Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Quebec Language Cops - It's Time to Push Back Hard

Montreal courthouse forced to tape over English
 Over the last fifteen years, I've been watching with some disappointment the English community's acquiescence to the tyranny of the OQLF.
I've always recognized the language police as paper tigers, but understood that for most companies the fear of being exposed by the OQLF as non-cooperating is a burden that they didn't want to bear and so it was, as they say, more expedient to git along, in order to get along.

I don't agree, but those decisions weren't mine to make.

After all these years, it comes as a fortuitous turn of events that one idiot language inspector created a public relations nightmare that exposed the OQLF as the xenophobic, ethnocentric and bigoted gang of racists that they really are.

I dare say most right thinking francophones were shocked at the utter stupidity and dogmatism displayed by an agency which they assumed was doing a fair and reasonable job at protecting the French language.
Other than Franco-supremacists, who never saw an English (now foreign) word that they did not want to remove from public purview, what reasonable Francophone could not shake their head in disbelief at the ridiculous excess carried out in the collective name and what reasonable Francophone could not help but feel a sense of outrage and shame that Quebec's reputation was sullied in the international press, through mocking and condescending stories of bureaucratic stupidity and excess.

More importantly, Pastagate led to a fortuitous and wholly unexpected tipping point where one day we were afraid of the OQLF and the next day no longer.

Like the bully in the schoolyards who rules through intimidation and fear, it takes but one 'DAVID' to defeat the 'GOLIATH' reducing the said bully, so feared  before, to the butt of derision, a laughingstock to be mocked.

Slowly but surely the business community is stiffening its backbone and taking courage from others who have decided to fight back. 
It is this resistance that must be nurtured and developed, rendering the OQLF impotent and irrelevant.

THE OQLF is proud to tell us that when it comes to compliance with its edicts, 98% of business comply meekly, when confronted by the dreaded inspector.
If that percentage was reduced to just 75%, the OQLF would grind to a halt, bogged down in paperwork and time-consuming letter exchanges and litigation.

Business people have told me many times over  that it is the utter waste of time and resources that leads them to just give in to the OQLF, considering that the object of a business is to make money and where exhausting battles with and an idiot agency with seemingly endless resources, is counter-productive to that goal.

But business people should consider that for every time-consuming engagement they expend with the OQLF,  a commensurate (if not larger) amount of energy is expended by the OQLF, which contrary to popular belief does not have unlimited resources, in fact, quite the opposite.

Let us consider the poor cows, docilely trundling up the ramp to the slaughterhouse, encouraged by a just few handlers to keep on moving like good little doggies, cooperating meekly on the march to their ultimate demise.
What would happen if even ten or twenty percent of the cows revolted and stampeded?
It would create utter mayhem!
Obviously, the amount of animals processed in a certain given period would plummet, as handlers would be overwhelmed by the now uncooperative and ornery beasts.

The meat processor would be faced with the choice of injecting a massive amount of new resources to get back control or accept that productivity would fall massively.
In either case, the cost of processing would skyrocket.

An inappropriate analogy? I think not.

The OQLF will always enjoy success in browbeating government and semi-government organizations to comply with their filthy edicts, as evidenced in the sign pictured above wherein the English portion of a Montreal courthouse sign which has been sanitized by order of the OQLF.
Considering that the courts are one of the few places where English is still 'tolerated' because of protections afforded in the BNA act, it is particularly telling that the OQLF is removing English in the halls immediately outside these courtrooms, reminding all that their goal is to eradicate English as best they can.
Like telling English school boards that they must communicate in French, it is the embodiment of ill-will and malice.
For francophones who tell Anglos that resisting the OQLF is a manifestation of bad citizenship, I can only tell them that resisting hate and intolerance is never a manifestation of bad citizenship, rather the opposite.

Make no mistake about it, Pastagate has exposed the OQLF for what it is, the evil embodiment of xenophobic hate, an agency to be confronted through democratic resistance and public shaming.
Just because the organization carries the cachet of legitimacy by being state-sanctioned, it doesn't change the fact that ordinary citizens should blithely accept its excesses.

 It is important that we continue the exercise of exposing the true nature of the beast in the international community, where stories like Pastagate sap the energy and the bonds of legitimacy, humiliating and shaming Quebec, like the process whereby photos of 'Johns' are published by law enforcement in local media in order to shame them for their behaviour.
When French language militants tell all who will listen that the stories published in the international press is an English plot to discredit the OQLF, I can tell them wholeheartedly that they are right.

Yes Mario Beaulieu, we are intent on breaking the bck of the OQLF and make no bones about it!

While he and other Franco-supremacists have no problem living with the attached bad publicity, not so ordinary Quebecers who at a certain point will demand that the OQLF be reigned in and that the nightmare of international humiliation be ended.

Here are two examples of that process, a satirical song offered by Quebec's very own Boswer and Blue and an advertising campaign launched by the restaurant attacked over 'pasta'


 





The restaurant is embarking on a billboard and print campaign whereby the definition of 'pasta' is defined in French. link{Fr}

As for not cooperating with the OQLF here are a few hints for businessmen.

ALWAYS ASK FOR ID BEFORE ENGAGING ANYONE CLAIMING TO BE AN INSPECTOR.

Don't be nice. Cooperation with the OQLF will get you nothing. The inspectors who visit your store have the mentality of a Mafia collector, where the level of polite cooperation is irrelevant to the task at hand, which is to shake you down.
If the inspector becomes abusive, tell them to leave. You have the right according to Quebec labour law to be free from intimidation and harassment.
Call 911 and summon the police. Tell them that you are being subjected to psychological abuse, if you feel such is the case.

When an inspector enters your establishment and demands your immediate attention, tell them that you are busy if you are, that they are welcome to carry out their duties on their own but you don't have time for them right now. Ask them to come back.
The regulation provides that an inspection can be carried out any time it is 'convenient', but it fails to elaborate as to convenient for whom.
Even Revenue Quebec phones for an appointment before showing up, so don't jump through hoops just because an inspector tells you to.

Ask for identification and either write down the name of the inspector and the particulars on the identification badge. Use your camera phone to take a picture and if confronted remind the inspector that there are many fake OQLF agents going around, terrorizing English businesses.
If you are gutsy, turn on your cameraphone, telling the inspector that for clarity, you wish to document the intervention.

Don't engage in useless arguments with inspectors, shrug your shoulders politely and tell the inspector your going to refer everything to your attorney.
REMEMBER, cooperation buys you nothing, these are zealots.

As for the case with ordinary citizen-activists confronting you about signs in your establishment, always demand that they identify themselves before engaging in conversation. Demand to see ID and if they refuse tell them to leave, you have the absolute right to remove someone from your establishment if they are not there to conduct business.

By the way, you can always comply with the OQLF demand at a later date, if you so choose, but remember, making the OQLF expend oodles of time and energy is the object.
If they have to visit your establishment four or five times instead of just once, it means three or four less visits elsewhere.

Here's what happens when someone fights back. The story is hilarious and hats off to the merchant who made the OQLF and the court spend upwards of $50,000 to $100,000 to fine him $500 over 16 sex toys that didn't have enough French.

What follows is how Superior Court Justice Johanne St-Gelais described the facts in a 2011 ruling.
The product in question, she wrote, is a ring used on the male sexual organ to enhance a female partner’s pleasure. During Mr. Picard’s first visit, he noted that the packaging and safety label were in English only. Ever vigilant, he made three subsequent visits and noted “partial corrections” but not enough to make the product conform to the law.
The store’s manager wrote to the Office asking for an exemption on the grounds that the product is imported from the United States, that it is impossible to find a similar product manufactured in Canada and that she sells fewer than two per month.
After her request was refused, the shop offered to translate the safety warning into French and place it on a sticker over the English warning. Not good enough, the Office replied after consulting its lawyers: All packaging had to be translated.
Mr. Picard returned to the store in July, 2005, more than a year after his initial inspection. He was not pleased with what he found: “writing only in English on the front . . . and containing writing only in English on the reverse of some. . . Moreover, the English writings on the reverse of certain packaging prevailed over the French version,” he wrote in his report. Read the rest of the hilarious story  (Credit R.S.)

I hope that our community will consider building a website resource in order to apprise victims of their rights and to provide successful strategies to dealing with the fools at the OQLF.

Anyone listening?

161 comments:

  1. With over 4000 complaints to the OQLF last year, there were only 47 convictions… that is to say, 1%. In other words, 99% of complaints do not lead to any convictions.

    From: http://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/quebec-canada/national/201303/02/01-4627064-pour-en-finir-avec-le-pastagate.php

    “Thousands of complaints are forwarded annually to the OQLF by citizens and pressure groups, resulting in many unpleasant visits, as testified yesterday by the owner of an Italian caffè that has already suffered fines that he did not want to pay.

    It is rare that such visits result in convictions. In 2012, both for refusing to cooperate with the OQLF as well as for brochures, displays or illegal employment, there were only 47 convictions in the Quebec Court, with over 4,000 complaints. The fines ranged from $500 to $1500.”

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    1. UN GARS BIEN SYMPATHIQUE DE CALGARYWednesday, March 6, 2013 at 6:36:00 AM EST

      What is the OQLF budget?

      Delete
    2. @r.s

      not every valid complaint end up with a conviction, mate. you have to understand that oqlf always asks the business to update its signage before raising the matter to a judge.

      this very low number of convictions only means that in the great majority of cases the business owners are cooperative.

      sorry to burst your bubble mate.

      Delete
    3. A complaint isn't necessarily "founded", and that's why the OQLF typically performs "investigations" first.

      R.S., what's the rate of "founded" complaints to which merchants ultimately "comply"? I find that would be an interesting figure to have.

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    4. That is a most interesting question, Apparatchik, and one which you surely know is impossible to quantify, given the murky, anonymous behaviour of the OQLF.

      Delete
    5. Also, our shift-key-averse schoolboy seems to be implying that intimidation is a desirable government objective, much like the Cosa Nostra does…

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    6. These numbers are not being interpreted properly.

      99% of complains go nowhere because the OLQF offers to *PAY* the company to "fix" the issue according to them.

      This statistic represents the number of companyies where the owner is unwilling to stand up to the Quebec govt and they capitulate to the OLQF demands.

      IE 99% of companies are unwilling to stand up for their rights.

      That speaks to a culture of lying down like a doormat, not anything about the OLQF.


      Delete
  2. I wonder how many franco-Montrealers are able to name Montreal's funniest anglo comedic duo for the past several decades... while they expect us to all know RBO and Marie-Mai...

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    1. "I wonder how many franco-Montrealers are able to name Montreal's funniest..."

      Beryl Wajsman ?

      Delete
    2. There is no wit to your answer.
      It is witless.
      Try harder.

      Delete
    3. @ S.R

      Par chance que les anglos de souche britannique ont les Juifs pour faire valoir leurs supposés droits. Car le départ massif et continuel des meilleurs d'entre eux depuis un demi-siècle a non seulement affaiblit leur communauté quantitativement, mais aussi, et surtout, qualitativement.

      Delete
  3. Well, it looks as if the Editor is agreeing with me this fight should have taken place a long, long time ago...like 39 years ago. Nevertheless, the Editor has come up with some good strategies to back up the complaints in the files...hopefully like a toilet in a cesspool.

    What am I talking about? Quebec IS a cesspool, a cesspool that is, like Nazi Germany 80 years earlier, started as a minority government, but built up with laws against those they perceived as enemies to their plan for world domination. Quebec won't make it that far, but they certainly want French domination. They started their laws on paper, and it grew into violence, all with overt racist rhetoric, much like what is happening in Quebec.

    Jean-François Lisée is the Minister of Propaganda, much like Josef Goebbels was for the Nazis, promising to calm everything down within the ethnic minorities...uh... «AHEM» cultural communities while allowing the open racist rhetoric to continue without interruption.

    I still hope CAQ sticks to its separatist roots and votes for the legislation for the more the overt rhetoric spreads, the more it will prove these morons can't help themselves where keeping their mouths shut may not show what morons they are, or a lot less. So much for the French resistance!

    Hopefully by voting in the legislation, it will get the problem out in the open and be solved once and for all, and if not, I guess there will be another mass exodus, unless the minorities finally, at long last, choose to do the right thing and rebel. The real question is, which way will the PLQ go?

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    1. UN GARS BIEN SYMPATHIQUE DE CALGARYWednesday, March 6, 2013 at 6:43:00 AM EST

      I am not convinced that with words such as cesspool or nazi you contribute effectively to the debate here... For sure we all know that quebec's strategy is to scare away (read make them move out of a future independent quebekistan) the anglos and alophones, because they would vote NO in a referendum. By using insulting words, however, Mr sauce you are probably adding fuel to the fire, helping the causes of separatists in a huge "I told you so" to help them... I would carefully choose better words next time.

      Delete
    2. Maybe. Then again, maybe not.

