You know how that old expression goes, with friends like these...

The Quebec Liberals just couldn’t resist engaging in a little bit of language politics before the summer break.

They are forcing big chain stores with English names to put French descriptors on their signs.

As if people really couldn’t figure out what was behind the doors of Costco or Walmart or a number of other big box stores.

What happened is that Quebec lost a court challenge--twice--by stores to require the French descriptor since Bill 101 does not apply to trademarks.

So instead of appealing the decision to the Supreme Court of Canada, Quebec will simply change the law.

Somehow the huge cost of changing all these signs will probably trickle down to you and me.

The language minister says it’s all about the heritage of Quebec, plus, she adds it’s good manners

“We could say an act of politeness not only to be nice people like to have the French inscription its good for business too,” said Helene David.

Politeness? I will tell you what would be polite.

I think most non-francophone Quebecers would find it exceptionally polite if they were not subjected on a daily basis to language discrimination.

I think it would be polite if our public schools were allowed a chance at survival by allowing the children of English-speaking immigrants to enroll.

I think it would be polite if tongue troopers laid off small businesses and newspapers that tried to serve their communities.

The Liberals were nervous that the Parti Quebecois under PKP would make this trademark issue a big deal, so it’s easier just to make it go away by passing another law.

In language wars, the Liberals always come out the losers, but I’m not sure most Quebecers even care about this.

On one hand it’s so refreshing to see the premier’s embrace of bilingualism and Canadian federalism but on the other, it’s not encouraging to see the Liberals engaged in petty politics over symbolism.

At the end of the day, it won’t make a difference in our lives.

Frankly it’s not something to lose sleep over, but it’s just another sign that language laws in Quebec are never up for real change nor even up for discussion.

And that’s a message to minorities that goes way beyond polite.

Clown pants make cops look silly 

We get it. We totally get it.

Montreal cops think they got a raw pension deal and they think wearing their clown pants will somehow change something.

Earlier this week the police union announced it was “in reflection” about whether it would be inappropriate to wear their silly pants at the funeral for two-term mayor Jean Doré.

They had showed total disrespect and bad manners the week before when they showed up wearing them at Jacques Parizeau’s funeral.

Montrealers waited breathlessly for the decision from the union bosses.

They decided to ditch the clown clothes out of respect, but their union red baseball caps will remain as a symbol of their petulant defiance.

Give it up. The law is not going to change and every day that goes by, the police look sillier.

When officers are hired they are hired with the uniform for better for worse.

Clowns should be left to the circus which is where this whole debate has landed, right under the big top.