No clue

Richard Martin wrote a letter complaining about the one I had written in support of the Monarchy in Canada.  He advocates just declaring independence -- like Jamaica did.  See, that's typical of the ignorance surrounding what it would take to do away with the Monarchy and the Queen as head of state.  This guy doesn't even know that Jamaica remains part of the Commonwealth, that it is one of the 16 realms, as is Canada, that the Queen is still Queen of Jamaica and Head of State.   

"Marley-Clarke says we are a constitutional monarchy.  That's a polite was of saying that we're a colony," he complains.  How dumb can you be.  We are not a "colony", of course, and Canada just can't "declare independence".  We are an independent nation, as is Jamaica.  You don't have to have a republic to be independent.  People are just simply uninformed.  Remember what happened when Trudeau patriated the constitution in 1982?  It was a herculean task even without changing a word of it.  And look what happened when Mulroney tried to shove through the Meech Lake and Charlottetown accords.  Canadians would have none of it.

Canada is a country that works -- in every sense of the word.  No politician in his or her right mind would try to re-write the constitution.  Can anyone spell "instability"?  Business would fold up as fast as you could say, "we're outta here".  Business does not like instability, just a fact.  That's what happened in Quebec in the '70s and that's what will happen again if, for example, Pauline Marois wins the upcoming election. 

"Recently Jamaican-Canadians marked the independence of Jamaica on Parliment Hill.  They were so proud of their heritage," he went on in his letter.  Really?  We should follow Jamaica's example?  Please.  After declaring independence, it was all downhill for that island.  In fact, the only Caribbean island that remains successful and functioning in a law-abiding manner is Bermuda -- also the only country left that did not declare independence from Britain.  The crime rate is so high (tourist advisories and more than 1,500 murders a year), you take your life in your hands vacationing in Jamaica, unless you stay in a gated hotel....and even then......

Why Jamaican-Canadians flocked to Parliament Hill to celebrate is beyond me.  Firstly, they are Canadians, not "Jamaican-Canadians" and secondly, why hold the event on Parliament Hill?  Guns and ganga are the biggest exports out of Jamaica.  And last time I checked, people were emigrating in droves from Jamaica, not lining up to get in.  I mean, if it's so great there, why stay here?