The song “Imagine” by John Lennon, was the best selling single of his career, selling over 1.6 million copies and was released in 1971. It states that we should live in peace and harmony. That we should all be equal, and live in one big country to stop wars about land and that we should live in the present instead of thinking about the future. These ideas have been thrown around and agreed with, but no one ever tries to anything about it. Except for the glorious nation of Canada. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms formed the first part of our Constitution Act in 1982. It has all the rights and freedoms that every person in Canada has and needs. This song contradicts the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms because it disagrees …show more content…
In the song, he makes a point where there should be no countries. If there are no countries, Canada will not exist, completely negating this Freedom. It also makes it so you cannot move in, out and around the new country-free world. Then people will start getting mad about that and there being no Charter, so people will break out into riots, completely ruining John Lennon’s vision of peace. In addition, in section 6-2, it states that every citizen of Canada and every person who has the status of a permanent resident of Canada has the right (a) to move and take up residence in any province; and (b) to pursue the gaining of livelihood in any province. Since there would be no countries or provinces, you cannot gain wealth, dissenting trade completely. This Infringes on our equality …show more content…
One line in the song directly counters this freedom be saying, “And no religion too”. Without religion, you do not have the freedom to practice your own religion. Also, he wrote “Imagine there is no heaven, it’s easy if you try. No hell below us, above us only sky”. These lyrics also infringe on our rights of religion by hinting that there will be no higher and supernatural beings other that we can worship. It also states that you have the freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression. This freedom also counters the statement “And no religion too”. Also, in an article about of freedom with religion with ccla.org under the sub-section “Why This Matters”, they state that: Regardless of what you believe or practice, and whether you subscribe to a particular set of religious beliefs or don’t, protecting freedom of religion is an important part of ensuring that all people are treated with equal dignity and respect. Freedom of religion helps to ensure that religious minorities are not the subject of discrimination and also protects the rights of those whose beliefs may lie with the majority. To summarize this, without religion people will find it hard to be treated with dignity and respect. Without religion, it is hard to believe or think about a god or a significant character that you might worship. “Imagine there is no countries”. This lyric takes away our freedom of
Moreover, although no powers or rights have been explicitly ‘reserved’ to the people, supporters of the charter nevertheless appear to give Canadians hope that the possibility may exist. COMPARISON OF BILL OF RIGHTS AND THE CANADIAN CHARTER... ... middle of paper ... ...
In conclusion, Canada is held strong with the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. As citizens know their rights and freedoms they can help change the shape of Canada by Charter Challenges. Changes move
Canada is perceived by other nations as a peace-loving and good-natured nation that values the rights of the individual above all else. This commonly held belief is a perception that has only come around as of late, and upon digging through Canadian history it quickly becomes obvious that this is not the truth. Canadian history is polluted with numerous events upon which the idea that Canada is a role model for Human Rights shows to be false. An extreme example of this disregard for Human Rights takes place at the beginning of the twentieth-century, which is the excessive prejudice and preconceived notions that were held as truths against immigrants attempting to enter Canada. Another prime example of these prejudices and improper Human Rights is the Internment of those of Japanese descent or origin during the Second World War. Also the White Paper that was published by the government continues the theme of Human Rights being violated to the utmost extreme. All these events, as well as many others in history, give foundation to the idea that “Canada as a champion for Human Rights is a myth”.
The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom is a bill of rights included in the Constitution of Canada. It forms the first part of the Constitution Act,1982. The document includes pictures of the Canadian coast of arms, the flag of Canada, the Parliament Building, and the signature of the former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. The purpose of the Charter is to guarantees certain political rights to Canadian citizens. These rights include:
Different states have various ways of ruling and governing their political community. The way states rule reflects upon the political community and the extent of positive and negative liberty available to their citizens. Canada has come a long way to establishing successful rights and freedoms and is able to do so due to the consideration of the people. These rights and freedoms are illustrated through negative and positive liberties; negative liberty is “freedom from” and positive liberty is “freedom to”. A democracy, which is the style of governing utilized by Canada is one that is governed more so by the citizens and a state is a political community that is self-governing which establishes rules that are binding. The ‘Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms’ allow Canada’s population to live a free and secure life. This is demonstrated through the fundamental freedoms, which permit the people to freely express themselves and believe in what they choose. Canadians also have democratic rights authorizing society to have the right to democracy and vote for the members of the House of Commons, considering the fact that the House of Commons establishes the laws which ultimately influence their lifestyle. The tools that are used to function a democratic society such as this are, mobility, legal and equality rights, which are what give Canadians the luxury of living life secured with freedom and unity. Furthermore it is safe to argue that ‘The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms’, proves the exceeding level of efficiency that is provided for Canadians in comparison to other countries where major freedoms are stripped from their political community.
