From: cbbrowne@csi.uottawa.ca (Christopher Browne)
Subject: Re: Denied access to English schools?
Organization: Dept. of Computer Science, University of Ottawa
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 92 14:30:09 GMT

In article <CLAMEN.92Aug27225457@BYRON.SP.CS.CMU.EDU> clamen+@CS.CMU.EDU writes:
>In article <Btnv6o.Hw4@ireq.hydro.qc.ca> beaurega@ireq.hydro.qc.ca (Denis Beauregard) writes:
>   In article <BtLJ61.JAx@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca> gordon@madmax.uwaterloo.ca (Gordon R. Strachan) writes:
>
>   >don't accept your aguements that somehow all English speaking people are
>   >evil oppressors bent on dominating the French people.  It is too simple to
>   >say that.  The government and system we live in today, the one you seem to
>   >disagree so strongly with, is just as much a result of the French in Quebec
>   >as anyone else.  You must remember that Quebec itself is not a monolithic
>   >entity and there are French people with different views on how the country
>   >should be structured.  And it is those people, more than anyone, who had a
>
>   A wide majority of Francos favor a similar structure.  In national
>   days celebration, most Quebecois will celebrate Quebec National Day
>   while _anglo-quebecois_ will celebrate Canada days.  I think this
>   is meaningful.
>
>Christmas Day is a holiday in Canada (and Quebec).  Most Canadians
>(and Quebecers) celebrate Christmas on Christmas Day.  Me and my
>family do not celebrate Christmas.  Does this make me any less a
>Canadian or a Quebecer?

It's notable that there is a LOT of political baggage attached to BOTH
of the "national" days.

"Canada" Day is a day when people celebrate the existance of Canada.
Since nationalist Quebecois francophones DESPISE the existance of
Canada, it's not reasonable that they'd celebrate this day.  Which
doesn't change the fact that they are still citizens of the country
Canada.

Note that Canada Day is not a day which singles anybody out for
hatred...

St. Jean Batiste Day (I hope that spelling isn't TOO far off!) is in
its origins a CATHOLIC holiday, and still remains with at least
vestiges of this origin.  Those anglo-quebecois that Denis
complains about AREN'T WELCOME at the celebration, because:

  (a) They're not Roman Catholic.  Many of the francophones aren't
  either - but those francophones aren't Protestant either.
  Many of those anglo-quebecois ARE Protestant.

  (b) They're not francophones.  It's a FRANCOPHONE holiday.  Anglos
  are not welcome.

  (c) They're not separatists.  Not all celebrators are necessarily
  separatists, but there is certainly a tendancy...  Why would someone
  that doesn't want Quebec to leave Canada "celebrate" a day whose
  primary purpose is to assert Quebec nationalism.

  (d) They're the "ENEMY."  After all the dumping on that Denis and
  others have done on the anglo-quebecois, I certainly wouldn't want
  to come to HIS party, and the anglo-quebecois probably think the
  same.

(Denis:)
>   A wide majority of Francos favor a similar structure.

It is just SO typical here that you consider that the thoughts of the
Francos is the ONLY thing worth considering.

-- 
Christopher Browne
cbbrowne@csi.uottawa.ca
University of Ottawa
Master of System Science Program