From: 4224_5201@uwovax.uwo.ca (John LaRocque)
Subject: Re: Legalized Discrimination in Quebec
Organization: University of Western Ont, London
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1992 04:58:50 GMT

In article <1992Dec14.110334.29828@spxtech.qc.ca>, steven@spxtech.qc.ca (Steve Potter) writes:
> From article <Bz416x.Ax3@ireq.hydro.qc.ca>, by beaurega@ireq.hydro.qc.ca (Denis Beauregard):

>> Beautiful, but you never answered my question about books.
>> Having school in French and books in English is pervert, no?
> 
> For an officially bilingual country, why isn't more effort put into making
> more books and other educational resource material available in the French
> language?

Day in and day out, count on Steve to start a thread on English education.
B-)

I haven't had time to reread the Actualite articlew on NB Acadiens, but
from what I've read, there are a few major points.

For many years they have compliantly accepted their destiny to be an
assimilated people. But for the last 20 years they have been fighting
back, so much so that if push comes to shove, there are Acadiens who
are willing to fight for the sovereingty of several majority-heavy
regions of New Brunswick should COR ever come to take away their 
rights as a people. That being said, for the most part in Canada,
French minorites are "token" minorities and the French education that
many Canadians learn is soon forgotten as real life shows them that
in English Canada in the private sector, having a second language is
helpful but not the necessity that Trudeau fans say it is. (hint...
learn German, Japanese or Cantonese).

This whole idea of a bilingual Canada has really stifled the real debate
in this country. It hasn't shut off Quebec's demands for more powers
or the fact that in the lates Actualite, three quarters of Quebecers 
believe that quebec will be an independent country in 30 years. Nice
thought. And you thought Trudeau and bilingualism and the Charter
would shut up Quebec and put them "in their place". Fools, all of you.
The real debate is not French vs English but the increasing necessity
to shut down the centralizing machine in Ottawa that now spends 
460 billion dollars a year and doen't even burp after taking 50%
of your paycheque. hahahaha fools. And you thought immersion and
Section 23 would shut them up for good. Fools.

Bilingualism might have once been a reality, but francophones no longer
form 30% of the population nor are they represented in most of Canada's
provinces. So why even think about "national" bilingualism and the
imposition of federal language policies on the provinces. Most 
francophones in English Canada are doomed to disappear. Their children
will grow up English, and they will forget about their forefathers
who founded Canada, or their heritage. Sad but true, and also inevitable.

As for English Quebecers, they should stop coupling their justified
demands for equal treatment with the whole Quebec sovereingty question.
If Jacques Parizeau is elected tomorrow, and Quebec becomes a real 
country, and not just a people, then the last thing on his mind will be
expelling the valuable resource that English Quebecers are. Like it or
not, Quebec sovereingtists will have to accept the fact that independence
is impposible without at least the acceptance on the part of English
Quebec, and even their enthousiasm. And it is time to separate language
from the independece debate. It should not even be considered. The all
important Quebec vs Canada thread mixes them together... that is a 
mistake. 
     
      The future of an independent Quebec is also that of a vibrant,
open people of many heritages who belong to a society that primarily
functions in the French language and has a rich history unique in
North America. Her land mass several times the land mass of France,
her people as  numerous and productive as somel EC members, rich
in natural resources. Her debt is proportionally FIVE times less than
that of Ottawa. An independent Quebec is not only economically feasible,
but with the growing burden of Ottawa, inevitable. Her workers,
educated and no less productive than other North Americans, her economy
already fully integrated with the North American economy. Her health
and safety  standards among the best on the continent today.

     The tired linguistic debate has to end, and the real decision time
has to begin. No longer French vs English, but a reawakened Quebec 
slowly reasserting its rights as a people.




> -- 
>   ///==================================================================\\\
>   ||| Steve Potter:         steven%spxtech@CAM.ORG                     |||
>   ||| Expertise/Experience: Computer Systems Engineering / Real Ale /  |||
>   |||                       Politics in Education in Quebec            |||
-- 

John P. LaRocque
vader@uwo.ca
University of Western Ontario
London, Ontario


"Urk..urk..."
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