From: viking@bnr.ca (Harold Henrikson)
Subject: Re: Bilingual posts and Quebec sovereignty
Reply-To: viking@bmerh66.bnr.ca
Organization: BNR Ottawa, Fibre Systems Development
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 92 18:05:25 GMT

In article <1992Nov16.224213.1@uwovax.uwo.ca>, 4224_5201@uwovax.uwo.ca (Dark Lord of the Sith) writes:
|> In article <TODD.92Nov17094022@juno.elcom.nitech.ac.jp>, todd@juno.elcom.nitech.ac.jp (Todd Law) writes:
|> > 
|> >
|>     All right, I have had just about enough from the so-called experts 
|> and their "Canada is ten equal provinces" ideology.

And others are tired of the "Canada is two founding races" ideology.

|> 
|> 1. Quebec is different not because Quebec is better, but simply because
|> Quebec has different needs than other provinces. For instance, why does
|> BC have special constitutional guarantees for railroad links (answer...
|> all provinces were not created equally).

Where is there anything in the constitution concerning trains?  As for Quebec
being different, you're right and you're wrong.  All the provinces and even
regions within provinces are different and have their unique needs.

|> 
|> 2. Quebec is NOT a minority, notwithstanding Todd's assertion. Quebec is
|> a political jurisdiction where at least four fifths of the population
|> shares the French language as its mother tongue. This is something critics
|> of Quebec ALWAYS bring up. Bilingualism, whatever merits it has, is nothing
|> more than a hammer with which English Canada can swing at Quebec. In Ontario
|> there are countless francophones who are denied French services from the
|> government but there are THOUSANDS of anglophone kids who learn French free
|> in immersion. English Quebecers may have had rough times in the last 20
|> years but that is NOTHING to what French minorities in Canada have faced and
|> continue to face (New Brunswick's COR party advocating a race war on Acadians,
|> for example). Bilingualism is not the real issue, it is English Canada's
|> continued obession with the English minority in Quebec.

Look on the bright side, we're all minorities compared to the Chinese and Indians.
Within the Americas, English are a minority.  As far as bilingualism, most of the
effort has gone into getting Anglophones to learn French rather than the reverse.
And most Canadians support it for their children.  As far as denial of services,
partly thats historical and partly its economic.  As far as COR, so what?  There
are also neonazis and skinheads.  Do you care what they advocate?

|> 
|> 3. What we have here is a conflict of visions. Your Canada excludes Quebec 
|> because it demands that Quebec conform (while the rest of the country pays
|> lip service) to minority rights guarantees and all the rest. Your Canada
|> excludes Quebec because English Canadians in general want to have a strong
|> central dictatorship/democracy in Ottawa and Quebecers want their own province
|> to decide its own destiny. Will renewed federalism work.... I don't believe
|> that English Canada and the federal regime (whoever is in Ottawa) will ever 
|> find a solution that is acceptable to Quebecers. Todd's attitudes, while very
|> moderate in tone, reflect the inevitable clash of values that divides Quebecers
|> and English Canada. 
|> 
|> I don't always appreciate what Parizeau says, but I was forced to agree with 
|> him on the eve of the Non vote in Quebec. Parizeau said that English Canadians
|> (rest of Canada, if you prefer) should define their country as they see it
|> and Quebecers should define their country as they see it. In essence, if you
|> want Canada to reflect certain values that Quebec may never accept (universal
|> day care, for example), then maybe it is better to declare a divorce due to
|> irreconciable differences then to continue a tortured marriage. Give it a 
|> thought. Canada needs some radical change and this generations leaders are
|> not going to bring it. And maybe Quebec and English Canada can live side by
|> side as friends instead of as angry spouses arguing in a divided home.

You're possibly right concerning Quebec leaving.  Interestingly, I can't remember
any French Quebecois defending Canada against Quebec separatism.  I don't know
what that reflects except either those who do don't post or read this group or
all French Quebecois are separatist.  If the latter is the case, Canada is a lost
cause.  As far as living as friends, that is extremely doubtful.
|> 
|> -- 
|> J. P. LaRocque
|> vader@uwo.ca
|> University of Western Ontario
|> London, Ontario
|> 
|> "Urk..urk..."
|> "Apologies accepted", Darth Vader
|> 

--
Harold Henriksen                    Bell-Northern Research
email: viking@bmerh694.bnr.ca       Ottawa,Ontario,Canada 

Pillaging and plundering were more fun than programming!
(Opinions are not my employer's and sometimes not mine)
Xref: sparky soc.culture.canada:8605 can.politics:9785