Is there any danger to Canadians in a new oath or is it just a matter of traditions and symbols?
Oaths are not pious statements of goodwill. They are legally binding commitments with punishments for failure to live up to them. They should therefore be precise and limited. Poets should have no role in preparing an oath because poetry is inherently subjective and open to interpretation whereas the law must be objectively clear. Our current oath meets these tests: (1) loyalty is to the personification of the state — to the Queen who has previously taken an oath to govern the people properly (this limits the commitment of the people); (2) the laws of the country must be observed but no one opposed to them is required to uphold or support the laws; and (3) duty must be done. Oaths to the country or to presumed social values are attempts to impose ideological uniformity on Canadians and a threat to human rights and freedom.