The Dipsy Doodling of Canadian Freedom: Bill 101 and Kazemi

The Supreme Court ruled in favour of upholding Bill 101 today. Bill 101 is a law that is meant to protect French culture but it has increasingly coming under scrutiny for its relevance.

The story surrounds Francophone families who want the option of sending their children (or at the very least have access to English language education) to English schools. They feel that Bill 101 ironically discriminates against them.

Indeed it does. If Canada has low self-esteem and is beguiled by an under siege mentality, imagine Quebec. Once upon a time citizens of Quebec were constantly held back by either the Church or English exclusionary attitudes. Later, immigrants, mostly Italians, Irish, Jewish and Chinese (and a host of others) quickly surpassed the French in upward social mobility thanks to their trilingual and hard working abilities.

Eventually, Francophones 'woke up' during the Quiet Revolution and asserted their rights as a majority in the province. It was here where nationalism reached its apex through a series of elections and laws that sought to basically minimize the English fact (dominance) and increase the French culture.

Bill 22 and Bill 101 remain the hallmarks of this reality. This time around, it's not the oppression of a perceived enemy that is keeping Quebecers back again. They are their worst enemy now.

Benoit Pelletier, an Education Minister within the Liberal Party, was pleased with the result. Imagine that. While politicians all have their children go to school to private schools and American universities, they choose to keep back their own citizens for political reasons. Like the monopoly of the health care system, education in Quebec is a monster that tramples of freedom.

Bill 22 and Bill 101, parochial theoretical thoughts aside, runs contrary to the principles of democracy. If the Supreme Court ruled in favour of the families, the Charest government had the option of invoking the barbaric 'notwithstanding clause' to over rule the highest court in the land. Chances are he would have used it.

Quebecers are evolving at a faster pace than their intellectually depraved political and academic masters. Quebec has much to offer to the North American experience and they are prepared to do so. If Italians, Greeks, Lebanese, Chinese, Ukranians and other great minorities were able to thrive by teaching strong family and cultural values at home why shouldn't Quebecers be able to stand on their own two feet?

For those who are popping champagne corks, think twice. This was a major setback in the natural progress of a society and a clear reminder that democracy in Canada remains only as long as opt-out clauses are not used. Good luck to the families. They have shown courage and they represent the true will (a term so popular among narrow minded politicians bent on their own interests) of a modern and confident people. As usual, Canada fails when it counts most. If the Bill 101 does not violate the ultimate Charter of the land then it is time to rethink its validity.

Would this happen in the greatest documents of freedom of them all born in 1776?

The thing is that laws are meant, in part, to reflect the values and judgments of its citizenry. Here was a case of citizens expressing their democratic rights and were told that the laws were not in their favour. The laws do nothing for anybody anymore except assuage the minds of our masters who belong in '1984'.

An Iranian doctor has fled Iran to reveal the truth about the death of Canadian photographer Kazemi. Her son made headlines two years ago as he challenged the stupidity and naivete of the Canadian political establishment. He was right all along.

The doctor confirmed that she was tortured, rape and murdered. While Canadians swam in diplomatic illusions the Iranians made a mockery of Canadian diplomacy. Still to this day Canada has little options because it is a country that has no teeth. Such is the price we pay for our apathy towards making hard decisions. Iran never took Canada seriously because they knew Canada could do nothing with its soft power meanderings. Sanctions against Iran is useless if spearheaded by Canada. Besides, it is unlikely the international community would do so. Iran further knew Canada is a land of wimps with no military to back up any hard talk.

Canada failed to come to the defense of one of its own even when one of its own citizens asked them to.

- Quick word on the student strike. While I sympathize with them, I do not support them. Canadian post-secondary education remains among the lowest in the Western world (and some argue in some universities you get what you pay for). The reality is that while elementary and high school education is a right, post-secondary education is a privilege. By keeping post-secondary education tuition fees low, it only weakens the quality, it can be argued, of the education. I'm not saying that Canadian education is terrible but it's not great either. After all, it's a direct product of the the 'middle-way' we mediocre Canadians strive for. Take a look at Europe and the United States, maybe then the students will think twice before pissing off people by blocking main traffic arteries at rush hour.