From: steven@spxtech.qc.ca (Steve Potter)
Newsgroups: mtl.general,can.politics
Subject: Re: Denied access to English schools?
Date: 25 Aug 92 12:56:46 GMT
Distribution: can
Organization: Securiplex Technologies Inc., Montreal, Canada
X-Bytes: 6010

From article <1992Aug25.063838.25321@cc.umontreal.ca>, by dignard@ERE.UMontreal.CA  Michel Dignard waxes:-

> Je me retiens d'exprimer le profond degout que ce debat m'inspire,
> avec le mepris du Quebec et de son histoire, et de sa longue tradition
> democratique qui s'en degage.
> 
> Je me console en pensant que de nombreux nouveaux venus apprendront
> a l'ecole "Les animaux malades de la peste" de Jean de La Fontaine,
> et que certains d'entre eux decouvriront peut-etre qui est le lion 
> et qui est l'agneau de la fable.
> 
> Je vais donc exprimer ces quelques mots, a titre strictement personnel.
> 
> From now on in this article, let us thus "speak white", as those of
> my generation - and I personnally - were often told when trying to
> speak their "native" language west of St Lawrence Blvd, in Montreal,
> some 30 years ago. And where, at 5 minutes from the Universite de Montreal
> campus, one had great difficulty being understood in French at the
> hospital, some 20 years ago.


  "speak white" - interesting choice since Quebec's limitation on access
  to English schools is similar to that for access to "white" schools in
  South Africa.

> 
> So, let us leave this facist, racist and paranoid country,
> where not only any individual have always been free to speak
> the language of his choice, 

  WRONG!!!!

  More than 10,000 English-speaking children are not allowed to attend
  school in their own language.

  (Not to mention Bill 178)

> but where the English community
> has only 3 universities, its own public school system, from primary level
> to college level inclusive,

  Not all members of the English community have access to these facilities
  in Quebec!!!!!

> its own hospitals ..., all of this guaranteed
> in the laws and voted in English.

  WRONG!

  Bill 101 prohibits access to English school in Quebec from more than
  10,000 English-speaking children.

> Let us leave this segregationist country
> where the English community is not only guaranteed to survive, but wants
> further to assimilate to itself a great majority of the new arrivers.

  WRONG AGAIN!

  ALL "new arrivers" are required to send their children to French school
  in Quebec.

  Quebec governmant policy is for "All immigrants must be assimilated".

  The English community gets a small percentage of "new arrivers" and
  most of those move out of Quebec pretty darn quickly when they find
  out how racist, discriminatory, fascist and intolerant this province is.


> [With fascist laws, proportion has dropped from 80% to 40%, I think.
>  Historians, please refer to Prof. Castonguay numerous studies on the
> subject.]

  I'll look this up to confirm but I'm sure it is much less than 40%!

> 
> So, let us go to a NON FASCIST, NON RACIST, NON PARANOID country.
> Choices are numerous, I guess, in the kingdom. One could go to the USA,
> CANADA, ... Let us choose Toronto, for example. 

  Quebec is part of Canada!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

> 
> THERE, this debate could be held in french. THERE, I could go to hospital
> or McDonald's (note the 's that Liberty has given us), and spontaneously
> address myself in french. THERE, I would have the BASIC RIGHT to send my
> children to a public french school system, from primary level to University.
> [Of course, the same democratic rights apply in USA, Germany, UK, Japan,
> and all civilized and civilised world where this kind of defamation (?)
> is generally diffused and naively received. (*) / french proverb:
> "A beau mentir qui vient de loin".].
> 
> THERE, I would have numerous french radio and TV stations to listen to,
> a great local french newspaper to defend my rights. THERE, I would not
> fear to advertise my commerce in French, thinking this would make the
> potential clients flee. THERE, together, we would impose french as
> the general communication language in Society (does this word exists
> THERE ?). Well, not impose, really; let us say propagate, promote,...
> on a true, fair play, free equality of chances; may be a bit Darwinian,
> if you like.
> 
> THERE, French would be freely used and generally understood at work.
> BECAUSE, THERE, there is no fascist laws. No. Only the LAW OF THE
> MARKET and the LAW OF SILENCE apply there. So, THERE, plenty of
> immigrants would chose french as their daily functional language
> in society. And no paranoid would fear that in only a few years from now,
> Toronto, the heart and lungs of Ontario, would become a majoritarily french
> city.. Because, THERE, they would not have waited that the french community
> has nearly come to extinction before beginning affording all those BASIC RIGHTS.
> And they would surely not have waited that individuals beg for them, gently.
> 

  What is all this about?

> I could probably continue describing this paradise, were it not so far
> from here...

  oh.

  I think he's trying to suggest that the English minority in Quebec is
  the most privileged in the world. So that justifies trying to take their
  individual liberties away, right?

  What this has to do with denying access to English schools in Quebec is
  not discernible.

> 
> Look at FACTS and REALITY, not at LAWS.

  In other words: "Please don't take any notice of our restrictive laws
  that infringe on individual rights and liberties and fundamental human
  freedoms. You must understand that these things are necessary to ensure
  the vitality of our culture."

> 
> (*) In a relatively very recent history, Province of New-Brunswick,
>     Canada, is the only place outside of Quebec, I think, to give
>     its french minority (40%) decent rights. 

  Please explain: "decent rights".

  Please quote source.

  The figure quoted makes no sense.

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