated from high school, I had a year of American intellectual history in college, and I had to take a year of American literature in college as well. Talk about indoctrination! US citizenship is a curse.
I agree with JJ in that if you can renounce, just do it. However, what if you don’t have $2350?
Not sure if this is the right thread for this.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertwood/2014/11/15/i-am-canada-hear-me-roar-mr-president/
I have only one word to describe Canadians, who were born here (like I was), and before marriage, had no taint of US personhood; who would give up Canada’s sovereignty so easily after those like Isaac Brock and others fought and gave their lives to save a fledgling Canada from the grasping hands of an American president (James Madison) who sought to have Canada annexed into the Union – TRAITORS.
…and all traitors to Canada should be HUNG from the nearest lamp-post. It is absolutely ironic that those who were born here should have the least amount of faith and loyalty to their country, while those who have adopted Canada as their own should be the first to take up the fight against a second invasion by the United States – this time more insidious than the first.
Charlie,
I posted the letter to Mr. Obama on my thread too.
That was one of the best articles I’ve seen on the effects of Fatca. This is likely because it was written from the heart of a victim. Hear me Mr. President, we will fight you until your unjust law is repealed!
@NativeCanadian, I agree wholeheartedly it was the best letter I’ve seen. But will it ever get read by the President himself? If not, how can we gauge his reaction to it?