My Take: By Gordon Lambie

It is really striking how many people have strong opinions on an oath of allegiance despite never having made one themselves. I’d guess that most people in Canada associate the verb, “to swear” with something you do when you stub your toe and, if asked, would assign little significance to the words of an oath to a king, a flag, or some other figurehead of variable cultural importance. If you don’t have to make such a commitment, then what does it matter, right?
Ask someone who has had to make that promise, however, either in taking office or in becoming a citizen, and the phrasing becomes much more of an important matter.
We can’t afford to consider world leaders divine and infallible anymore and requiring people to pledge allegiance to them as if they are is out of date at best, and dangerous at worst.