Madison, Jefferson, Franklin...Lisee, Drainville?

I've run out of ideas and words to discuss the lapsed intellectualism of the Parti Quebecois.

Now. It's one thing to engage in revisionism about your own history and quite another to project it onto the history of another nation.

To most educated minds, there's very little in common with the Parti Quebecois and the men behind the Constitution of the United States. Products of the Enlightenment, they were men of gripping intellectual depth.

Quebec's intellectual classes, by contrast, are nationalists of the predictable kind. Incapable of removing themselves from the shackles of their own parochialism.

I thought this was, well, self-evident.

Just when I thought they could not shock me more, Jean Francois Lisee and Pierre Drainville pull this incredibly ridiculous and comical letter to the editor of the New York Times in response to criticism of their piece of shit document.

Not cool.

Ultimately, what I find most interesting is that the Quebecois intellectual classes have spent a large amount of anti-American energy over the years. I rarely ever read thoughtful ruminations on the American Constitution during that span. Yet, here they are...using a cynical ploy to try and convince (who I don't know) people they're like Jefferson. This should anger any American I reckon.

"According to Martin Patriquin (Op-Ed, Nov. 13), Quebec is living a “Tea Party moment.”

We’d rather say it’s living a “Jefferson moment,” since the proposed legislation the writer thinks is regressive would in fact enshrine into law Jefferson’s “wall of separation between church and state.”(Way to completely misread Jefferson)

Quebec was a very religious place until the 1960s, when it gradually moved toward secularization (the obsession with secularization in Quebec - treated as a means to an end - is such that it demands uniformity which borders on communist thinking. Its philsophy is neither here or there in the grand scheme of Western philosophy. They've not thought about the unintended consequences of their position. This is a cynical move for political expediency.. For the majority of Quebecers who support the legislation, (the majority of French-Canadians not do NOT Anglos or ethnic minorities but this is the usual sleights of hands we've become accustomed to with these yokels) declaring gender equality paramount when considering religious-based requests for accommodations or asking public employees not to wear conspicuous religious symbols on the job are just logical next steps. (For the record, they misread Jefferson nor would Jefferson approve of this and to suggest this only shows profound ignorance).

These steps are taken at a time of growth of Islam in Quebec (and the ever presence of English. Anyway, hardly language Jefferson would utter. Know what guys? Have the balls to limit immigration from Islamic countries if this is such a concern to you. Don't encourage people to come here and then pull this crap on them) , as everywhere else. But the legislation is not specific to any religion. And, in order to make this even clearer, our party, the Parti Québécois, now proposes the removal of the crucifix that hangs in the legislature. (slow clap. Take a bow guys. Bring back that Vaudeville cane).

In this and many fields, Quebec’s independent-minded choices occasionally ruffle feathers, especially among multiculturalists (gibberish. I'm not a multiculturalist and believe not only this letter to be a product of sheer nationalist ignorance but an affront to liberty. You're 'ruffling feathers' in all the wrong places), still strong in Canada. But feather-ruffling is what trend-setters do (haha. Quebec nationalists as 'trend setters.' Yes, with their track record on civil liberties that's what they are. /rolls eyes). Don’t ask the Tea Party. Ask Jefferson. (the Tea Party is not as nativist as the PQ are)

BERNARD DRAINVILLE
JEAN-FRANÇOIS LISÉE
Montreal, Nov. 16, 2013 

In plain view, they once again embarrass themselves on the international stage.

As a student of the history of the United States, all I can say is /face palm.

No. This is not Jefferson moment.

Anyway. If I were to formulate a response it would be along these lines:

Mr. Lisee,

With all due respect, as a student of history and American history in particular, I must profess profound shock at your recent letter to the editor (laced with vapid condescension) in the New York Times.

Your party chose its path garnering support from one side of a population - congratulations - but please do not cross that line and attempt to attach your policies to the great minds of the Enlightenment.

It is rather ridiculous to compare the divisive Charter to Thomas Jefferson and by extension the Founding Fathers and the United States Constitution.

This runs contrary not only to history but to their message as well. If anything, Quebec breaks just about every intellectual and moral position put forth by the Framers.

The Charter is rightly chastised by free enlightened minds, Americans included.

The Parti Quebecois makes its own bed. Don't ask us - and history - to lay beside it.

Jefferson? Hardly. More like George Wallace.


Regards,

Alex Nicolo

PS: Please refrain from comparing yourselves to John Locke and Thomas Paine. And if you want to be like Jefferson, maybe you should work on your quotes. At the moment, you're not very quotable.

A couple of other things:

“no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.”

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, “or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”
The United States doesn't have on its books regressive laws that infringe on civil liberties like Quebec does. And yes, I do see the OLF, Bill 22 and 101 as anti-civil liberties laws.

Hence, the USA is far, far more advanced than Quebec. Let me put it to you another way.

Would the United States incorporate part of your Charter into its own Constitution byway of an amendment?

***

Only in Quebec is Laurin considered a genius. Restrict rights and call it a success for the collective!