An Oath of Allegiance - does it make any difference?

There is much discussion in the United Kingdom about the government's proposal to consider an Oath of Allegiance to Queen and country for children about to leave school, as well as for all new immigrants to the United Kingdom and I have been having some intense debates about it on various internet groups.

It might surprise some who know me, but I'm actually in favour. I'm not a monarchist but I do recognise that the Queen is our head of state and until the political process decrees that the situation changes and we become a Republic - if we ever do - then the office is entitled to respect.



The critics of the idea say three things 1) Its a government gimmick to try and restore popularity 2) Its a hideous American import and we want none of it 3) It's the kind of thing totalitarian regimes do before cowing the people into submission. And of course everyone cites Hitler.

Well let me analyse the elements I agree and disagree with. Yes it might be a government 'bright idea' or 'gimmick' and maybe its a covert way of comforting the 'traditional' Britons who fear we are being taken over by foreign cultural values. But is soothing such a fear necessarily a bad thing?

Second, we do tend to distrust this passionate degree of overt patriotism often shown in the United States and I wouldn't want to see flags hung from every home and all the trimmings but I don't see why the UK cannot extract what is good about the American 'bonding' process and use it to advantage.

As for the third fear, well I think that's simply scare-mongering. Lots of democratic countries have oaths of allegiance without falling into the grip of totalitarian dictatorships. It is simply an affirmation that you respect your nation state, in the symbolic figure of its head, the Queen in our case, and that you take on board the responsibilities of being a citizen.

And that's why I support the idea. My fear is not of totalitarian take-over but that Britain is drifting without a clear vision of its place in the world - but, at the same time, is a welcome mat for all the world's cultures who come and make their homes here. Now I am fine with that but I do believe we have not given a clear direction of what responsibilities people accept when they become citizens of the United Kingdom and my fear is that we will become a fragmented set of isolated communities all living in their own self imposed purdah with none but the most essential communication with other faiths and cultures. That is where I see the danger to our future as a nation and maybe some kind of bonding symbol might be a first step.

It's a good idea to begin in the schools and I think its a wise suggestion to wait until children are on the verge of adulthood and know what they are 'signing up' to. In that way it doesn't penalise on racial or cultural grounds. Every child about to leave school be they indigenous anglo saxon English, black, brown, new European ,,whatever..simply takes a simple oath which perhaps makes them understand that a citizen of any country has certain obligations to it....and surely that can't be a bad thing?