What 2,000 readers had to say about allegiance to the Queen It's like they don't even care that the Duchess of Cambridge is about to have a baby or that the Queen has been on the throne for an impressive 60 years. I know, it's almost impossible to believe. But a handful of would-be citizens are refusing to pledge allegiance to the Canadian head of state, even though tens of millions of people born in this country have happily done so because saying those words is such an important part of the Canadian identity. Wait, what? Never mind - it turns out you don't have to actually go through the trouble if you were born in this country instead of actively choosing to live here. It's just implied that you're onside with "Queen Elizabeth the Second, Queen of Canada, her Heirs and Successors." The small group of malcontents brought their complaint to court last week, arguing that denying them citizenship simply because they don't care for the monarchy is unfair. They also think that it denies them their freedom of expression, because agreeing to the pledge would mean staying silent on their anti-monarchy beliefs. Law reporter Jeff Gray played it down the middle on his story last week, with both sides well represented. There were thousands of comments, and most of them were even printable. The high level of interest is understandable - Canadians may not be particularly patriotic, but it can feel weird when someone comes around and says you've been doing everything wrong for decades. Those against the pledge used some strong language, calling the whole thing "repulsive." Among the malcontents are a long-time republican who grew up in Ireland but has lived in Canada since 1964 and a Rastafarian who believes the Queen is the "Queen of Babylon" and therefore an oath of allegiance would "deeply violate" her religious beliefs. The government, ever mindful of inflaming passions, spoke in more formal terms about the "integrity of the system." "The inability to enjoy the benefits of citizenship - to hold a Canadian passport and to vote - are amongst the costs reasonably borne by individuals whose personal beliefs run contrary to Canada's foundational constitutional structure," a lawyer for the federal Attorney-General said in written arguments. That left The Globe and Mail's strongly opinionated readers to fill out the range of opinion. Canada is not an à la carte menu. It's a package deal," one reader wrote, very sensibly. Don't like it? Don't ask to get in. "I was born in Canada, but asked to swear an oath of allegiance to the Queen, I will refuse," wrote another, very sensibly. I will be happy to swear an oath of allegiance to Canada. It's a case Canadians will follow closely as it winds its way through the courts. Or at least they would follow, if there wasn't a royal baby on the way. Because as much as Canadians like to talk about the state of their constitutional monarchy, the subject just can't compete with the online controversy that will erupt when they find out the baby's name. I swear, it better not be Steve. Steve Ladurantaye is The Globe and Mail's media reporter.