      In reading Sauga's comment featuring our favorite Nazi protagonists, and Editor's passage about cows to slaughter, I have to shudder at the math (and specifically the relative orders of magnitude) behind it that for so long has disturbed me:

      Hundreds, if not thousands of Jews/Gypsies/others on trains in transit to concentration camps (or already in them). A handful, or perhaps a few dozen armed Nazis. I'm sure that more than a few bullets would ultimately result in the deaths of a significant proportion of those taken prisoner. But I have to wonder at how did the herd-psychology architecture of the deportations/camps imposed by the Nazis was so tacitly accepted by most of the prisoners. Specifically, how did it not occur to numerous among the latter not to sacrifice a few of their numbers at the hands of their jailers so the overwhelming rest could survive? Even more surprising to me is the very occurrence of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising (outside the camps/trains) -- a cloistered resistance in which the Nazis actually had the home field advantage.

      Surely those of us who genuinely aspire toward an organically bilingual Montreal (and a non anglophobic rest of Quebec and non francophobic rest of Canada) can consider a few "casualties" while fighting back this decidedly less lethal paper tiger.

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    3. Calgary, isn't calling me Mr. Sauce is appropriate? Actually, I'm not that thin skinned. I can't be considering some of the things I write with thin skin, and I make zero apologies for what I write. I see a pattern similar to Nazi Germany and the former Yugoslavia going on here. What happened in the early 90s in the former Yugoslavia goes back over 600 years during the Ottoman Empire. Sometimes old wounds don't heal that easily.

      Being Jewish, I know persecution when I see it. I was born and raised in Quebec, and educated there from kindergarten through completion of my baccalauriat. My mother's side left Russia to escape the Bolshevik Revolution, and thankfully my father's side left when they did as within ten years of their leaving, the Jews of his town in Poland were brutally and mercilessly slaughtered. I'm not stating Quebec has been that brutal, but the government and its ignoramuses from the Lac St-Jean/Saguenay and other regions too easily buy into this bullshit.

      I have written on this blog before many, many times that I take offense to Quebec's overt racist rhetoric, legislation and enforcement more as an abhorrent assault on my family who left hostile societies only to come to what is proving to be another hostile environment. It wasn't until 40 years ago and my mother's family marks a century in Quebec and Canada next year. Both sides of my family made a plenitude of sacrifice to come to North America for peace and stability and an opportunity to build better lives than the ones they had in Europe. Both my grandfathers became self-employed entrepreneurs, esp. successful on my mother's side to the point they hired local people in their small Quebec town. This was during the Depression when many a townsperson was struggling to earn enough money to eat and keep a roof over the heads of their families, i.e., the made very positive contributions.

      The PQ and their abhorrance of everyone and everything not of their own ilk shows ingratitude, hatefulness and intolerance, just like in Germany and the former Yugoslavia. It didn't start with the slaughter of ethnic cleansing, but it sure worked its way to that. You have fanatics who are testing the limits currently at every turn they could find, so what's to stop them from continuing to test the limits, except those who at long last are looking to fight them?

      Too, Calgary, the pleasure to add fuel to the fire is all mine. I think we in RoC should put Quebec to a test and dare them to separate. I do anyway. It's no skin off my nose if Quebec wants out because it is not unanimous, and Quebec will divvy up faster than anything else; too, Quebec is on the cusp of bankruptcy with its backward fiscal priorities and its obsession towards langauge as opposed to building its natural and human resources, and infrastructure. Quebec's antics are costing the rest of us more than they're worth, so ask me if care what happens to the place where I was born and raised. Isn't that so sad?

      Delete
    4. UN GARS BIEN SYMPATHIQUE DE CALGARYWednesday, March 6, 2013 at 9:23:00 PM EST

      Really? Lay off the booze, sauga.

      Delete
    5. Methinks! I've been trolled. No Calgary, I haven't had anything to drink since the weekend, and even then, it was just one drink.

      Delete
  4. Yannick, I’m curious whether you recall when you first heard about Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged” (personally, I do not… I suppose it was sometime in CEGEP). Not having read it myself, as per Wikipedia, the book explores “a dystopian United States where many of society's most productive citizens refuse to be exploited by increasing taxation and government regulations and go on strike. The refusal evokes the imagery of what would happen if the mythological Atlas refused to continue to hold up the world.”

    I thought perhaps your reference to “Socialist Dreamland” referred to something with which I was unaware, but I only found this article about “Sweden having been a socialist dreamland… but then it woke up.” As a leftie, I’m still delirious at having been called “droiteux” by the resident troll.

    I’d be grateful if someone could explain what any or all of this means to me in simple terms.

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    1. Thank you for your thoughtful reply, Yannick. That clears things up a lot. I assume your doctorate is in Economics or a related field since you seem to be especially knowledgeable on these topics.

      I was curious about the individual rights vs. collective rights topic and who is it that expounds collective rights as being more important than individual rights. Isn’t the reason for rights to exist in the first place to protect the individual from the collective?? Since Ayn Rand is the main advocate for individual rights, would Karl Marx be the main advocate for collective rights?

      There’s also the socially left/right spectrum that is separate from the fiscally left/right spectrum, right? I guess it’s like a cafeteria, where you can pick and choose which issues you are left/right on. I always thought I’d rather live in a left-of-centre, social democratic country like the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden or Norway than a right-wing country like Singapore, Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, North Korea or Zimbabwe. It seems that pretty much only Islamic nations are more right-wing than the U.S. (extremely religious, pro-war, anti-woman, anti-gay, anti-immigrant, anti-abortion, anti-euthanasia, etc… just like right-wingers in the US.)

      I also always thought a right-winger meant someone who is right-of-centre. That’s why I was surprised to be described as a “droiteux” by the troll. Now I realize he considers right-wing to refer to everything to the right of communism and that his idea of a “droiteux” is anyone who is not a communist just like him.

      Delete
    2. For Yannick:

      I wrote this synopsis of "Atlas Shrugged" a while back:

      Atlas Shrugged is too fucking long

      Delete
  5. Sidenote whose intent is to highlight what I suppose could be coined "selective racism": It would seem that the ulteriour purpose of Quebec's immigration policy is to NOT, in fact, make up for an aging population, but to provide French-Canadian women with a wider variety of different ethnic men to "sample", sexually. Kind of like creating an ever larger and more diverse food-court at the mall.

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    Replies
    1. UN GARS BIEN SYMPATHIQUE DE CALGARYWednesday, March 6, 2013 at 6:45:00 AM EST

      "but to provide French-Canadian women with a wider variety of different ethnic men to "sample", sexually."
      Immature and baseless comment. Plus it would go contrary to a french first society. How old are you? 17?

      Delete
  6. UN GARS BIEN SYMPATHIQUE DE CALGARYWednesday, March 6, 2013 at 6:35:00 AM EST

    Here in Alberta, some of my colleagues were made aware of this site by me and they all said that quebec is intolerant of non-francos. Taping over English words at Montreal's courthouse certainly is proof of that. The same colleauges also thought that if Canada is a bilingual country why this mess in quebec and that for sure, ROC should not be bilingual an y longer. Tit for tat.
    Funny how perception of taping over English is perceived by pro-OQLF french-supremacists and other, normal Canadians...
    -------------------
    Anyway, it's more important to live 100% in french than have a good image. Speaking of, infrastructure investment into the echangeur Turcot now assessed at $3 700 000 000:
    http://www.journaldemontreal.com/2013/03/05/les-couts-hors-de-controle

    It is so 100% certain that quebec cannot afford this. Crumbling infrastructure? No money? Highest taxes? Who f@#king cares!!!! We all live in french!!!! That is what matters for quebec: economic collapse but in french.

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  7. UN GARS BIEN SYMPATHIQUE DE CALGARYWednesday, March 6, 2013 at 6:52:00 AM EST

    Disgruntled students take to Montreal streets:
    http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Students+resume+nighttime+protests+over+tuition/8054245/story.html

    $70 per year? Seriously?
    With the beers on the weekends, Lattes, Timmies, iPhones and designer clothes... WTF?
    This proves to the planet the absolute irrationality of quebecois. One of many cases...
    BTW I heard that student unions want to raise the costs of membership from $10 to $15 LOL LOL LOL Hypocrits!!!

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    Replies
    1. Dude, I am so laughing.

      Yes, it's infuriating to see these low-lives wasting OUR time over 19 cents a day, but it is SO SO sweet to see them turn on Pauline Marois.

      Let us not forget that just a few months ago, she was very proudly marching in the streets with them and now, no one remembers Jean Charest.

      Now, Marois is the evil bourgeois capitalist who doesn't respect the plight of the "poor, oppressed and noble students."

      Delete
    2. @un gars bs de calgary

      "With the beers on the weekends, Lattes, Timmies, iPhones and designer clothes... WTF?"

      dude you are to be preserved. you are the very last ungifted who still throws around this worst argument ever.

      Delete
    3. “Let us not forget that just a few months ago, she was very proudly marching in the streets with them and now, no one remembers Jean Charest.”

      I remember back in the summer of last year, when the daughter of an acquaintance that I had run into downtown during lunch was recounting how she had participated at the pot banging sessions that had taken place and how she was so impressed that even Mme Marois was on their side and had done so. I remember telling this young girl how she shouldn’t read too much into it, in terms of student support by Mme Marois or the PQ. I expressed to her how in my opinion, she was just playing the dirty little game of political chess and the students were the pawns she’d eventually sacrifice to achieve check-mate, ...thus getting herself elected Premier. At that moment, the mother gave me a rather awkward look, eyeing her daughter... she said, “We like to look at this as the glass half full. Things can’t get worst than they are and why shouldn’t students get a break..everyone else certainly does”. Naturally, I took that as my cue to quickly change the subject. Before long, I wished them both a great day, it was sunny after all, and I hurried back to work.

      I really despise that we are still having these student protests but certainly not surprised, as I am sure, no one else is ..either. I’m afraid to say that the students deserve everything they get from this failing government. They believed and bought into the false promises. Individuals seeking power will be as devious, hypocritical, AND as despicable as they need to be in order to achieve their personal Agenda and aspirations. Despite the fact that we all know this to the depth of our soul, we still choose to turn a blind eye.

      I wonder if today, that young girl and her mom remember the conversation we had that nice sunny day.

      I wonder if Madame Marois feels any remorse today for intentionally misleading the student masses with her disingenuous and false support.

      I wonder if Editor realizes how invaluable his blog is....simply priceless.

      Delete
    4. student,

      Why is it the worst argument ever? Please elaborate on your statement and provide statistics to back up your assertion, LOL.

      Delete
    5. "Why is it the worst argument ever?"

      Durham, can I please answer for him?:

      "mate, my counter-argument is clearly superior to UN GARS BIEN SYMPATHIQUE DE CALGARY's in every single way.

      it's not because you are clueless that everyone's clueless, mate. that's a common erroneous conclusion clueless people converge to, though.

      UN GARS BIEN SYMPATHIQUE DE CALGARY uses the beer joke to imply i'm drunk all the time, with the objective of mocking me (that's like totally not nice, dude). now that's wrong because he suggests there's something wrong with being an alcoholic.

      durham, i'll be happy to feed you more as soon as you clarify some of your questions."

      How'd I do Durham>

      Delete
    6. Another useless government agency, the French Language Council. http://www.ledevoir.com/politique/quebec/372564/langue-francaise-quebec-doit-adopter-la-ligne-dure-selon-le-cslf

      I wonder the budget of the French Language Council is not publicly disclosed. Is it attached to Ministry of Culture or Ministry of Colleges and Universities, good question. Anyway, "Et personne ne semble même penser à introduire de l’immersion en français dans le réseau anglais. Ça n’est pas important que les anglophones maîtrisent le français?" Seriously, all student in english needs to start learning french from grade 3. Some may start earlier albeit most do not.
      Also, http://www.ledevoir.com/politique/quebec/366195/la-moitie-des-villes-bilingues-ne-remplissent-plus-les-criteres . Wow, C’est une « anomalie », a indiqué au Devoir Jacques Beauchemin, le sous-ministre à la politique linguistique au ministère de l’Immigration et des Communautés culturelles. C’est ce que l’article 12 du projet de loi 14 veut corriger." Did M. Beauchemin call a part of M. Lorrain revered Bill 101 an anomal y. I was dreaming of this for décades.

      Delete
    7. @ Resident Evil

      I think you need a few more question marks, but other than that, spot on.

      Delete
    8. R.E. I agree with TS, lol, u don't need to further ridicule that moron...he's a punch-line all by his lonesome !! lol

      Delete
    9. IS it just me or whenever Student opens his mouth, this is what comes out:

      http://bit.ly/QRjvVJ

      Ostentatious pseudo-intellectual flagellation...

