Don't rock boat on name change: Navy
This is annoying:
OTTAWA — Canada’s navy has told former sailors to shut up about changing the naval forces’ name back to Royal Canadian Navy, a senior officer testified Monday.
“The navy has said to the naval officers associations, don’t push it. We have bigger fish to fry and we don’t want to get everybody upset about something we can live without,” retired Cmdr. Chris Thain, president of the Winnipeg branch of the Naval Officers Association of Canada, told a Senate committee.
Canada’s navy is officially called Maritime Commmand.
Liberal Sen. William Rompkey wants to change the name to Canadian Navy but some senators believe the naval forces should be called the Royal Canadian Navy, their official name prior to 1968.
“It is one (name) many of our sailors fought and died under, a name that instils, in my opinion, pride and respect,” Conservative Sen. Don Plett said.
Many vets take great pride in their R.C.N. distinctions, Thain added, but the message from above has been “fairly pervasive.”
“We don’t want to do anything that might upset people so let’s just go (with) Canadian navy,” he suggested.
Liberal Sen. Joseph Day believes the navy only has one chance to return to its royal distinction.
“If it doesn’t happen now, it will never happen,” he said. He is urging serving personnel to e-mail him at dayja@sen.parl.gc.ca and tell him what they think.
Opponents say the Royal Canadian Navy brings back ideas of colonialism and is insensitive to francophones, aboriginals and new Canadians who cannot identify with the term.
“I’m ok with Maritime Command changing to Canadian Navy, but adding the term Royal I think is really exaggerated,” said Bloc Quebecois defence critic Claude Bachand.
Royal Canadian Navy just doesn’t recognize the reality of Canada in 2010, said Rompkey.
“We are an independent and unique country,” he said.
"Royal Canadian Navy just doesn’t recognize the reality of Canada in 2010, said Rompkey."
ReplyDeleteAnd maintaining the Royal Canadian Mounted Police does? I don't hear anybody yelling about how we have to de-Britishify the RCMP in order for it be be truly Canadian. Somehow the RCMP, with its British traditions, heritage and Royal title, has managed to become one of our most iconic national symbols which pretty much destroys the notion that the only true Canadian symbols are those completely devoid of connections to the Monarchy and our British roots. Perhaps the senator would like to try out his theory on the RCMP and see how far he gets.
Well said.
ReplyDeleteI could not agree more!
ReplyDeleteYou should send the above comment to all the Senators on the Defence Committee.