Once again Amir Khadir has proven he is not fit to sit in the National Assembly, not fit to sit in the same house of the people as Pierre Laporte once did.
His idea to honour the FLQ murderer Paul Rose is shameful.
This radical separatist perhaps is a little shaky on Canadian history and the nightmare of October 1970
and very shaky in his regard for the family and memory of Pierre Laporte.
New Language charter stirred up pot
Bill 14 hearings began this week.
We heard from a civil servants’ union complaining that some members actually have to be bilingual to serve English-speaking taxpayers.
The union complained that rampant bilingualism has infiltrated public administration in Quebec.
Also, a representative of a separatist coalition suggested that Anglos could walk if they weren't prepared to buy their Metro tickets in French.
In all fairness, maybe Pierrre Dubuc just wants us to get more exercise.
That is the tone that is permeating this debate right now. It is toxic.
There are three tenets of language orthodoxy in Quebec that are deemed to be gospel:
- French is threatened on the Island of Montreal;
- French is more threatened in North America than English is in Quebec;
- There is an acceptance of a culture of victimization at the hands of the Anglos.
In many minds, the fat old lady at Eaton's is still refusing to speak French.
Everyone should feel at home
I watched a discussion on language a couple of weeks back on the popular show Tout le monde en parle.
I was surprised and felt disconcerted at how it seemed everyone believed as an article of faith that French is on its knees and the big bad English wolf is always at the door.
It almost seems we are ready to steal their children and force feed them a steady diet of English.
I have no problem promoting French. I would hate to see Quebec become another Louisiana.
Quite honestly I do believe most Quebecers are fair-minded, value diversity and believe our historic community should feel as much at home here as anyone else.
But there are others who want to trample on a minority community in the guise of protecting the holiest of the holy.
In the end it will do more harm to French than anything.
French is not in trouble. It is the strongest it has ever been.
Bill 101 worked.
Even the OQLF says francophones can be served in French 96% of the time.
The challenge is to make most right-thinking people see this. The orthodoxy is a big lie.
To change that is a formidable challenge.
There will be more Pastagates. Quebec's reputation will suffer and members of our community will do what they have done for years: they will vote with their feet and leave
Unless there is a reality check here Quebec could eventually become a linguistic Cuba: isolated from much of the world, but worshiping at the altar of language purity.
People one day may look back and wonder why there was no common sense when it was so desperately needed.