      Delete
    10. @liam

      "I wonder the budget of the French Language Council is not publicly disclosed."

      you're wrong again. it is disclosed: http://tinyurl.com/bgddoce

      why do you spread false crap around, mate? what's your agenda?

      Delete
  8. LD

    News flash. PQ's new language law may be dead in the water.

    http://www.cjad.com/CJADLocalNews/entry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10513148

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    1. CAQ's piecemeal -- and very insidious -- endorsement still sickens me. We need to rewrite the entire law and equip our province's citizens to thrive in the bilingual reality that we can't (and I think shouldn't) hold back.

      We can achieve bilingual balance in this city and region. Of all the places where bilingualism can thrive organically, it frustrates me that we're still focused on how to suppress it (rather than encourage it wholeheartedly).

      Delete
    2. From the link: "The CAQ will also support adding 'the right to live and work in French' to Quebec's charter of human rights and freedoms."

      Why is this needed? Does not current legislation guarantee this?
      What exactly does it mean? When other parts of Bill 101 speak about French without mentioning another language, it means "only in French." Does this mean that people will have the right to live their lives without the slightest exposure to another language?

      Delete
    3. Can they break the bill up like that? I hope its all or nothing.

      Delete
    4. "The CAQ will also support adding 'the right to live and work in French' to Quebec's charter of human rights and freedoms"

      It might be a way to make the QC bill of rights compliant with bill 101. The bill of rights tends to be overlooked in favor of 101 anyways, but now it looks like it will be subordinated to bill 101.

      But what else would you expect in a herrenvolk democracy?

      Delete
    5. "The CAQ will also support adding 'the right to live and work in French' to Quebec's charter of human rights and freedom”

      No surprise really. Let’s remember CAQ is the ugly little twin of the PQ, and competing for the same crown. Must we repeat it? More personal Agenda’s and more egotistical aspirations and therefore will not vote down bill 14. Naturally they wouldn’t have necessarily come up with something so vile themselves, but since someone else did, and doing the heavy lifting, they certainly won’t oppose it. They’re pretty much headed in the same direction as the other reigning Losers...and so ....these reprehensible language laws are very much in line with what they ALL endorse anyway.

      Delete
    6. @anectote

      "Naturally they wouldn’t have necessarily come up with something so vile themselves."

      simple question, mate: why is bill 14 so vile? in your own words. include quotes from the bill. you can do it. show me the vile.

      here's a definition to help you:

      vile: Morally depraved; ignoble or wicked.

      Delete
    7. @confusedinquebec

      "When other parts of Bill 101 speak about French without mentioning another language, it means "only in French."

      that's false. it means french predominant. but not french only. where did you get that wrong perception confusedinquebec? yannick had the same prejudice a month ago when we discussed this. maybe you guys share a bad source.

      Delete
    8. Quebec was also pressured to moderate Bill 101 after being condemned by the United Nations for violating basic human rights.

      Delete
  9. From the French press:
    http://www.journaldemontreal.com/2013/03/04/le-carcan-quebecois

    The Quebec pillory
    After twice saying “No”, the time should have come for a different approach, wouldn’t you think?
    By Benoît Aubin @ Journal de Montréal, March 4, 2013

    How can one believe that things are moving along, that Quebec is evolving and is going someplace, all the while we are creating a new sovereignist party at the same time that a Trudeau, hated in Quebec [Ed: ?!?!?], is preparing to take the leadership of the federal Liberal Party?

    I do not know by what devilry Quebec’s political class has come to be trapped in this infernal logic that condemns it to be repeated ad infinitum, much as a condemned man walks around in circles in a prison yard.

    Has anyone here ever had a new idea since René Lévesque launched the Parti Québécois, and Robert Bourassa responded by promising 100,000 jobs with his Plan Nord 50 years ago?

    The world has changed

    The world has changed radically since then. Nothing is as it was when René Lévesque used to smoke during his days on black and white TV. Technology is not the only thing that has given us wonderful knowledge tools and cool gadgets.

    Quebec now manufactures jets! And it imports its garlic from China!

    Everything has changed since the creation of the PQ: there are no more communists (apart from a few professors at UQAM), India now has a middle class and there is a black President of the United States.

    Montreal is much more French than it was in the 1960s; Quebec currently exports its culture on all fronts. Even our problems did not exist in the 1960s. Then, all immigrants used to switch to English [Ed: (A) Not true, and (B) Hello, Catholic school boards!]: there were no worries about their integration into "our" society. The pension deficit was nothing but an accounting projection. The environment was a concern only for some hippies on the fringe of society. Feminism was a radical initiative.

    Fossilized discourse

    The only things that haven’t changed since the invention of the Walkman are the parameters of political discourse here. Regardless of who says what today, it will be analyzed, dissected, critiqued and catalogued according to the criteria established in the 60s and 70s - and which is strictly forbidden to be updated.

    Take Justin Trudeau, for example. Trudeau Jr. wisely remained vague about his political positions. He carefully distanced himself from those of his father – on the need for a "strong" central government, among others - a position that is defended by Deborah Coyne, disciple and ex-lover of Trudeau Sr.

    The son of the other

    But here in Quebec, it is not worth listening to him: he is the son of the one who "imposed" the 1982 constitution which Quebec has refused to sign, etc… It is settled: he is bad!

    Same thing with the “launching” of the Option Nationale. This nice, brand new little party full of young enthusiasts does nothing but replay the PQ’s old tunes: bickering between the hardliners and the pragmatists. It is nothing but a remake of the PQ ‘s hereditary dilemma: one assumes power to promote sovereignty… but exercising such power undermines the promotion of sovereignty.

    We know that already! “Been there, done that”! What else?

    The past is important and it leaves its tracks. So, after two referendum defeats, the time should have come to move on and to look to the future otherwise, right?

    But that seems to be forbidden here.

    And so, we repeat ourselves...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. FROM ED
      R.S.
      Thank you for the piece from the French press. I often wonder what the feeling is on the Francophone side but I don't read french fast enough to be bothered. The fact that justin Trudeau is hated in Quebec says a lot for him. When Aubin says that immigrants switched to English he is wrong. In the sixties they had to speak English to get into Canada. After the war the next two decades were mainly people from Europe, most of whom already spoke english. Ed

      Delete
  10. FROM ED
    Une Gars,
    My God what a hypocrite you are. How can you critisize Mr. Sauga for the very adequte description he used for the PQ party. We have all used those words and they describe the comparison between what's taking place here and how Hitler got started.
    You who I have admonished several times about dissing all of us in this province and making us all look like nazis or bums put down one who is simply stating the truth. People who live in glass houses................... Ed

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ED you are way too emotional, dude.
      Read back his comment. It was not criticism, he was reminding Sauga to not empower YOUR enemies...
      By using ugly words you give your enemies ammunition, BTW.
      Why are you living there then? A martyr?

      Delete
    2. FROM ED
      I would pay more attenion to your words if I knew where they were coming from. Anyone who posts anonymously without a name doesn't show much interest. Look up the word martyr, you obviously don't know what it means. Mr. Sauga knows a thousand times better that une gars what is right and what is wrong. Ed

      Delete
    3. UN GARS BIEN SYMPATHIQUE DE CALGARYWednesday, March 6, 2013 at 3:43:00 PM EST

      All right, ED.
      By calling quebec nationalists Nazis, Gestapo, etc do you honestly think you will be making gains for your cause?
      Remember the folks in Brockville who were trampling quebec flags 20 years ago?
      Parizeau said of the event "give me a few more Brockville events and I can win a referendum".
      Really?
      Again, as Anonymous wrote you are too emotional, ED.

      I do not appreciate your name calling and insulting me either. I thought your cause was noble and well scripted so no room for hot tempers, right ED? Stay in control man.
      Just like in Korea:)

      Delete
    4. Un gars,

      Referring as you do to Quebec as Quebekistan - with its inherent reference to Islamo-fascist regimes - isn't a great deal different than calling QC nationalists Nazis or the Gestapo. Ed was right...people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

      Delete
    5. UN GARS BIEN SYMPATHIQUE DE CALGARYWednesday, March 6, 2013 at 9:10:00 PM EST

      Dear Durham, let me explain what the term "quebecistan" or "quebekistan" actually means.
      It has nothing to do with Islamo-fascism. To the contrary: quebekistan was originally written in reference to a societal tendency in which some nationalist quebecois associate with other people without countries, such as palestinians or corsicans. However today, it alludes to the fact that quebec alone is not viable, a third world country. Go ahead and google the subject.
      A great friend of quebec just died: Tom Connors.

      P.S. Are there any student demonstrations scheduled in Montreal tonight?

      Delete
    6. FROM ED
      I am in control une gars. What pisses me off is that no one has uised harsher alanguage to describe Quebec's situation than you. How can you point the finger at someone alse. You still use the Quebecistan insult. Ed

      Delete
  11. FROM ED
    EDITOR, Push back hard needs more than words. It needs action. We must rally anglos and allos that on a certain day we all put out an English sign. I was going to suggest St.Pat's day but itmight cause trouble at the parade and the organizers don't need that.. Perhaps good Friday when Jesus died to help us all would be appropriate. I am building a ramp for my scooter and will move the mail box to the front of the gallery with the words 'MAIL BOX' in large letters instead of the word "poste". A sign in English wishing "Happy Easter" will do. Ed

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. How about some Canada flag stickers.

      Everybody can buy themselves a 100 pack for $10

      http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-lot-of-100-Canada-Flag-Stickers-3-5-X1-3-4-/200711118686?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2ebb509f5e

      Paste them around montreal. All the canada flags annoyed the PQ like crazy for the referendum.



      Delete
    2. Shiiiiiiiiit.

      I`m going to buy 1000's of them and paste them all over the Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste & OQLF buildings. They'd also be great to stick over top of what some seppies put on their car bumpers, like the patriote flag and other assorted nonsense.

      Delete
    3. Communiquez avec Sheila Copps,il doit certainement lui en rester quelques boîtes dans son sous-sol :)

      Une petite propagande qui a fini dans les poubelles

      Delete
    4. Moi je recherche "du tape à globish" genre très opaque et impossible à décoller.

      Delete
    5. UN GARS BIEN SYMPATHIQUE DE CALGARYWednesday, March 6, 2013 at 3:38:00 PM EST

      Au lieu de chercher du "tape" cherches-toi donc une job la "cruche":)

      Delete
    6. We need to make up a sticker that look like a crime scene. IE do not enter, "language crime has been committed here." OLQF Force 10.

      Stickers all around some malls doors etc.

      Really it only makes sense. You don;t want some poor PQ or other separatist idiot to run into non french words.

      The citizens of Quebec MUST be protected for "foreign languages".

      Only non francophones will be permitted inside the "crime scene area" until the issue is solved.

      Large bright orange stickers...

      WTF is globish? Is that some kind of insult? Here's a thought, if you want to hang around this board an insult the other readers it's best if you do it in ways they can even understand. Takes the bite out of your comments when we have no fucking clue most of the time.

      Quebec would rather have no jobs, everyone living in poverty as long as the population can be "protected" from other languages and cultures.

      That's truly is Quebec thinking different.

      All the PQ suporters living in their cardboard boxes banging the pots together don;t seem to realize their leader goes home to her million dollar chateau in the West Island. They are still unworldly enough not to know their leaders don;t plan to lead by example.

      Once they ruin Quebec, they will be able to be top of the shit pile left behind, able to vacation in France with all the money the stole during the construction years.

      The PQ harpies reading this board will still be on welfare except with another $10 per month in their pocket.

      Delete
    7. cebeuq, pls email the editor about your idea

      Delete
  12. An excellent post, editor.
    I'm not a merchant in Greater Montreal, so I have no right to demand that others be heroes when it's not my money at stake, but I'd always been confused and dismayed by how quickly some businesses acquiesce to the language cops' bullying. The OQLF inspectors do not have police powers (at this writing, at least), so why aren't they thrown out on their a--es more often?
    Do businesses in Montreal factor the cost of language hassles (OQLF complaints, court dates, buying new signs/equipment etc.) into their budgets? I don't know, and I hope someone will enlighten me. I'm betting most don't, as profit margins for independent businesses are usually razor-thin -- and I'm sure the tongue troopers realize that and use that to their advantage.
    What about the idea of a "legal defence fund" for merchants who want to fight back against linguistic persecution? I'm not a rich man, but I'd be willing to contribute to such a fund. Other groups - the NAACP; climate scientists; heck, even raw milk producers -- set up funds to fight nuisance litigants. There's no reason foes of language restrictions can't do the same.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I've mentioned this before here, but the power of video and social media is the way that the OQLF can be rendered meaningless.

    Almost everyone has a smart phone. Smart phones have video cameras.

    Video the inspector in your store. Ask him questions on the record while recording.

    Upload video to youtube.

    We've seen how pastagate has been reported around the world and made Quebec, once again, a laughing stock. This can shame Quebec to dismantle the OQLF in no time.

