Service is...*ahem*...VOLUNTARY

If your knickers knot so tightly over the fact that Canada is a constitutional monarchy sharing a Head of State with Great Britain, then the Canadian Forces should not be your employer of choice:

An officer in the Canadian Forces is suing Canada's top soldier over a "degrading" policy that requires members of the military to toast the Queen and salute during the anthem, God Save the Queen.

Capt. Aralt Mac Giolla Chainnigh, an associate professor of physics at the Royal Military College in Kingston, wants a court to overturn the requirement for members of the Canadian Forces to publicly display their loyalty to the monarchy.

Note the "Royal" in "Royal Military College." Positively scandalous to Capt Chainnigh, I'm sure. How he looks himself in the mirror before going to work each morning, I don't know. But wait, there's more:

"You might, as a military officer, wish to express your unity with those who served Canada during a particular war, but have the obligation to recognize a foreign monarch as having a situation of authority over the Canadian armed forces."

He also objects to the fact officers are required to show respect to the Union Jack.

He argues in his claim that the requirement to publicly express allegiance contrary to one's belief is degrading to an individual.

Capt. Mac Giolla Chainnigh -- who legally changed his name from Harold Kenny to its Irish spelling -- says he signed up for the Canadian Forces to serve Canada, not a "foreign monarch." He was 16 years old when he enlisted and begrudgingly swore loyalty to the Queen. [Babbler's emphasis]

He changed his name? *jaw dropping*

Well, that's the real issue here, isn't it? The man's obviously a zealot.

Let's be clear here. He's required to show special respect to ERII because she's Canada's Head of State, not because she's England's. He's required to show respect to the Union Jack because it's a national flag, not because it's Great Britain's national flag - he has to salute the Chinese flag, the South African flag, the U.S. Stars & Bars the same as the Union Flag.

This is part and parcel of serving in the CF, Captain. You've pulled a paycheck from the Crown twice a month for almost thirty years now. Suck it up or file your voluntary release papers and start collecting a pension - from the Crown. And don't let the door hit you in the ass on your way out.