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August 22, 2000

They've been called the Two Solitudes. Federalist versus Separatist. English versus French. Worlds apart with no common ground between them.

As an Anglophone Federalist living in Quebec, I've had more than my fill of politics to last a lifetime. I think it's a safe bet I'll never become a politician. However, in the grand tradition of everyone needing to have a say, I'd like to contribute my two cents to the debate on some of the key issues:

The Language Laws

For anyone who doesn't know, the Quebec government has enacted many language laws to "protect the French language". From what? My understanding is that the Francophones feel threatened that English will take over and destroy their culture and heritage, assimilating everyone into mass-Microsoft Anglophones.

In theory, this sounds like a decent idea. But instead of trying to protect their culture by promoting it, the language laws try to do this by persecuting the English language. Very negative strategy.

English is only allowed on commercial signs if it's half the size of the French. Only children with at least one parent who was educated in English in Canada may attend English schools. People must speak French at work and conduct their business in French. There's even an entire government organization, the Office de la Langue Francaise (aka the OLF, aka the Language Police) enacted to make sure everyone obeys these laws, and to go after those who don't with fines and threats. In one famous episode, the OLF targeted kosher for Passover food because it didn't have French labels. I could go on here.

The problem is that whenever people are dissatisfied about something, they look for a convenient scapegoat. It's human nature and its shown up all through history. Here in Quebec, the Anglophones are the scapegoats. Or, as former premier Jacques Parizeau put it in his ill-advised speech conceding defeat at the 1995 referendum, blame it on "money and the ethnic vote".

This kind of attitude is held by a scary number of people here in Quebec. It's the same xenophobia and narrow-mindedness that people in the Southern US who hate Blacks, or Gays, or Jews hold. It's the same result of poor education and brainwashing from childhood.

Only here in Quebec, there are laws to uphold it.

The amazing thing is that it's not only Anglophones and Allophones who feel these laws are unjust, but many French people as well. There is currently a court challenge to the law forbidding French children to attend English schools. Currently, parents willing to pay for private school can educate their children in whatever language they choose, but working stiffs relegated to the public system have no choice. Parents want their kids to be able to go out in the world and have the same opportunities as the rest of North American youth. That means that they want their kids to be able to speak English, the language of global business. Many studies have shown that learning a second language at an early age does not threaten one's mother tongue. It can only benefit. But will the Parti Quebecois change the law? Of course not! Why should they care if they're oppressing their own people? All the politicians' kids attend fancy private schools and have English instruction!

The language laws are nothing more than tools used by the government to divert attention from the real issues. They may be undemocratic and unconstitutional, but thanks to the famous notwithstanding clause, nobody even seems to care about that. And anytime any Anglophones try to rise up in protest, they're accused of being "agitators" and "militants".

Aside from being unjust and oppressive, the main problem with the language laws is that they're hurting those who they profess to be helping. By shoving French down people's throats, the language laws are counter-productive, making people resent the French language and culture instead of wanting to embrace it.

The Parti Québécois

The Parti Quebecois, or the PQ for short, is the political party currently in power in Quebec. Since getting into power back in 1994, the PQ have managed to close hospitals and completely mess up healthcare, fight with every union in history, induce wars between school boards, cut funding to education, and spend millions losing a referendum. In short, they're the party from hell and they don't even bother to try and govern properly.

So why do people keep voting for the PQ? Well, some do out of habit, and there are a lot of people for separation. But here in Quebec, our ridings system is such that although the Liberal party actually won the popular vote in the last election, the PQ won a majority of seats in the election. Astounding but true!

The worst part about the PQ and their policies is that they are the cause of so many other problems that people face. High taxes, poor economy, fewer job opportunities, all this is a result of the "brain drain" that has the best and brightest leaving the province for greener pastures elsewhere. So high-skilled, high-paying jobs are being unfilled, and the economy lags along with nearly 10% unemployment. And the disgruntled, discouraged people don't know what to do, so they take out their frustration by voting for the PQ. And the cycle continues.

Separatism

Okay, so the PQ and a segment of the population want Quebec to separate from Canada and become a country of its own. Nationalism is nothing new throughout history. In every part of the world, people have risen up to fight tyranny and oppression, struggling for the right of self-determination.

The problem with Quebec separatism, though, is exactly what tyranny and oppression are the separatists trying to escape in Canada? Canada is a country ranked number 1 in the world of all places to live by the United Nations. No country is without problems, but Canada is a beautiful place with democracy, freedom, great social programs, relatively low crime, and a great culture and heritage.

If anyone is oppressive, its the separatist government against the English. The language laws in Quebec can only be described as such. So can the daily attitude of the xenophobes.

The separatist government will lie, cheat, and use every dirty trick in the book to win a referendum, even if it's not what people want. Last time in 1995, there was a huge scandal where a large number of ballots were rejected in ridings who voted no. Did anyone pursue this scandal? Not really.

In addition, surveys later showed that a good many people who voted yes at the last referendum didn't believe they were voting to separate. They were under the false impression that a yes would mean they would get to remain Canadian citizens but that Quebec would have more power.

Or maybe Peter Pan can give us all eternal youth, too.

This manipulation was the exact intention of the PQ government. Never mind that the people don't want to separate. Lucien Bouchard just wants to be the first king of the empire of Quebec.

Endless separatism talk is just another political tool for those wielding power. Whenever a problem happens, rather than trying to solve it, they can just take the easy route and blame it on the Federal Government and the rest of Canada. And whenever people threaten to care too much about an issue, they can just distract them by bringing up separatism. It's a politician's dream come true.

Unfortunately, to the general public, it's but a nightmare. And it's not one that's likely to stop anytime soon. With neverendum-referendums and endless debate, I fear Quebeckers are relegated to another thousand years of Separatist rhetoric. Quebec sait faire!