    Perhaps an "instruction" manual or a web page devoted to this that is distributed to all shopkeepers with simple instructions what to do when the inspector visits.

    And we can be done with this insanity.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Corruption spread to Quebec 4th largest city.

    http://www.lapresse.ca/le-droit/actualites/ville-de-gatineau/201303/01/01-4626819-des-enqueteurs-debarquent-chez-genivar-a-gatineau.php

    Mayor Bureau admit it you were taking a 3% cut on each contract. Do the honourable thing and resign.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Geez Liam - and now us? Keep me up to date as much as you can please until I return - thx

      Delete
  15. UN GARS BIEN SYMPATHIQUE DE CALGARYWednesday, March 6, 2013 at 3:59:00 PM EST

    More quebec nonsense:
    Downtown Montreal businesses tired of demonstrations and vandals:
    http://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/regional/montreal/201303/06/01-4628370-manifs-des-commercants-exasperes-veulent-une-police-plus-reactive.php

    French to become the "common language for all":
    http://www.cslf.gouv.qc.ca/no-cache/le-conseil/publications-recentes-du-conseil/
    and:
    http://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/quebec-canada/politique-quebecoise/201303/06/01-4628319-le-conseil-superieur-de-la-langue-francaise-donne-des-munitions-au-pq.php


    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "French to become the "common language for all":

      oh brother...French is the common language for all...ALREADY!

      Seriously S.R. where have you been the past 40 years??...More to the point, let me ask you this, if you're hardly convinced...(evident by your overstated high-five just then to CSLF)....how do you expect to convince the rest of us?

      There-in lies your first problem, you...the lot of you, don't believe the French language to be supreme...EVEN AFTER 40 YEARS, and the harsh language legislations to boot and rammmming them all down everyone's throat, you still have not faith in it, jumping up like a little puppy dog because someone validates the statement.

      This is why you will never win...or own this argument.

      This is why you will never be a nation!

      Delete
    2. UN GARS BIEN SYMPATHIQUE DE CALGARYWednesday, March 6, 2013 at 8:00:00 PM EST

      Hi hi hi

      SR, les nationaleux quebekistanais vont re-inventer l'histoire du bien petit quebec:
      http://blogs.montrealgazette.com/2013/03/06/historian-fight/
      Vu que t'es une fraude, tu vas aimer!
      Car mentir a son peuple afin de devenir independant, on parle bien d'un mensonge, une fraude. Ca fait dur, mentir pour gagner c'est tricher.
      La Republique populaire du quebekistan?
      Ou la Caree du nord?
      Laquelle tu preferes?

      Delete
    3. @un gars bs de calgary

      dude the new book's table of content is not even written yet but you don't care and bash anyways. that's lame.

      the good side of this is you have room for improvement.

      Delete
  16. I know I have a ‘bee in my bonnet’ today with Marois and the PQ, but I thought I’d include the following link from Today’s The Gazette.

    http://www.montrealgazette.com/opinion/Opinion+Marois+trying+divide+Quebecers/8052171/story.html

    Any negative publicity toward the PQ is positive for the cause, except, the tone of such an opinion piece and the redundancy of the question, get on my nerves. We’re pleading with these people to play nice and to play fair...REALLY? I hope we can all appreciate that the PQ have simply paid lip service to the ‘inclusion rhetoric’ when it comes to the ANGLOS, up until now. This is the politically correct thing to do and thus, on the surface, they try to appear as towing the line. The greatest proof of this is JF Lisee as their envoy. Please, let’s stop beseeching these people, who basically despise Anglos and the rest of the minority communities. Let’s accept the fact that they have no use for us. I will go further by saying that they probably have an internal team who brain-storms daily on how to get rid of us for good.

    The PQ has to give sustenance to the minions who elected them. They are fiercely competing for popularity, with the likes of “Option National: and “QC Solidaire”, (who stole votes away from them last September, and rendered them a minority government) these as we know, are much more radical and fanatical when it comes to Quebec Independence. If the PQ can’t deliver a ‘Nation’, for obvious reasons, first and foremost they are not in a position Financially to do so, they will, at least, ‘throw a dog a bone” mostly, as many as they can manufacture...i.e.: ..bill 14 and the like.

    These people will never warm up to us, never like us and never accept us, so let’s understand that. Toward the minority communities they are clearly ill-intentioned. The gloves need to come off for good! No more reasoning, pleading, negotiating, or playing nice. NO MORE GUILT-RIDDEN FEELINGS FOR PAST WRONGS ALEGEDLY PERPETUATED OR NOT. We’ve done enough of that, for nearly 40 years.

    Time to show our teeth. Mine are nice, shiny and sharp....YOURS?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. @anectote

      "I will go further by saying that they probably have an internal team who brain-storms daily on how to get rid of us for good."

      Mmmmmmpfff!!!!

      sorry mate. i shouldn't laugh.

      but... i mean. you realize this is pure paranoia right?

      "These people will never warm up to us, never like us and never accept us, so let’s understand that."

      dude you are totally menacing and aggressive here. no wonder nobody likes you.

      Delete
    2. Je crois qu'il est mûr pour des traitements intensifs chez le psy :)

      Delete
  17. oh...and I forgot...with Contra's permission..."And you want to make a country out of THIS?:

    ReplyDelete
  18. UN GARS BIEN SYMPATHIQUE DE CALGARYWednesday, March 6, 2013 at 4:52:00 PM EST

    "couldn't agree more kiddo - enough sucking up - we have to start fighting back with every bit of shit we can muster!"

    Unfortunately, I believe that you are fighting an uphill battle, sorry.
    Facts are facts, I tell the truth, even as a franco I threw the towel. Please do not be bashful towards me for telling you the truth. You should spend whatever left you have to live your life to be happy and positive. Just ignore the crazy laws... Well for me I just decided to leave because I can't go against what an entire province desires. I am entitled to my happiness and it's not in la belle province, sorry.

    ReplyDelete
  19. I asked this of AnecTOTE earlier but wanted to check with all of you.

    When you guys read Student's incompetent drivel and desperate attempts at coming off as somewhat informed...

    ...do you ever start thinking of this:

    http://bit.ly/QRjvVJ

    "Pine cones hit with an impact that draws a coagulation effect storm effect of frivolous desires so carnal in nature and yet indelibly...I have no idea what I'm fucking talking about"

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. “Is it just me or whenever Student opens his mouth, this is what comes out:
      http://bit.ly/QRjvVJ
      Ostentatious pseudo-intellectual flagellation”

      @ R.E.

      I just wanted to tell you again, how much we appreciate that you’re back and posting again. You’re always so terrific, I’m sure I speak for all of us when I say that your posts put a smile on our faces!

      Now for ...my ‘pearls of wisdom’ when it comes to resident troll “red square”,

      I do this as a reluctant participant and only as a favor to you since you requested input on the subject, though I’d much rather leave him stew in his own dose of usual irrelevance and worthlessness. He’s really not hard to figure out.

      Once before I mentioned this famous quote from the movie “Catch me if you can”, you may have missed it, it was while you were on ...hiatus

      “Why do the Yankees always win? The other team can't stop looking at the pinstripes”

      Translation: If you can distract people long enough, you can do just about anything you want and like.

      I’m glad you also included that link of Brad Pitt ‘regaling’ us about ‘Channel no. 5’. A pretty face can sell almost anything, and anyway, are we really listening to what he’s saying? I didn’t, too busy admiring the pretty face lol...lucky angie jolie!!! In student's case, pretty or not, he's ugly to me.

      This resident troll’s main objective, (and it’s a wicked one), is simply to divert, for as often as he can and for as long as he can, the direction of the discussion on this blog. Obviously, most people see him coming a million miles away, and no longer really give him the time of day much any more unless to poke fun and basically mock him.

      Make no mistake though, he is insidious and treacherous. Personally I think he’s an utter bore, and he would of met his demise long ago, were it my blog, ...but it isn’t and Editor is much nobler than I am.

      Delete
    2. “I am entitled to my happiness and it's not in la belle province, sorry.”

      I must say, when it comes to Democracy, you’re a little naive if you think that by not living here, you’re immune to what is happening. This is what people fail to understand, just because you left Quebec and you’re no longer here, what makes you think you could not be affected by something like this happening in the rest of this country?

      These Oppressors are denying the citizens of Quebec their RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS. Under the guise of French language protection, they have basically behaved like Fascists (makes me laugh when they criticize countries like Italy for the same thing decades ago), for 40 years no less..AND NOW...they aspire to become..ULTRA-FASCISTS!...What makes you all think that, the local governments where you all live, wouldn’t try shoving down your throats whatever they may fancy and disguising it anyway they choose to with fickle tyrannical legislation? All of a sudden Quebec becomes a model ..for what is possible..in the rest of the RoC, don't you see that? They can just claim that they’re protecting something rare and unique and suddenly, they can arbitrarily decide that dogs are more valuable than cats supposedly. All you cat lovers...you’ll have to suck it up! You no longer have the right to own cats!

      WAKE UP PEOPLE...(I'm particularly suprised at you Mr. Sauga), IF the Holocaust was able to happen under everyone’s noses 70 years ago, ..and 6,000,000 people were murdered as a result, it can happen again. Case in point..right here, just across the hall, for 40 years now, we’ve basically wiped out the Anglo Community in Quebec, and project that in the next 3 to 5 years, will be completely extinct.

      NO ONE IS IMMUNE TO TYRANNY WHERE EVER YOU MAY LIVE.

      The lesson here is...THAT...SOMETHING VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE IN QC. CAN HAPPEN IN YOUR NECK OF THE WOODS ..AS WELL...AND ANYTIME, so... you should wake up and fight this fight as well ....SO IT NEVER EVER HAPPENS IN YOUR NECK OF THE WOODS...EVER...

      RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS ARE NON-NEGOTIABLE, NO MATTER WHAT SORRY EXCUSE THE-POWERS-THAT-BE USE TO DENY THEM!

      VISION PEOPLE...VISION!

      Delete
    3. Il ne vous est jamais venu à l'esprit de déménager en ontario ToTo ?

      Delete
    4. @anectote

      "These Oppressors..."
      "they aspire to become..ULTRA-FASCISTS!"
      " All you cat lovers...you’ll have to suck it up! You no longer have the right to own cats!"
      "...in the next 3 to 5 years, (anglo community) will be completely extinct."

      dude you are positioning yourself so far off rationality that it will become difficult to carry on debating with you. come back!

      Delete
    5. "Il ne vous est jamais venu à l'esprit de déménager en ontario ToTo ?"

      Nope...never. I was born and raised here. THIS is my home.

      Did it ever occur to you? Since apparently that's where YOU were born? LOL

      Delete
    6. Look at this...now we’re quoting me in ‘sound bites’ in order to take content out of context.

      “These Oppressors..."
      "they aspire to become..ULTRA-FASCISTS!"
      " All you cat lovers...you’ll have to suck it up! You no longer have the right to own cats!"
      "...in the next 3 to 5 years, (anglo community) will be completely extinct."

      We all agree that trolls such as S.R. and Y.L are a warped pimple on the ass of humanity, a waste of human skin, and the dregs living inside residue; finally, these are the abortions you wish had happened ...And then there is you. We all know, that you know better!

      “When you know better, you do better”.

      That’s the belief apparently, but not you. Not only, do you not ‘do better’, you perpetuate the worst possible charade of attempting to induce this blog away from its noble intention, intentionally.

      What you do is immoral. You are immoral by design. For this, g-d kicks your soul while you sleep.

      Delete
    7. Que de fiel ToTo,êtes-vous bien certain d'être sain d'esprit?

      Delete
    8. @anectote

      you mad, bro. i thought cutie003 was the worst but you're getting there too.

      Delete
    9. Ha...so now our little batti-troll is turning slum on us.

      Get a life you little bitch.

      Delete
    10. haha! and resident evil doesn't want to be left out! all right buddy, you're quite lame too. it's a very close race. happy now?

      Delete
    11. "you mad, bro. i thought cutie003 was the worst but you're getting there too."

      Consider your ass "OFFICIALLY' kicked from here to China.

      Now SCRAMMMMMM ...you vile rodent.

      Delete
    12. Guess you and I, AnceTOTE, will have to run off into the sunset together now that you're considered as "Mad" as I - It was meant to be - lol - what a separatist jerk!

      Delete
  20. Editor I beg your indulgence,

    To one and all, if you have a moment, please watch this video. Tariq Ramadan (Scholar and intellectual on Ethics and Islam), speaks of ‘Islam’ on CHARLIE ROSE but the argument he makes is quite universal, as you can substitute the word “Islam” as it relates closer to our own subject of “Anglos” & “Minority Communities”, for the most part, it is very interesting...how familiar it all sounds!!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaDh2_tvtmg
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7SobVYIo6Q

    There are three parts but I am including only 2/3 & 3/3.

