Language Discrimination And On Civil Disobedience

We may be hitting a tipping point on the language zealotry of Quebec.

For the longest time people accepted the fact Quebec wanted to protect its language and for the most part - with some complaining here and there - Canada went along with it. Thus we tolerated anti-liberty laws like Bill 22, 101 and the Notwithstanding clause passing them off as 'great compromises' in order to protect Confederation.

What we've seen is, in plain black and white, it's not just about protecting language. Quebec hard core nationalists want more. They want nothing more than to eradicated not just English off the map but, as we learned, ethnic languages.

They've reached a maximum point of control. If they want more they'll basically have to outlaw English outright. No English internet, no English TV, no English radio etc.

Of course, that's not being discussed and honestly don't believe it will ever come to that. Most educated and moderate liberty leaning Franco-Quebecers themselves aren't all that thrilled with the PQ's behavior.

The great 'Pasta' scandal really hit a nerve, and once again the Italians flexed their muscles. Nationalists, it seems, didn't learn during the St. Leonard Riots - don't mess with cultures older and deeper than yours. They will fight back. Many of this communities escaped persecution to find a better life here. They don't need to be subjected to our petty quarrels.

What we're seeing is push back and all the communities are jumping on it. Indians, Greeks, English, Jews, Irish, Portuguese, Polish, Chinese etc. All are coming forward with their stories of outright bigotry and harassment.

Greeks have been asked to change souvlaki to 'brochettes.' To anyone with a mild grasp on international cuisine would know souvlaki is NOT a brochette. An English merchant sells 'Fish and Chips' (the lifeline of English cuisine) and was asked to make a direct translation. It's an illogical request that insults a national heritage.

What right does a government have to demand this of ANY CULTURE? I ask, what self-respecting Charter or Constitution would condone this?

HUMAN BEINGS should not have to answer to such nonsense. They're attacks on who we are. I don't need to justify why I use the word pasta to ANYONE.

Why does French have to prevail at all cost? Are they "two-times" better than the rest of us? Why do we have to cater to every single one of their sensitive needs but few bones thrown our way?

These are questions that deserve to be asked now.

The OLF is a state department that will increasingly be irrelevant and likely to face hostility. That we fine people for speaking a language runs contrary to our collective Western conscience of freedom.

To any mind of intellectual worth, this is self-evident.

Worse, it demeans the French language and culture. It creates hostility towards it. English conquered the world because it's a highly flexible language.

People don't put up French signs with a smile. They put them up out of fear and to shut the idiots up.

No one wants to face an OLF inspector lest they be thrown in jail for punching them in the face.

Such is the reality of life in Quebec. Did Marois mention this on her New York junket?

It took an Italian word to spark this outrage. It's symbolic of the anger that lingers beneath the surface.

We just can't believe in a province we call home and want to remain a part of can sink so low.

Turns out the PQ are blaming an inexperienced inspector. What hogwash. This is a mentality issue. It attracts such people. If you have inspectors that naturally arrive at such a conclusion then that's the natural state of your mentality. Sadly, these fonctionnaires have the force of the law to back it up.

It's unreal to have to defend words in the interest of defending a majority culture wallowing in self-victimhood.

Quebec needs laws to protect its culture at the expense of others? Really?

There's a certain 'we're 82% of the population so why don't you just be quiet and accept our paternalism for your own good?' attitude among nationalists. The cold hard fact is we don't respect nationalists.

You know, India accepted English as a common language. A nation with five thousand years of cultural and spiritual legacies found itself a colony of the British empire as did large parts of the world including Canada. India didn't fall apart and come up with 'Je me souviens' slogans in the post-war era.

Instead, it pragmatically forged ahead, absorbed and incorporated English into its mammoth cultural heritage creating the world's largest democracy along the way.

Did Indian culture disappear?

Neigh, some may argue it's stronger than it has ever been.

I think there's a lesson for Quebec in there somehwere.

Quebec thinks its perfectly acceptable to force two English speaking people working for a corporation to communicate to each other in French as Bill 101 demands.

In any other jurisdiction this is discrimination (perhaps a benign form of persecution). In Quebec its defending the culture.

No it's not. The corporation enforces it to avoid punitive damages.

I ask. Who handles it better? Quebec or India?

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Business owners should organize a one day event. Put English only signs for ONE day in protest. Hopefully, this can send a peaceful message to the government and its snitches: Back off.