All teenagers face citizen pledge at 18

[T_i_B]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/britain/article/0,2763,1394406,00.html

Citizenship ceremonies for 18-year-olds could be introduced to celebrate their transition to adulthood as part of an official drive to improve community cohesion, the home secretary, Charles Clarke, said yesterday.

The idea was floated as part of a package that will see the introduction of Britain's first "citizenship day" this October, and a pocket-size guide to the British constitution.

Ministers believe the introduction last year of such ceremonies for new migrants has proved popular and it is now time to consider introducing such services for those born in Britain when they reach voting age.

"It is about a rite of passage," said the Home Office minister, Fiona Mactaggart. "New entrants to citizenship who come from another citizenship have been given a rite of passage and it has worked, despite the cynics. It might increase voting among young people, for example. It might increase their interest in contributing to society."

[tjwmason]

1. This whole obsession with making us into 'citizens'

sounds rather like the French Revolution to me.

If you want to encourage young people to vote, the best thing would be to give them real choices and challenges.

[no_hypocrisy]

2. Sounds like a secular, political bar mitzvah to me.

And what are the consequences for those teens who demur, refuse, or defy the "pledge"? What is their legal status or social status if they are treated differently than those who did?

[Mr Creosote]

3. Stick it where the sun don't shine

If this involves any mention of god or the queen I doubt many of them will want to attend. My son certainly wouldn't.

[Mr Creosote]

5. Actually

what might increase voting amongst youth (and the rest of us) is politicians who just occasionally told the truth and tried to make things better - rather than seeing office as an opportunity to lie and thieve.

[mr blur]

17. Nor mine!

After all, I didn't bring him up to believe in god or the queen or any of that nonsense!

[Kolesar]

4. I thought a bloody lip at a football game was your "rite of passage"

:P

[neweurope]

6. I'm absolutely against it. First it's "volontary" ,

then obligatory - then you'll be punished if you don't swear... What if the political landscape changes, what if they pass laws a moral person cannot swear to, or if a dictator leads the state should you then swear on the person of him? etc.

If administration officials swear on the constitution of a country - very well. But ordinary citizens? No. Now that Britain (after the US, Australia and Canada - sometimes I see a new Commonwealth in the making with the USA at top *donnes tinfoil hat*) has started with this nonsense they'll probably try and introduce this in the rest of Europe, too. *sigh*

--------------------

Remember Fallujah

Bush to The Hague!

[SweetLeftFoot]

7. Australia

only has swearing in ceremonies for new citizens - as in people from overseas.

Native borns turning 18 need only skull 14 stubbies in a row and then do at least two bucket bongs within the next 45 minutes to prove their worth.

[muriel_volestrangler]

8. Anyone remember John Christopher's The Tripods?

"It´s "Capping Day", a rite of passage that every sixteen year old must go through. The ceremony is carried out by the Tripods themselves. "Capping" is a process which creates peaceful, easily dominated humans, thus allowing the Tripods to rule. Now, it´s Will Parker´s turn."

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art1920.asp

[Nihil]

9. Yep!

Watched the TV series avidly then went and bought the book ...
(... which means it is probably lying around somewhere in my garage)

[Taxloss]

10. Amazing series. Really creepy.

[bennywhale]

21. The Tripods used to scare the shit out of me.

[Taxloss]

11. "a pocket-size guide to the British constitution"

A blank piece of cardboard? Last time I looked, we didn't have a constitution.

Oh yes, the UNWRITTEN constitution. So a blank piece of card then.

[T_i_B]

13. That's exactly what I was thinking

First of all can we have a written constitution before we have stuff like that please?

[sweetheart]

14. In the home office UK citizenship guide

It does actually explain the human rights act, as much of that
"constitution" along with a simple outline of what government
structure is.... THat act did actually create something written.

[bennywhale]

22. Yeah the unwritten constitution which politician's (mainly Tory) says it

shows how wonderful we all are cos we don't need it written down. Translation, they make it up as they go along, with no inconvenient things like inalienable rights

[sweetheart]

12. well ain'tt that special

So it seems they're gonna stick everybody with the pledge that they're
foisting on the new immigrants to the cult.... as all nations are cults
truth be told.

This is bound to create resistance, as natural borns are not gonna
want to pledge to the queen... and that be near 50% of them republicans
out there...

If you government assholes want to improve the voting by young people,
then end the drugs war, and show that you've some common sense. As it
stands, the statistics of youth doing drugs, coincide conveniently with
discontent with voting... and it only takes a few brain cells to notice
a correlelation.... stupid stupid stupid.

That a cult that lies to its people, and murders its youth in wars
created by liars, and then expects people to be helpful in upholding
the liars and their lies.... seems all a bit far fetched....

Geez, if they really want voter participation, they could simply
ditch the liars an the wars and be much improved.

[Kipling]

15. Never gonna happen

Politicians have to think up shit ideas every 3 months or so to keep reporters on their feet.

[mr blur]

16. Hell, this is getting more like Jesusland every day.

How long before some jerk comes up with the bright idea that saluting the flag every day in school will build a better society.
New Labour: Forward into the 19th Century.

[tjwmason]

19. As you may have seen from somebody sig file

The original idea was for the U.S. pledge of allegiance to be recited facing the flag giving the straight armed salute.

Though in fairness it should be noted that this was part of the idealisation of the Roman Republic -siting alongside the prominent display of the fasces (root of the word fascist) in the House of Representatives - and was long before the dodginess of Hitler and Mussolini.

[Anarcho-Socialist]

18. Sovereignty

They're trying to make it so that our allegiance is to the State, rather than the State holding allegiance to its people.

[bennywhale]

20. Their DNA will be swabbed on the way in, a quick God save the Queen,

fingerprints taken, and a leaflet from the armed forces on the way out.

[jsmill]

23. "Their DNA will be swabbed on the way in, a quick God save the Queen,"

It'll never get off the ground.