    Well worth watching, each only 10min long approximately.

    ReplyDelete
  21. A four part post: PART 1:

    Hello Editor, and hopefully some Equality Party Leaders

    You guys are going about this all wrong. If you want things to change, emphasising the racism and clear injustice of it all will not do the job. As you say these are zealots, but it is beyond that.

    Francophones, for the past 40 years, have been FORCED to go to French school. They have no freedom of choice in their education. In these schools, english is actively discouraged and only 37% of Francophones can actually speak English in this province, and most of them likely did not learn it in school, nor does it mean they speak it well.

    Two generations of Francos have been exposed only to French schooling and the state-approved version of history (which is about to get worse, incidentally). They have been taught that Anglophones and immigrants are a threat to their culture. They are taught that being interested in English culture is akin to being a traitor and turning against the French. They are constantly told that they should take action, or at a minimum, feel threatened at the sound of English.

    Furthermore, they are taught, and have it repeated, how English people constantly call their “justified” desire to protect their culture “racism” and “Quebec bashing”. They are constantly reminded that Anglos and the Federal govt are trying to take away their liberties, rights and freedoms.

    So, to tell them their actions and beliefs are racist will have no effect. They believe your words are ploys to con them into abandoning their culture.

    You may read this and think I am exaggerating, but I’m not. My wife is French and my in-laws are all French. This is a debate I have been having with her and her family since I met her.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Part 2:

    The approach to take it is to try and make Francos understand how their freedoms has been removed, and not by Anglos and Immigrants, but by those who claim to represent them. I have actually read this argument already being made on some French sites and it is a perfect approach.

    They need to be explained that when someone comes around claiming to represent your culture, it has too often been followed by limits on their freedoms and calculated attempts to brainwash the population, while creating and emphasising the presence of some minority group they claim is a threat to their way of life.


    This is precisely what nationalists have done: they claim to represent real Quebecers. Then they ban francos from English schools while attacking anglos and immigrants constantly, so that francos do not realize the limits on their freedoms and the injustice of it. Nationalists maintain the fear, so francos are always wary of English and do not realize the true limits placed on them. In school, they teach the nationalists version of history with the hope of eventually getting as many francos as possible to share and partake of their dreams.

    Voila – a brainwashed society who do not realize that those truly limiting their freedoms are not the “others”, but rather those that claim to represent them.

    In order to get francos to truly see the limits placed on them, you need to generally outline the situation, but only very generally, then question them – make them find the links and form the conclusions. Have them think it through and find ways to make them see how nationalists have established limits on their day-to-day lives. We should disarm their fear by letting them know we have no ulterior motives, and most important, create a new vision of QC to which they can be attracted.

    You (anglo leaders) need to put the question to them directly: Why should francophones not be allowed to choose the schooling of their own kids ? These are not anglos or immigrants trying not to assimilate, but the francos who just want to learn an important skill. This limit is placed on those that the nationalists claim to protect - francos. Why are you removing rights from those you claim to protect ?

    You will invariably face one or more of three responses: 1. An appeal to fear (we will lose our culture if everyone goes to French school). 2. We don’t want immigrants to assimilate to English. 3. Name calling (you are a traitor, you want to destroy French culture)

    All these arguments are easy to counter with calm and simple questions.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Part 3:

    The French culture has been around 400 years and clearly Francos hold to it. As an Anglo married to a (beautiful and wonderful) franco, I can easily confirm she holds to it. I can even say I do think that when the racism is not front and center, it is a beautiful culture. It’s actually a shame that nationalists have perverted it, as this actually prevents more people from partaking of it. But francos, just because they learn English, will not abandon French culture. Ask any franco if they are ready to abandon French if they learn English and I think the answer is obvious.

    You can also ask a pure-laine franco - if you decide one day that you want your kid to know English (not abandon his culture, but learn and perfect a skill that is invaluable in today’s world – kinda like math or biology), why would YOU (not someone else), why should YOU, a pure-laine franco, not be allowed to do so ? I would assume that you would make sure your child understands his roots and maintain the importance that French is to him. Why not allow this franco to send his kid to an English school ? What possible reason could you have to block the person you claim to protect ?

    For immigrants, we are not talking about them, we are taking about francos. This is a typical nationalist decoy tactic. I always thought that a bill 101 forcing all QC-ers (with a grandfather clause for those with their certificate) to go to French school for two generations, and afterwards they can choose the schooling they like seemed fair. After two generations, I would say immigrants are entitled to be QC-ers (although in my mind, once you are a citizen, you should be, but I digress).

    Name-calling is the funnest. It reveals a total lack of logic against the argument, something that is easy to stress.

    To disarm them, as we have done above, just be truthful. Emphasize that Anglos can already choose, so we are actually fighting for a sense of justice for Francos and more collaborative society. We do not think francos will be afraid of us if they actually associate with us. Furthermore, having the choice to go to an English school does not mean you are FORCED to. It means you have the right to choose.

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  24. Part 4 (last):

    For the vision, my main emphasis would be on bilingual schools. Imagine a QC where there is no racism and fear of the other. Anglos and Francos and immigrants would all go to school together. All kids will learn English and French within 3-5 months. Rather than everyone be bilingual, a third language should be easy to learn for that generation.

    I don’t think French culture would be abandoned. Parents would try and make their kids understand its importance. There would be some evolution, but I believe French would start to flourish anew.

    Far from being the decaying province we are now, people elsewhere would be intrigued by the possibility of learning French, without facing racism and intolerance, and French music, movies, food and culture would become cool. I would expect an influx of jet-setters and other such types to flock here at the possibility of learning French, without fear of attacks on their culture.

    An open QC culture would actually encourage people to learn French. As it is now, anglos and immigrants feel shit on, so why would we integrate ? We will speak French, but not integrate, which is something that is all too common in QC. So as the French die without a replacement fertility rate, so does their culture. No harsh law will stop that. The solution is to open up and rid yourselves of what make people want to avoid coming here and what makes QC seem so racist to the rest of North America.

    To get this message through though, you cannot just write letters and give news conferences, you need to go out to the francos and face their attacks.

    Go to as many small villages as you can, rent classrooms, put an ad in the papers inviting people to come and discuss. Give your speech explaining all this in the most non-threatening way possible. Smile a lot – à la Jack Layton. Be personable. Be likeable. Allow questions at the end. Don’t ever yell. Don’t ever get angry. You will likely always be getting videotaped and your bad moments will be on youtube within the minute.

    These people are genuinely scared and have genuinely been brainwashed. Hold their hand and take them through it slowly. No stupid comparisons to Nazism and other such extremes.

    In your speeches, Francos will argue a lot and it will seem like a fruitless endeavor to you, but the message will start to seep in with repetition and time. Bear in mind, you are saying nothing that is untrue. They only have fear and ignorance on their side. Hit them with it, with a smile and polite tone, but don’t hold back at shining a light on their ignorance and irrational fear.

    Pray that Beaulieu and other extremists come. Pray that they block doors and interrupt speeches, because this will be a vivid example of them not wanting Francos to have access to other views.

    Once francos start to realize how they have been limited and taken for fools by nationalists, they will begin to resent it and push back against the nationalists. This has actually all happened before in QC too. It was a push-back against the catholic church. If anglos (all eyes on you Equality) make a concerted effort, you can start a Quiet Revolution 2.0

    Your spokesman should speak excellent, if not perfect, French.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. @L.Steve

      An interesting approach...I hate to be devil’s advocate however, but why hasn’t anyone thought of this...”conciliatory” approach previously already, and using this type of cajoling, coxing, and babysitting practically, that you just prescribed? The onus is once again on us, the Anglos and the minority communities to demonstrate restraint and patience and understanding? Did it ever occur to you that we may well be past and beyond that? We’re the ones that now, feel alienated and victimized. And if there is a more expeditious way of accomplishing what IS NEEDED to save this bloody place, we’re grabbing it, without the preambles.

      The one thing that you’ve completely ignored is that the brainwashing has come hand in hand with shear HATE, for all that is ‘Non-Francophone’!...AND Hate is something that has not gone away, or been attenuated even in the least, in the past 40yrs, let’s bear that in mind. Hate is so overt today, that you have people yelling at one another in the middle of the street for not speaking French and others publically invading our private spaces to remind and reproach us that we’re speaking another language, other than French, with you own kids no less, this apparently is unacceptable.

      But sure, if there are people who believe that the “Ends justify the Means” and this would result in Quebec society getting back its Rights and Freedoms & DIGNITY, then by all means, knock yourselves out, go ahead and try this NEW approach.

      Don’t blame those of us who believe differently however and find this to be a pipe dream. If it took 40yrs to destroy a province with inherent Hate, Prejudice and Racism, it will take likewise 40 more to heal it from such diseases. Can we spare that kind of time before this province implodes?

      And I haven’t even started on the whole issue of “Trust”.

      Delete
    2. @anectote

      what'up with "trust", mate?

      Delete
    3. LD

      Good posting L. Steve. I agree with some of what you had to say. Open and honest communication, always the best policy. Some of my closest friends are Francophones and I really have a sense that the 40 year brainwash is wearing thin amongst Gen Xers and the younger set. They are starting to question why they don't have a choice when it comes to their kid's education. Why is some fonctionnaire that doesn't give two shits about their child's well being and future success determining how their child learns? They are starting to question why only those with a mastery of English are getting promoted and are more likely to become managers. Among my Franco friends, NO ONE thinks Mario Beaulieu and his gang are credible. And most shocking of all, none of them feel they have to die here in Quebec. They don't fear moving to Calgary, LA or Toronto like their parent's generation.
      Another point I'd like to highlight, a lot of what has been going on here transcends language and actually has a lot to do with power and control. Quebec Inc. is a giant machine that burns a lot of cash to keep it going. A captive taxpayer base is an absolute essential ingredient. How else to control a population's mobility than to ensure they are illiterate to English, which happens to be the primary language spoken by 100 million people within a 10 hour drive of Montreal. As the PQ generation dies off, I think attitudes will change for the better. I'm optimistic.

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    4. @ld

      "Why is some fonctionnaire that doesn't give two shits about their child's well being and future success determining how their child learns?"

      it's not "some fonctionnaire" who came up with bill 101, mate. it's the people, by voting in the parti québécois many times since 1976.

      Delete
    5. L. Steve, you're seeing the short term through rose colored glasses.

      I share (because I know I embody) the ideal of bilingualism you espouse, but between now and the day when a huge chunk of francophone Quebecers turn on our province's language legislation the way they once did on its majority religion, a robust and well thought-out defensive and offensive needs to be done.

      We have a bill in the legislature that's about to lay the groundwork for more hateful and petty battles in the future. That same bill's first section would even subordinate all Quebecers' human/civil rights to language rights.

      A group of history teachers is pushing for a nationalist teaching of our history curriculum, in a bid to stoke and ratchet up support for separation among our impressionable youth.

      Don't get me wrong - it's great that French gains vitality in Quebec, but frankly, this is the hearth of French North America... Face up to what you're glossing over, Steve: what are you advocating, as an anglo rights activist, that will allow English to be better off in this province in 5, 10, 20, or 50 years if current legislative assaults and administrative bullying tactics continue? The last two generations have seen not only a (demographically understandable) francophone taking charge of all levers of Quebec society, but also a deliberate, concerted, and sanctioned effacing, relegation, and disenfranchisement of anything English-speaking.

      With support for the OUI at a generational low, the ratcheting up of language tensions is exactly what the CSLF, OQLF, and PQ are hoping for to revive their collective raison d'être. And further de-legitimizing English to the furthest extent possible, as always, is their modus operandi. Worse yet, by targeting small and medium-sized businesses, we are now witnessing nothing short of a legislatively-coordinated effort to strangle any remaining element in our society that is (even organically) anglophone. Our entire society is told to grin and bear it, and that that legislatively-administered whipping sound is nothing more than the necessary growth pangs. All of this in bid to appease the francosupremacists who even in a separate Quebec would, if past trends are any example, find more things to be paranoid about and more things to exclude.

      Anything beyond the bare minimum in terms of legislatively mandated services in English is evidently targeted. And with the tacit support of the CAQ, this bill too can become law. If anything, it is the CAQ you should be communicating with right now.

      Delete
    6. student: "it's not "some fonctionnaire" who came up with bill 101, mate. it's the people, by voting in the parti québécois many times since 1976."

      Is the fact that a "majority" were/are for 101 supposed to exonerate 101?

      Or does it say more about the unfortunate fact of life that some (not all) suppressed groups of people, when finally "liberated", instead of trying to invent a "new soul" may instead pursue a revanchist course of action and exhibit retaliatory tendencies which sometimes take a (ridiculously) long time to dissipate?

      What do you think, mate?