The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms was signed into law by Queen Elizabeth II April 17, 1982. Often referred to as the Charter, it affirms the rights and freedoms of Canadians in the Constitution of Canada. The Charter encompasses fundamental freedoms, democratic rights, mobility rights, legal rights, language rights and equality rights. The primary function of the Charter is to act as a regulatory check between Federal, Provincial and Territorial governments and the Canadian people. Being a successor of the Canadian Bill of Rights that was a federal statute, amendable by Parliament, the Charter is a more detailed and explicit constitutional document that has empowered the judiciary to render regulations and statutes at both the federal and provincial levels of government unconstitutional. Although the rights and freedoms of Canadians are guaranteed, Sections one and seven of the Charter permit the federal and provincial governments to limit the rights and freedoms enjoyed by Canadians. Section one of the Charter designated ‘Rights and freedoms in Canada’ states “The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees the rights and freedoms set out in it subject only to such reasonable limits prescribed by law as can be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society.” This section is frequently referred to and better known as the reasonable limits clause. The second rights and freedoms limiting section of the Charter, known as the ‘notwithstanding clause’ is Section thirty-three entitled ‘Exception where express declaration’ declares
The country that we have come to call Canada has been created through the unity of several
...f them, Canadians want to push forward and see change and new things and not to hold onto the colonial past. The abolishment of the Monarchy in Canada would let the younger population of people become more global and distinct in their role as Canadians to the world
...l of rights were enacted, everyone would be employed but there would be very little growth within the country. The country would be a very different place.
The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms was enacted under the Pierre Trudeau government on April 17, 1982. According to Phillip Bryden, “With the entrenchment of the Charter into the Canadian Constitution, Canadians were not only given an explicit definition of their rights, but the courts were empowered to rule on the constitutionality of government legislation” (101). Prior to 1982, Canada’s central constitutional document was the British North America Act of 1867. According to Kallen, “The BNA Act (the Constitution Act, 1867) makes no explicit reference to human rights” (240). The adoption of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms significantly transformed the operation of Canada’s political system. Presently, Canadians define their needs and complaints in human rights terms. Bryden states, “More and more, interest groups and minorities are turning to the courts, rather than the usual political processes, to make their grievances heard” (101). Since it’s inception in 1982 the Charter has become a very debatable issue. A strong support for the Charter remains, but there also has been much criticism toward the Charter. Academic critics of the Charter such as Robert Martin believe that the Charter is doing more harm than good, and is essentially antidemocratic and UN-Canadian. I believe that Parliament’s involvement in implementing the Charter is antidemocratic, although, the Charter itself represents a democratic document. Parliament’s involvement in implementing the Charter is antidemocratic because the power of the executive is enhanced at the expense of Parliament, and the power of the judiciary is enhanced at the expense of elected officials, although, the notwithstanding clause continues to provide Parliament with a check on...
Of course, the philosopher spoke of New France, when he made that analogy. More recently, former Prime Minister, Joe Clark, said that the country was nothing but a “community of communities”. Both these images have helped us, in one way or another, try to interpret what defines this country. On the other hand, a Canadian could be a beer, a hockey-playing beaver or even a canoe floating in a summer sunset. A Canadian could also be a “sovereign typhoon”, refusing to see the liquefaction, albeit political, of the second largest country in the world.
Many people across the globe argue that nationalism within Canada is simply not feasible. It is said that we as a people, differ so greatly with our diverse cultures, religions, and backgrounds that we cannot come together and exist together as a strong, united nation. In his book, Lament for a Nation, George Grant tells the reader that “…as Canadians we attempted a ridiculous task in trying to build a conservative nation in the age of progress, on a continent we share with the most dynamic nation on earth. The current history is against us.” (1965) Originally directed towards the Bomarc Missile Crisis, the book argues that whatever nationalism Canada had was destroyed by globalization as well as the powerful American sphere of influence. Although it is true that the book was initially written as a response to the events that took place in the late 1950s, many of the points are still valid today.
On August 26, 1789, the assembly issued the “Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen.” Through judicial matters, this document was written in order to secure due process and to create self-government among the French citizens. This document offered to the world and especially to the French citizens a summary of the morals and values of the Revolution, while in turn justifying the destruction of a government; especially in this case the French government, based upon autocracy of the ruler and advantage. The formation of a new government based upon the indisputable rights of the individuals of France through liberty and political uniformity.
John Lennon was born on October 9th 1940 in Liverpool, England 1. His father left the family to sail the seas before Lennon’s earliest childhood memory and his mother was taken away by a car accident when he was 18 2. A year after his mother’s death, the Vietnam War took place, which is The United State’s longest military dispute ever. The world famous band, The Beatles, debut on 1961 not long after the start of the war and through this band, Lennon was able to demonstrate his feelings to the people across the world. "Revolution," performed by The Beatles, was created in 1968, when the anti-war demonstration was on the move. After the separation of The Beatles in 1969, Lennon composed the song "Imagine" (1971) 3. This song proves that Lennon is a Peace-Loving-Atheist and a "Voluntarist" 4 that believes in the scheme that people’s ideas can change social reality; however simultaneously admits that there are constantly wars going on in the world. As a result, he could be a mixture of all four, Realist, Liberal, Marxist and Constructivist. On December 8th 1980, approximately five years after the end of the Vietnam War, Lennon was assassinated by Mark Chapman 5. It is not for certain that the word assassination could be used on a singer, song writer who also published books. However there is no doubt about the fact that Lennon touched many people’s hearts around the world and maybe was even praised as an almighty figure.
"Is this living free?" Obviously not. Additionally, the songwriter does not want to be a hypocrite by continuing to sin and nail holes into the wrists of his Savior ("I don't wanna be the one to have the son's blood on my hands") and the son he is referring to is Christ, the son of God. Christ shed his blood to atone for the sins of man (or for those who believe depending on your theology). The songwriter is in turmoil because he knows he is hurting the his Savior and not living in the freedom that is meant for him.