One doesn't have to look much farther than the second provision of Bill 14, to understand that the law is one of the most pernicious attacks on the rights of minorities ever undertaken by a government in this country, one dedicated to disenfranchising minorities and anglophones from forming a recognized and valued element of society. In one fell swoop the government of Quebec has taken the unprecedented step to relegate the over 21% of those Quebecers who do not share a French mother tongue and who do not share the 'common culture' of poutine and maple syrup, to second class citizenship, a situation where their culture and language is no longer recognized as part of the greater Quebec society.
According to Section 2 of Bill 14, as pertaining to French;
To those francophones reading this and pooh-poohing my interpretation as overly harsh and who believe that minorities and Anglophones are not being marginalized, I would ask them to consider the following;“It constitutes the foundation of Québec’s identity and of a distinct culture that is open to the world.”
What would be your reaction to the Government of Canada enacting the similar legislation on a national level.
I'm sure francophones wouldn't be excited to see their language and culture excluded from the definition of how Canada defines itself and if there is a difference between what the Quebec government is planning and what I propose above, I'd like to see someone attempt to do so in the comments section.“English constitutes the foundation of Canada’s identity and of a distinct culture that is open to the world.”
Come to think of it how about New Brunswick enacting the same type of legislation, one that erases in one fell swoop the value and worth of francophone culture in that province.
“English constitutes the foundation of New Brunswick’s identity and of a distinct culture that is open to the world.”
Do you find this insulting to the 30% of francophone New Brunswickers?
I certainly do, but to Quebec's French language militants and the PQ, it is perfectly normal to marginalize a significant minority of the population, telling them that their particular language and culture may be valued only as it pertains to being adjunct of society in general.
There is only so much tap dancing that one can do to justify such a draconian, hurtful and exclusionist provision.
It is a law conceived in discrimination and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created unequally. (apologies to Abraham Lincoln)
And I am tired of hearing the excuse of that old chestnut that 'desperate times require desperate measures,' it is patently untrue that French is in any sort of danger in Quebec.
More people speak French today than ever before and more people will speak French in Quebec tomorrow.
French has achieved a critical mass that precludes it from being in any sort of danger. To say otherwise is a naked attempt to manage public opinion through lies and chicanery.
Any talk of French being in danger is just separatist talk by militants meant to frighten Quebecers into buying the sovereignty pipe dream.
Twenty years ago there was hardly a politician in the National Assembly who couldn't speak English, good English at that.
Today, how many French members of that august assembly can actually watch an English television show or movie and have an acceptable level of comprehension. Less than 20% I imagine.
Most in the PQ (save for half a dozen) rehearse in the mirror the one or two lines of English they will speak to reporters and then quickly retreat into cloistered world unlingualism.
Is this the new bilingual Quebec?
Bill 14 and Bill 101 and attacks on bilingual store signs is an attempt to alter perceptions, in other words, putting English out of sight and out of mind.
With English signs removed from view, militants can foist the fiction upon an unsuspecting public that Montreal is a French city, when clearly it is bilingual and ethnically diverse.
And when French language militants tell us one more time that the English are the best-treated minority in Canada, they should be reminded it isn't true.
In fact it is the French minority in Canada that enjoys financial, social and linguistic benefits far beyond its demographic footprint.
With sovereignty out of the question, the the only option left to the nasty and vindictive French radicals, is a legislative attack on their enemies, the English and Ethnics.
If the Liberals and the CAQ allow the travesty of Bill 14 to proceed, it will send the message that they are not honourable or brave enough to face down an evil attack on their own citizens.It will demonstrate once and for all that those not with a French mother tongue are to be expendable and that the reach for power justifies the betrayal and marginalization of a million of their co-citizens.
If the CAQ and Liberals betray us on Bill 14, there is no going back. If they allow our language and culture to be relegated to second class status, they betray every value that makes us who we are. If that betrayal comes to pass, we too must make a stand and say no more and that we will not choose from the lessor of two evils.
If the CAQ votes against Bill 14 and the Liberals avoid taking a stand by not showing up as before, then the Liberals are dead to me and they should be dead to you, damn the consequences.
If the CAQ votes for the bill or doesn't show up for the vote, well a pox on both their houses and for us it means that there is no political route left in Quebec to defend the interests of our community,
We are getting close to the time when it is time to move towards street activism.
....yup.....I said it.
If Bill 14 passes, it is time to give up on the political route and take the argument to the streets...
What does that mean....well we can start with humiliation and ramp it up from there, but that is for the future...
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| Credit: Red, White Blue. |
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