      Delete
    7. Interesting series of responses. I get the impressions you all have becomes as hateful as the people you charge with hatred, which is a sad statement on you all. You may think you are in the maojority among anglos, but i don't think you are. I certainly don't share your views and i find it unlikely your "war" ideas will gain muh traction.

      Quebec needs moderation, and the Equality party should represent that.

      Anyway, I'll address each of you in turn:

      Anectote: I don't know why no one has tried my approach. It should have been done long ago. The debate needs to happen and we need to shine a light on how Quebec nationalists have been working.

      You are jumping to extremist conclusions before trying the intermediate steps. Have you ever taken a since course (math, economics, biology, chemistry) ? Well, to get to the advanced points, you ned to start with the very basic and simple steps first. In fact, your students will get far better understandings of almost everything if do it that way because they are making the links themselves as you go alon.

      All change and evolution takes time and patience. You should try not to be as angry as you are. No one listens to an angry person's rantings, so your point will never get across.

      Anonymous: I agree. Attitudes are changing. That's why now is the time to flash the light on it. Franco parents are begining to wonder why their kids are being forbidden from learning english. QC is unique in north america. We can all be bilingual, if not trilingual and we wuold become the place to be. French would flourish, although in an evolvedd way. The economy would revive and thrive.

      Apparatchik: I disagree. I actually wondered if my ideas were going to fast for the franco population. Bear in mind. They have no pity for your plight, so scream and shout and they will not care. You need to make the first few baby steps and you have to have a spokesman who people find sympathetic.

      Angry, wild-screaming people are rarely sympathetic. Jack Layton smiled his way to 73 of 75 seats, but almost no one in QC really knows what he stood for. Imagine having a smiling person with a message of hope and a brighter future.

      BILL 101: I firmly believe this was passed with relatively little debate on many aspects of it. How many francos realized they were having their rights removed from them ? What kind of fool would vote to remove a right they have ? This is the soul of my approach. Start the debate now, even if we are 40 yrs late. But do it well. We only have one chance to make a good first impression and not look like a bunch of crazy people.




      Delete
    8. Steve: "An open QC culture would actually encourage people to learn French. As it is now, anglos and immigrants feel shit on, so why would we integrate ? We will speak French, but not integrate, which is something that is all too common in QC. So as the French die without a replacement fertility rate, so does their culture. No harsh law will stop that. The solution is to open up and rid yourselves of what make people want to avoid coming here and what makes QC seem so racist to the rest of North America.

      To get this message through though, you cannot just write letters and give news conferences, you need to go out to the francos and face their attacks."



      You make the right analysis in the top paragraph, a very good one indeed.

      The bottom paragraph, however, does not flow logically from the top one. You share the following observation: "As it is now, anglos and immigrants feel shit on, so why would we integrate ?", and then your solution is: "you need to go out to the francos and face their attacks"

      Whaaaat?

      Wouldn't it be a more logical solution for you to go to the franco side with your top paragraph? In that paragraph, you're hitting the nail on the head saying that anglos/allos will learn French but not integrate if they perceive hostility. The solution is for the hostility to stop, not for us to willingly put ourselves in the path of that hostility.

      Why should I put myself in a position to face hostility? Why wouldn't I just withdraw to avoid it? Avoidance of hostility is a much more natural reaction than seeking hostility, and if the "extinction"-facing side is hostile, it is their job to reflect on it and arrive at the right conclusions, like maybe that if I need to win over the "neutrals", and I'm hostile to them, then that will push them away, not win them over...

      And it is certainly not my job to expose myself to hostility in order to "integrate" with the hostile side in order to help the hostile side to beat the demographic slump and come out confident. It makes no sense.

      Delete
    9. @L.Steve

      here's a warning mate: reason is very suspiciously considered here.

      good luck.

      Delete
    10. @adski

      "Or does it say more about the unfortunate fact of life that some (not all) suppressed groups of people, when finally "liberated", instead of trying to invent a "new soul" may instead pursue a revanchist course of action and exhibit retaliatory tendencies which sometimes take a (ridiculously) long time to dissipate?"

      hum. no. i think beefing up 101 has more to do with the will to ensure quebec remains french combined with these numbers:

      http://www.cslf.gouv.qc.ca/publications/avis206/a206_FaitsSaillants.pdf

      see graphic on page 2.

      Delete
    11. Hello Adski,

      You took the two paragraphs out of context, so when you look at them in isolation, no they don't make sense.

      But my whole argument is that if you want to actually change things in QC and make it better for anglos and immigrants and a less hostile (racist) society, you need to confront francos with the flaws in their logic.

      The top paragraph is what you would say, albeit far more gently and delicately (and after much ground-setting), to francos, not to anglos. The goal is to make francos realize that their methods have failed and will continue to fail.

      And, you have to take this message to their communities, to the directly. If we believe in what we say, we should have no fear of the debate. I've been debating it for a decade, succesfully.

      The only time i have trouble is when i get frustrated, which is why it is important to keep your cool. In our modern society, people first need to have some general openness to the speaker before they will consider their ideas, so being calm, cool, confident, and likeable is important.

      Delete
    12. “You are jumping to extremist conclusions before trying the intermediate steps. Have you ever taken a since course (math, economics, biology, chemistry) ? Well, to get to the advanced points, you ned to start with the very basic and simple steps first. In fact, your students will get far better understandings of almost everything if do it that way because they are making the links themselves as you go alon. All change and evolution takes time and patience. You should try not to be as angry as you are. No one listens to an angry person's rantings, so your point will never get across.”

      My...where do I start? First and foremost, I’m not angry...I’m absolutely enraged and not for the reasons you may think, but because for almost 40 yrs we’ve continuously pissed on the notion of “Democracy”, in this province by virtue of this country. If I were the Mother, the Father, the Sister, the Brother, the child, etc, of a Canadian Soldier today, who had served and died in some foreign country defending someone’s else’s RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS meanwhile at home we conveniently ignore that a Dictatorship has run rampant in Quebec for decades, I would be absolutely incensed that my loved one had given his/her Life in vain, because a hypocritical country wanted to “save face”...savy?

      And as for this idea of re-education and conveying things in their time, let me be as concise and succinct as I can be. What is happening in this province, this ...persecution of English for the preservation of French, benefits foremost someone like me and my offspring. As a matter of fact, I should be endorsing la loi 101 and the likes. Allow me to educate you. By alienating the English to the point where they are so coerced that they hit the 401 in droves, and systematically keeping Francophone’s unilingual, propels me (a multilingual Allophone), to the front of the line when it comes to opportunities, careers, and a solid prosperous Future...do you get this? My kid gets to have an English education (eligibility permit), solid French interaction, because she’s an elite athlete and very much exposed to sports, and finally, the benefit of her language of origin, at home. How’s that for an intermediate approach?

      “All change and evolution takes time and patience”...Really? Well after what I just stated, this should be instantaneous because anyone reading this, should come to their senses immediately, and realize that 40 yrs is long enough to shoot themselves in the foot.But if they insist on this course of action, then they get what the deserve, Mediocrity. A victim is 50% responsible for what happens to him.

      My beef? Simple, people are denied their Rights and Freedoms. This is a vine leaf that spreads like a bad cancer...EVERYWHERE. Make no mistake, I am not over-dramatizing it, nor is this an overstatement. This is simply..The Truth!

      Delete
    13. Hello Anectote,

      Has your approach borne any benefits ? Despite what you claim to be an advantage to you and your offspring, you seem more insecure than anything else.

      If you yelled and screamed such things aloud, far from convincing anyone of your viewpoint, you would find yourself on youtube for nationalists to point to as the extremist anglo who hates french.

      I don't actually think we have a difference in our goals: a more open and less racist quebec, more equality for all, abandonment of racist laws and the like.

      However, your approach will never work, whereas mine has a chance.

      On any spectrum of populations, you have 10-20% extremists, 20-35% hardline and 65-80% moderate. Success is to get that moderate group on your side and the line gets pushed to reduce the size of the hardliners and extremists.

      If I were to say anything you just said, in the tone you just said it, to any group of people in public - anglos and francos - you would have almost no support.

      You need a public stance that people can actually follow, so moderate and baby steps.

      Delete
    14. Hello Student,

      Interesting pseudnym, as it appears you also seem to want to place limits on the education of the people whose culture you claim to want to protect.

      Why don't you, as an apparent representative of francos, explain to me why Francos should not have the choice to send their kids to english or bilingual schools ? I'm not saying they would have to, but that they should just have the right to choose.

      They are the culture you claim to protect, so any decisions made by francos is logically their own cultural decision.

      More precisely, if you were to have kids, explain to me why you believe YOU (not someone else, but YOU) are apparently not qualified to decide what is best for your own children ?

      Why should YOU not have the right to decide what kind of school to send YOUR kids to ?

      Delete
    15. @l.steve

      dude i understood the question the first time.

      i think french canadians who would send their children to french school anyways should have the right to send them wherever they wish. and i think french canadians who would send their kids to english school should be forbidden to do so.

      i think french is a difficult language to master. if a french canadian kid doesn't study french intensively for years, he's not going to master it, he's not going to appreciate it and he's not gonna understand the need to preserve it.

      kids are influenceable. kids do and watch what their friends do and watch. so the french canadian that is anglo-educated will not root for stephane richer, he's not going to watch le club des 100 watts and samedi de rire, he's not gonna dream of going to paris, he's not going to listen to plume latraverse and he's not going to have to write an essay on a poem by gaston miron. he's gonna go with "cooler" references, whatever english canadian's references are. i'm not saying english culture is lesser, i'm saying it's not his. he's not going to be french canadian anymore.

      and quebec can't culturaly afford the defections that would ensue a relaxing of this provision of bill 101.

      another important point is that it is not necessary at all to go to english elementary and high school in order to learn english. cegep and university is way way enough to do so. so parents who think this way are wrong. a law to prevent this mistake if fine with me.

      what i would do if i was the government is fund a compulsory world trip of one year for every young adult. trip to be undertaken between the ages of 20 to 25. this way they'd stay french, they'd learn english and they would also realize how great quebec is. that's always the feeling you get when you're far away. plus all the adventure of course.

      also, i think it's better for immigrants integration that they are not the only group not to have the right to choose the language of their kid's public education..

      for all these reasons i think it's fine that french canadians don't have a choice over public education language.

      my suggestion is you anglos concentrate on the "rights" you are supposedly deprived of, and let french canadians decide for themselves if they are fine with the constraints they have or not.

      Delete
    16. "Has your approach borne any benefits ? Despite what you claim to be an advantage to you and your offspring, you seem more insecure than anything else."

      I honestly don't know how to respond to that, except that I am really amused by your assertion. I have been called many things, insecure has never been one of them. I'm not the one shoving my language and my culture down everyone's throat because I suffer from a deep sense of inferiority and this is my way of ensuring I'm validated. Some of the dynamics of the enviroment you live & breath may have rubbed off on you perhaps, and now...you're projecting?

      I absolutely respect Francophones and Anglophones and will speak to each in their language, daily. But I don't need to adopt anyone's culture as I have one of my own, and my own sense of identity, which I prefer. Sorry if that sounds harsh, but is what it is, and I'm sincere.

      "If I were to say anything you just said, in the tone you just said it, to any group of people in public - anglos and francos - you would have almost no support."

      That's because these are the same people constantly on the defence. My argument is based on plain logic, if you want to miscontrue the tone, that's completely on you. Personally I think NOTHING will sway even moderates from endorsing language oppression, otherwise, THEY would have been out there long ago, fighting for THEIR right to decide in what language they wanted their kids to be educated in. You object to my tone because I refuse to sugar-coat this.

      To quote E.E. Cummings: "Here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud", the secret no one will admit:

      'THEY' will never accept the message because it isn't a pur-laine delivering it, no matter that I speak French exactly like they do. Even people like Un Gars and Apparatchik don't seem to be the "right" people apparently to delver it. (sorry guys)

      "You need a public stance that people can actually follow, so moderate and baby steps."

      What color is the sky in your world? You have told us that you are an Anglo amid Francos, n'est ce pas? For how long now? and for how long have you tried to reason these points? Have you been able to make any progress with people in your social circle? Doesn't sound like it, could it possibly be because an Anglo is attempting to convey the message? but you want to convince us to go that way? Seriously?

      Look, I admire that you are contributing 'strategies' because you are aware and feel things need to change as well. As far as that's concerned, yes we are on the same page. But let's agree to disagree on all else. That's our perogative, correct?

      Delete
    17. “The argument put forward by anglophones that Francophones should have the right & the choice to be able to send their kids to English schools has always sounded hypocritical to me.”

      You’re free to think what you like. I can tell you that in my case, as one belonging to a minority community, I will forego the “advantages” I have presently to see everyone get their Rights and Freedoms back.

      If you read my post to L. Steve, I clearly state this. Is it a foreign concept to you that people would put ‘Ethics’, ‘Values’ and ‘Principles’ ahead of their personal interests? This is yet another thing that is wrong with our society. First we’re always thinking in terms of our own personal Agenda’s, and secondly, we’re skeptical of people who feel there is real significance in upholding real values.

