From: schamber@watserv1.waterloo.edu (CHAMBERLAND S - BIOLOGY)
Newsgroups: can.politics
Subject: Re: Alberta Conservatives & Bilingualism
Date: 16 Apr 92 18:20:25 GMT
Organization: University of Waterloo

In article <1992Apr16.011512.4176@splunge.uucp> adrian@splunge.uucp (Adrian Ashley) writes:
>schamber@watserv1.waterloo.edu (CHAMBERLAND S - BIOLOGY) writes:
>
>>adrian@splunge.uucp (Adrian Ashley) writes:
>>>>>Why on Earth should the Francophones be encouraged to keep their language
>>>>>and culture alive, while others should not??  What's wrong with everyone
>>>>>doing so?
>>>>
>>>>See above.
>>>
>>>Err, I saw above and still didn't get it.  Why, apart from sheer numbers,
>>>should we treat French differently than other languages?
>
>>Well, let's put it bluntly as a Quebec nationalist would do.
>>"My ancestor, Simon Chamberland, came in "Nouvelle France" around the
>>year 1677, long before it became "Canada". What about yours?", would
>>say a nationalist.
>
>>Many people agree that we have to help Native Indians to preserve their
>>culture. (I agree also). They were there before all of us.
>>And French-Quebeckers were there before English-rooted people.
>
>Well, sure.  But people whose background is not Native, or French, or
>English have also arrived over the years.  Why are their contributions
>to Canadian society viewed as less important?  Why should we hold one,
>or two, or any other arbitrary number of lingustic/cultural groups up
>as more important than all others?

Those immigrants came to a bilingual French/English country. If they
don't want to speak either language, well why did they came?

Their contribution is significant. But they left their original country
for Canada. They have to adapt.

When you go to France, you learn French. (you have no choice).
To UK or America or Australia, English.
To Austria, Germany, German.
To Russia, Russian.

Well, to Canada, English/French or both.  

It's written somewhere: the two official languages of Canada are
English and French.

If your cultures were not prepared to accept the fact that there is
2 linguistic/cultural groups (sorry for the native indians, but
learning cree won't help anybody to communicate here) in Canada
that are "prevalent" (is it a correct word?), well they should not
have come to Canada.


>>P.S. Did I stated my opinions, aside from what I think was the "founders"'
>>     past will?
>>     NO.  So no need to throw rocks at me.
>>     "Chat e'chaude' craint l'eau froide."
>
>Don't take any of the above comments as "rocks" -- I'm just taking a
>different view than the "founders".  Reply if you feel like it...

The above remark was only there because I was once flamed because
somebody thaught I was stating facts instead of a candid opinion/feeling.

You have the right to any opinion, as long as you don't deform mine...  :)

>-- 
>Adrian Ashley in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada  ||  adrian@splunge.uucp
>"... Motif is very simple.  However, it is hard to see the simplicity because
> Motif is surrounded by a mass of complexity." --Motif book ad in comp.newprod


-- 
Sylvain Chamberland     |   "Trust is earned, not given away!"
University of Waterloo  |          - Worf, Star Trek The Next Generation
Waterloo, Ontario.      |