      What does that say about us?

      Delete
    18. Hello Student,

      So if i understand your correctly, the short of it is that you do not believe francos should have the right to send their kids to anglo schools because you need them to be trapped in QC and brainwahsed into the franco mould, such as liking stephanie richer, watching samedi de rire, while having limited exposure to "cooler things" or to ideas that may lead them to disagree with nationalists views ?

      I was actually expecting you to dance around it a bit more, and that it would be more of a struggle to get it out of you, but you're quite honest. Congrats.

      Incidentally, since you essentially know you were brainwashed into believing in the french view, does that not bother you ? Most people might tend to find the idea offensive.

      As for learning it when they are older, only 37% of francos can even speak english, so they clearly do not learn it when they are older, which I suppose essentially meets your stated purpose of keeping them brain-washed and tied to the land, kinda like the seigneuries did back in the day.

      The problem is, politicians cannot be so honest as you. They need to appeal to the 65-80% of francos that are moderate. Most francos will not appreciate being told they are not best positioned to decide what is best for their own kids. They also won't like being told they need to be brainwashed and trapped in QC.

      If a govt member were to say what you just said, the quote would be replayed and replayed, not just in QC but across the planet, until pressure would mount to modify and weaken such a law. That's pretty much why no politician would ever say what you said so unequivocally and matter-of-factly.

      Again, the name student is interesting since you clearly do not want francos to learn something other than your propaganda.


      Delete
    19. @yannick

      "The argument put forward by anglophones that Francophones should have the right & the choice to be able to send their kids to English schools has always sounded hypocritical to me."

      agree.

      and it always pops up when angryphones are pressed to explain what's wrong with bill 101. to prove bill 101 is lucifer's deed and that it crimps their lives they go off and explain how it's bad for people who are fine with it. wtf?!?

      says a lot about the admitable negative impact it has on the life of your average quebec anglophone.

      Delete
    20. Hello Yannick,

      My son goes to a bilingual school, and as I've mentioned, my wife is french and my son's first language is french. He started the school not speaking a word of english, although he understood it as I spoke to him about 60-70% of the time in english.

      He was also not the only franco kid there. Of his class of 18 students, 4 kids were francos.

      First, no cliques developped. Actually, the school has a great emphasis on respect towards all. So all kids play well with each other.

      Secondly, anglo parents were happy to have francos there, as it helped for the french days and getting all kids to speak french.

      Third, the franco parents in all four cases was the one who pushed to have the kid into english school, so they could perfect english.

      I was on the fence and leaning towards a franco school, if only out of respect for my in-laws and their insecurity. But my wife and her family felt that me being the father was an opportunity to have access to english schools.

      This was true of the other families as well. Far from francos not wanting to have access to anglo schools, the fact is that many would like to, most notably those in higher income brackets who understand its value and are less drawn towards mindless dogma. Even where i work, when discussion of language of education comes up, francos often express frustration that they cannot choose and make jokes about the poor level of enlighs in french schools (as a sig of frustration with it).

      The discussion has never become a big political issue in QC because it is a mine-field that no liberal politician would dare to tread. They are not sure how the population will align, so they won't raise the issue and risk being wiped out. The PQ obvioulsy is pleased with that as they monopolize the discourse.

      We need a party to raise the discussion, and an Equality Party is best positioned to do it. They seek anglo votes anyway, so to ask for equality for francos would cost them nothing, but may open a pandora's box for the PQ and other politicians. Anglos might actually be able to point to the irony of an anglo party defending the rights of francos.

      The PQ cannot come out and they say need a brainwahsed population, as Student said, and all other arguments make no sense.

      The argument they will not be able to learn french adequatly is not supported by studies on bilingualism. All studies say learning two or more languages at a young age helps better understand and master the differences of both.

      Essentially, nationalists would have no choice but to become like the Repubvlicans of the US who claim that global warming is not happening, depsite almost all studies saying it is.

      Delete
    21. @l.steve

      "...you need them to be trapped in QC and brainwahsed into the franco mould..."

      you went through a school system, right l.steve? well you are brainwashed too, mate. let's call it a culture unless you prefer i refer to an english education as an indoctrination.

      french canadian kid should get a french canadian education to prolong french canadian culture existence. yes i think it's valuabl. the other advantage is for the kid as it gives him a firm sense of identity, which is a valuable asset for life.

      "while having limited exposure to "cooler things" or to ideas that may lead them to disagree with nationalists views ?"

      don't get me wrong. i don't think alternate cultures are cooler. but they might look so for a french canadian kid who goes to an english elementary or high school. and i think it's a bad thing for a kid to be brainwashed into thinking that his father's tastes, his cousin's tastes and his neighbor's tastes are not cool.

      and why do you come up with nationalism? i only went on about culture up to now. but since you open the door let's go. if getting a french canadian culture leads to pride and then to nationalism, what's wrong with it? nationalism ain't bad per se.

      "Incidentally, since you essentially know you were brainwashed into believing in the french view, does that not bother you ?"

      just as much as an english canadian is bothered when he realizes he got raised as a english canadian. to answer more directly, i'm not bothered at all, mate.

      "only 37% of francos can even speak english, so they clearly do not learn it when they are older,..."

      so what? tell me the percentage of francos that wanted to learn english, that went to english cegep and english uni and didn't get a grip on it? it would be a more relevant number to support your argument.

      "which I suppose essentially meets your stated purpose of keeping them brain-washed and tied to the land, kinda like the seigneuries did back in the day."

      not at all. didn't you read the bit about my idea of a compulsory world trip to make sure everyone learns english? do i really sound like i wanna trap people and tie them up to the land? clue: no.

      and you're right about politicians that need to watch what they say as their words can be easily twisted and sent out in every direction. great find l.steve.

      Delete
    22. @un canadien

      "I must protest at the high hypocrisy of you pretending to speak for French Canadians!"

      that's crazytalk, mate. show me were i pretend that. i speak for myself, about french canadians. can you handle that nuance, un canadien?

      the rest of your rant is really low quality. i can't go so low. sorry.

      Delete
    23. "Far from francos not wanting to have access to anglo schools, the fact is that many would like to, most notably those in higher income brackets who understand its value and are less drawn towards mindless dogma. Even where i work, when discussion of language of education comes up, francos often express frustration that they cannot choose and make jokes about the poor level of enlighs in french schools (as a sig of frustration with it)."

      Mets-en!

      Delete
    24. Steve: "And, you have to take this message to their communities, to the directly. If we believe in what we say, we should have no fear of the debate. I've been debating it for a decade, succesfully. "

      You can do it, but you'd be wasting your time. You'd run into a wall of indifference and hostility. Even if you manage to sway someone, that someone will go home, flick on his telly, catch Loco Locass or Emmanuel Bilodeau on TLMEP (both regular guests on this most popular QC talk show, and both with the same one constant message), and relapse right back into thinking of you as a threat.

      There are powerful (all politcal parties, government at all levels) and moneyed (PK Paladeau of Quebecor) forces in this province in whose interest it is to keep the divisions in place, to keep people frightened, to keep people at each other throats. You're going up against those forces with your "message". I applaud your good intentions while at the same time scratching my head. I'm thinking you're probably new to Quebec.

      Delete
    25. I forgot another force, the most powerful one: culture. Attitudes, ideas, viewpoints, beliefs, disseminated to people from their early age, e.g. in schools with which you cannot compete.

      Unbeatable forces? Not necessarily, but not beatable by us. The forces can be beat by every francophone individually, through his/her own experiences, through his/her own questioning, through his/her own skepticism and exploration. Such a person will arrive at his/her own conclusions but then will not need you to present a different viewpoint. Those that do "need" you are behind a thick wall which you can't penetrate.

      I say let it go. Let them come up with things on their own, or let them stay in their world. Not everybody has to "get along". In every society people will be people with different views. As long as they recognize the rule that the freedom to swing their fist ends at your nose, everything will be fine. And I know that some of them don't recognize the rule. The way to deal with them though is not by "reaching out", but by avoiding them.

      Delete
  25. FROM ED
    I know you all think iI'm an old grouch but I'm proud to say I've accomplished great things in my life which benefited other people. Probably because I believe in action not just talking about it. Now I ask you; all I see here are words, words, words. What are you going to do to promote English in the city? Personally I am moving my mailbox out front to make it more obvious and putting a sign on it saying 'MAIL BOX' instead of poste. I also have a Canadian flag for my front gallery. When I go through the supermarket to pick up groceries I sing softly in English. This is not to annoy the seps (I love to sing) but it does anyway. Some have made comments to which I reply "Yes English. so what?" I'm always prepared for an argument or a first class knuckle duster if need be. In my Irish family we always said, "A fight's as good as a party any day." We could have signs made with good adhesive that say things like 'in' and 'out'. Stick them on doors, would take ony a second going through a revolving door. I make mine on my printer and use contact cement for adhesive. These could start appearing everywhere. This sort of things appearing supposedly out of nowhere would unnerve the separatists but you're not going to do it by telling others to wake up. get out and do something yourself. You're not going to do it with words to each other about how bad things are or arguing with trolls or useless expressions like 'you want to make a country out of this' .Do something yourself. When the weather improves so I can use my mobility scooter I intend to do al the stores along Wellington street in Verdun with a variety of signage.
    So I ask each of you post here what you as individuals will do for the cause. Not about what we could do, about what we will do.
    You are all saying it's time to stand up so do it. Put up or shut up and join Galganov's people. Ed

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I can't believe people would be angered by you singing to yourself softly in English. Don't these people have anything better to do than argue with a stranger over what language they speak? I think those In/Out signs are a brilliant idea. Could they potentially just cause problems for the shopkeepers who have to confront the thought (language) police, though? The mailboxes I could see more people doing. I wouldn't mind throwing up a few in/out signs if it were on public property, like the doors to the metro or post offices, and so on. It bothers me how the general public these days doesn't even realise that Montreal has always been an English speaking city. Wasn't it only about 15 years ago that it was still Canada's biggest? Maybe throwing up some English signs would remind people that we still exist in Quebec.

      Delete
    2. "Wasn't it only about 15 years ago that (montreal) was still Canada's biggest (english speaking city)?"

      ?!?! in 1995 you think there wasn't 350000 anglos in toronto?!? come on edm, write a better comment next time.

      source: http://tinyurl.com/bbkvkqg

      Delete
    3. @edm

      "I can't believe people would be angered by you singing to yourself softly in English."

      i can't believe it either.

      must be an outright lie or a paranoia fueled hallucination.

      what do you think edm?

      Delete
    4. EDM said, "I can't believe people would be angered by you singing to yourself softly in English."
      Truth is stranger than fiction. link. Others can be found with quick google search.

      Delete
    5. Only in qc I have been told to "go home" by french-speaking crazies (I am starting to think that they were not an exception, though). And in some instances I wasn't even speaking in En...

      Only in qc I have heard that immigrants like myself, second-generation italians or other 'cultural communities' or anglos should not have the right to vote in a referendum, because only true French speaking quebeckers should have the right to choose qc's destiny. True story, first-hand. What surprised me most was that that he seemed very open, nice and traveled (or so he claimed).

      Which is why although I admire Steve L's approach, I do not think it will work. You cannot undo so easily propaganda machine's indoctrination (sorry, tried to find a better word, but that's the best that describes what I see). Time and generations have to pass before society changes its ways. But I don't see this happening, as the propaganda machine is robust and it's still working well. And thus, I fully agree with Adski in his interpretation that the most vocal and intolerant part of qc society is (still) looking for esteem and status, and exposing its xenophobic practice.

      Delete
    6. "must be an outright lie or a paranoia fueled hallucination.

      what do you think edm?"
      Well, I can't speak for EDM but since you ask, and I KNOW you demand answers to your litany of questions, I'll answer. I think this is another of your asinine comments that adds nothing to the debate but make you feel better about your pathetic lot in life because you have a forum where you can interact with adults instead of just the other kids in the sandbox. Just because you're out of diapers and into Pull-ups doesn't mean "you're a big boy now". You're Mosquito Boy: a parasite that feeds off others but contributes nothing of any significance, yet the incessant whine is ever-present as you buzz about sticking your nose in every thread and interjecting a steady stream of eye-rollingly vacuous comments.Now you know.

      Delete
    7. ***the ending of my comment above should read:

      "...and exposing globally its xenophobic practice it's the way to go now"

      Delete
    8. @ts

      "Only in qc I have been told to "go home" by french-speaking crazies (I am starting to think that they were not an exception, though). And in some instances I wasn't even speaking in En..."

      what? you got bullied for spekaing english when you weren't speaking english?

      dude be more careful when you make up anecdotes. you should know by now that i'm quite demanding as far as coherence is concerned.

      Delete
    9. @diogenes

      dude your whole paragraph there is totally besides the point.

      the point was that just like edm, i don't believe ed's thing about getting rough looks because he "sang softly in english". so i was wondering if it's a lie or if ed really believes people are that crazy in his neighborhood.

      do you want to try again diogenes?

      Delete
    10. yaaah... dude. Read again. Got 'bullied' for speaking another language. Try to keep up.

      Delete
    11. Dudent, There's yet another vacuous comment. Talk about missing points. Did you even read beyond the first line of what EDM wrote? "I can't believe people would be angered by you singing to yourself softly in English." in this case does not mean "I think you're full of crap", it means "That's incredible that they would do that". If what is being discussed is over your head, then sit quietly in the corner and let the adults talk. Now, make sure all your homework is done because it's almost your bedtime and there won't be any time left for a story. Run along, there's a good boy.

      Delete
    12. @diogenes

      "it means "That's incredible that they would do that"

      exactly. i agree with you ed's thing has no credibility.

      Delete
    13. @ts

      ah! i see. sorry about that. you're free to go.

      Delete
    14. Dudent,

      "@ts

      ah! i see. sorry about that. you're free to go."


      I think we can all imagine the sense of relief TS must be feeling right now to know that somewhere in that near-perfect vacuum between your ears a solitary one-watt bulb has clicked on and that he has earned your dismissal.

      I have to go back to work tomorrow so I'll be too busy to attempt to, as Allan Fotheringham would say, "lessen the burden of your ignorance", which seems formidable. Night-night Mosquito Boy

      Delete
  26. Ha ces Italiens...

    Buonanotte: la plainte originale ne portait pas sur l’italien.

    Le plaignant a consulté le menu anglais, alors que l’inspecteur de l’OQLF a eu le menu français de l’établissement

    http://www.ledevoir.com/politique/quebec/372332/buonanotte-la-plainte-originale-ne-portait-pas-sur-l-italien

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Preuve écrasante de la mauvaise foi de l'OQLF. Pastagate n'avait donc rien à voir à la non-conformité du menu français-italien, mais a mis en lumière comment, lorsque la pègre franco-suprémaciste appréhende ou même soupçonne une atteinte quelconque à sa seule charge, elle se livre à des exercices liberticides et zélés bien documentés et dénoncés dans la presse anglophone et internationale depuis des décennies.

      Le plaignant n'avait qu'à demander un menu français-italien à la place du menu anglais-italien qu'il avait reçu. Cette tournure ne fait que donner des munitions aux arguments contre l'archifrancisation exagérée qu'épouse ce noyau d'irréductibles gaulois dont vous êtes issu.

      Quelle est la plainte réelle -- fondée en vertu des lois en vigueur, svp -- en l'occurrence?

      Delete
    2. Once again Le Devoir has no understanding of reality. I know according to them we would all be eating poutine. Some people have different taste than separatist. Back to the subject, some people don't want to replace pasta with pate, spaghetti with spagatte, and pizza with tarte itallienne. Frankly, I can understand them.

      Delete
    3. "Monsieur Deshaies, il y a 84 communautés bilingues au Québec, presque toutes dans l'ouest de Montréal, et ses communautés sont composé d'une majorité de gens qui vivent en anglais, alors prétendre que le Québec est unilingue français tient de la malhonnêteté!" Finally, one voice of logic at Le Devoir.

      Delete
    4. "Est-ce que ceux qui souffrent d'intolérance au lactose ont commis une faute? Non? Alors moi je souffre d'intolérance à l'anglais :P Et je n'ai pas l'intention de guérir, je m'en accomode très bien." Seriously, you're comparing a health disorder to a language. Go back to Saguenay.

      Delete
    5. Have you checked out some of the trash going around Twitter?

      Just search for the terms: anglais #PolQC

      Most Francophones are 100% opposed to the new policy, but you have a few S.R style hillbillies showing us who REALLY supports this idiocy.

      Delete
  27. UN GARS BIEN SYMPATHIQUE DE CALGARYThursday, March 7, 2013 at 6:02:00 AM EST

    Well this blog has no validity.
    The anglos here are offensive and racist themselves while crying out wolf when they're victimised and then admitting to add oil to the fire. Result: discredit and counter-productive.
    The two Francos are similarly racist but also have no room to share linguistic rights as called for by the Canadian Charter of Rights, preferring the road of intolerance and xenophobia.
    This is a stalemate and is reflective of what really goes on everyday in quebec: counterproductive diatribe that chokes any economic and social advance in a land shared by two founding people.
    You will all be here bitching today, tomorrow, next month, next year and in 10 years. No progress.
    I am so happy that I can see farther and decided to pack up and leave for ever.
    In Alberta after 10 years I have never witnessed even once any, any bitter discourse in that society that takes precedence over the real things that matter: social progress, a sustainable economy, a better future, etc.
    Welcome to your mediocre lives!
    You all deserve what you have today!
    Enjoy:)
    Ciao!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UGBSDC ,

      I hear what you are saying.... unfortunately not everybody is able to simply move away because of family commitments so on and so forth... Does that mean that those who stay must accept the situation as is? People have a right to express themselves no matter how outrageous or incendiary.... in a democracy this is how extremism is exposed..... Silence is not the answer....

      Delete
    2. When people in Quebec(including anglo's) are educated in hatred and racism from the schools and govt itself it's rather hard for them to know anything else.

      That's hardly the fault of the minorities.

      The issue is that the govt and education system should not be teaching ANY hatred to ANY of the people in the province.

      The constant language harassment inside the province has a backlash.

      Not all immigrants and others to Quebec can sit and be insulted, disriminated against on a daily basis and 'respect' francophones (sorry but that is the ethnic majority doing the supression).

      The PQ and seperatists gets what they want. Hatred and ethnic divisions diving the province with the benefit of dicing the province along linguistic lines.

      Hate isn;t a one way street...




      Delete
    3. Quebec has become so divided with the language debate that the entire province is ungovernable prone to corruption, incompetence, and negligence. The debt is out of control, infrastructure is breaking down, hospital are overcrowded. The separatist and the supposed federalist are fighting to see who can extract more from Ottawa. The alternative, CAQ was roundly defeated in the polls all the while parties to support bigger government to in-debt the province in a never-ending series of plain incompetence. This province has lost track of the importance.

      I hope I get a job in Toronto

      Delete
    4. @liam

      "Quebec has become so divided with the language debate that the entire province is ungovernable prone to corruption, incompetence, and negligence."

      can you elaborate on the link between the division created by the language debate and the "negligence" please?

      in my opinion there is none, but maybe you're wrong and there isn't.

      "I hope I get a job in Toronto"

      may your dreams come true, mate!

      http://www.torontojobs.ca/en/jobs/index.php
      http://www.workopolis.com/EN/job-search/toronto-ontario-jobs?l=toronto,ontario&lg=en
      http://www.toronto.ca/employment/
      http://jobsearch.monster.ca/ontario+toronto_12

      Delete
    5. @cebeuq

      "...people in Quebec(including anglo's) are educated in hatred and racism from the schools..."

      hatred is not taught in french schools, mate.

      but i'm sad to learn it is in the english schools. if i am to lend some truth in what you write, maybe the solution resides in revising the english education program. what do you think?

      Delete
    6. Hatred is not taught in QC french schools, but it is the only place on earth where schools ban the flag of their country.
      Try researching that, or try walking in a QC frn schl holding a Canadian Flag. see what happens to you.

      No hate? Really?

      Disgusting!

      Delete
  28. FROM ED
    The anglos in the video are not racist or offensive. They were minding their own business when they were accosted. We do not teach or preach hatred in anglo schools. To say, we deserve this is totally mean spirited. When une gars says enjoy he means he does enjoy our pain. That's why he calls our home Quebecista. It gives him pleasure knowing that is distrbing to those that have to live here. I don't care what happens in Alberta, I am a Quebecer where we don't teach hatred in English schools and just want to live in peace. Ed

    ReplyDelete
  29. http://www.montrealgazette.com/life/Macpherson+position+Bill+troubling/8058158/story.html#ixzz2MruRVHBf

    The CAQ wants the OQLF to be given more powers. I'm not surprised. I'm just curious what compelled some people, including William Johnson of all people, to buy the CAQ's story last fall.

    At least one good thing might come out of this: our contributor Complicated might finally stop coming back to this site to plug the CAQ.


    ReplyDelete
  30. Bill 14 not strong enough, say language advisors:

    http://montreal.ctvnews.ca/bill-14-not-strong-enough-say-language-advisors-1.1184163

    In the video, Robert Vezina of the Conseil Superieur de la Langue Francaise laments the fact that companies require English as a hiring criterion. Apparently, that's "against the law". Also, what about the poor immigrants who we tell that French is the only language they need in QC, but the job market sends a different message?

    Well, maybe one way around this is to stop bullshitting the immigrants? Especially given the fact that Marois just got back from Davos where she pledged her government's commitment to the global market, which functions en anglais.

    Didn't the good people in the Conseil get the memo about Marois' recent trip and her economic vision? Don't they watch the news, read papers, listen to the radio? Actually, I think they go beyond that: they interact with the government directly. Shouldn't they have informed Pauline on what the global market entails before she flew out to Switzerland last month, informed her that English is required for many posts in companies which function in the global market? Someone surely didn't do his job.



    ReplyDelete
  31. FROM ED
    Interesting posts from L.Steve, Adski and Appparatchik but I think Anectote has the right idea and nails it right on the head with this -
    If it took 40yrs to destroy a province with inherent Hate, Prejudice and Racism, it will take likewise 40 more to heal it from such diseases. Can we spare that kind of time before this province implodes? Good show Anec Ed

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Ed,

      Do you actually challenge francos in debate on the issue ? Do you ever discuss these things with them ? Do you debate on their websites and take the debate to them ? Your approach will never work.

      They are indeed victims of all the propaganda, as I opened my 4-part text with. My wife still has the cognitive discidence of knowing logically that what i say is true, but feeling she should not believe it.

      No harsh approach will work. You will get frustrated by it because francos won't even hear it. They will put you in the QC-bashing group and ignore all you say, take things out of context and the like.

      Honestly, are you convinced when a franco comes on this site and tells you that you are attacking francos, destroying their culture and the like ? Of course not. You feel attacked rather than engaged in discussion. It's the same with them.

      Engage them slowly and in baby steps. Open their eyes slowly, à la Plato's character coming out of the cave.


      Delete
    2. That is what is called the "lamb lobby" and represents the failed first 40 years of trying to protect anglo's.

      Back to 1970 with you...

      Delete
  32. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/story/2013/02/18/quebec-anglophones-leaving-living-english.html

    A couple of interesting quotes from the article:

    "However, she said it was the difficulty in getting health care in her native language that was the final straw. Roy has had cancer three times, and she said that last summer one of the specialists who had always been willing to speak to her in English in the past suddenly refused to. She said this happened shortly after the start of the provincial election campaign."

    "[In] the law firms, the accounting firms, the marketing firms, there's a perceived notion that you can't have too much of an English face," Yufe said. "You have to have a French character and flavour because we're in Quebec."

    ReplyDelete
  33. FROM ED
    STEV E,
    The thing is son, i agree with everything you say. Your approach is 100% right, but not now. We don't have the time to wait for our homes to be saved. We are in the same position as the man who died in Florida because his house was on a sinkhole. People here are very nervous because their homes are sitting on a sinkhole. How many homes have to go down the drain before we try to save them. Truman had the right idea with the atomic bomb. Even though it was against his judgement as a Christian he said, "We didn't start this war. How many of our own have to die before we stop them" I ask you steve; How many anglos must be forced to leave because they can't get work and support their families. How many have to watch their homes that they have put their life's hard work into be sold for a pittance at a tax auction so they can feed their kids for a while. You sound like a really nice guy, but as Yogi said, "Nice guys finish bankrupt." They have no right to do that to us and if they don't want to learn it's up to us to teach them lke you say, only a lot faster than you would have us do. Ed

    ReplyDelete
  34. Student, you really must stop the use of "mate".

    Nobody in English-speaking Canada uses the term; it is more a Kiwi or Aiussie thing. It also reminds me of the fatuous Jacques Parizeau and his use of "By Jove".

    Spare us the inappropriate words - or we'll send the tongue troppers after you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. @true_north

      "Nobody in English-speaking Canada uses the term..."

      so what? you joking mate?!?

      Delete
  35. FROM ED
    1 am. before I crash I refer evryone to post I made a few posts back about what we can do to post some English signs. This is important because it will unnerve the French seeing them and awaken them to the fact that changes are coming. So I ask once again what can you do to post English signs or at least what would you like to do if it was possible. Others might pick up on your idea and run with it.
    Let's keep the fun going until Dr. Chouinard is elected on the 17th and see where it goes from there. Ed

    ReplyDelete