Universal Human Rights Vs. Parochial Parti Quebecois

One thing I use to judge the 'transportability' of an idea is how it is received outside of your realm. For example, the United States Constitution is not a piece of document restricted to Americans. It's a document that speaks to the universal themes of mankind. Many nations, scholars, revolutionaries and the sort have derived inspiration from the Constitution. It's 'transportable' past U.S. shores.

Contrast this to Quebec's Charter of Values and the excuses used to justify it. It becomes clear it is rooted in parochial considerations. It does not speak to any grand social design to which all citizens can rally around. That the likes of Marois, Lisee and Drainville claim to the contrary - that it will unify all Quebecers - is not only laughably outrageous but proof of how removed they are from universal human rights. The only people rallying around it are Francophone nationalists.

I read comments of those who defend it and wonder what planet they come from. At best, all I see is a 'tit-for-tat' logic where 'two wrongs make a right' particularly when they cite the alleged racism of Canadians toward Quebecers. One major factor, in their hollow argument, they conveniently neglect is there is NO law on the books anywhere on the continent that measures up to Bills 14, 22, 78,  101 and 178; each a travesty of civil liberties. In Toronto, a person can call you a 'frog' but the assertion has no teeth to the extent it has no law - that is state-sanctioned discrimination - to back them up.

In Quebec, we do back up when a person calls a person 'maudit anglais' here. What, you say? Remember, the OLF can fine - and in some cases hideously close down - places of business that run afoul. We implicitly have state-sanctioned bigoted behavior.

Nationalists don't like hearing it but that's what we've done.

This is what 'les autres' are telling the majority and in the PQ, their doesn't seem to be many listening.

This is unacceptable for what's to stop future PQ government's from banning in public spheres such as parks as they've done in France? It's a mighty slippery slope we've set up.

This is not Canada at all. It's political bullying. Witness Drainville's (he who along with Lisee embarrassed themselves to the NYT claiming they represented the ideals of Jefferson - myopic views on a complex individual from a couple of tribal nationalists indeed) thin veiled threat in response to institutions planning to disregard the law when he basically said "remember who sends you the cash."

Nice people.

Civil disobedience, as we've seen on the long march to freedom, is a common, cherished aspect of our rights as man. Sometimes, the government is plain wrong and the people must speak out. Drainville will get more than he's bargaining for if we can muster enough resistance to such a pathetic law.

Yet, as we listen to the likes of Drainville and his fellow sowers of discord, another reason why we shouldn't rely on public funds to run private or public institutions. You're at the mercy of the government and when the government is not friendly to your needs, you have a problem. It will trample your rights. The collective of the majority is what trumps all in Quebec.

Quebecrocy at work.

The Vatican recently appointed a Quebecer as one of new 19 Cardinals. Cardinal Lacroix put it simply: We're not on a right path. We're dividing people.

And this is the over arching strategy of the Parti Quebcois. It's not to unite "all Quebecers" as they insidiously posit. Their outlook hinges on divisiveness for they could define their identity with 'les autres' in their midst. They are as tribal as any political or social group as we've seen in North American political and cultural history.

 Their Charter runs afoul with their claim of being an 'open and tolerant' society. It is one in which pits them against universal human rights.

They can debate this within the walls of petty Quebec intellectualism but outside those walls lies a world; an international conglomeration of individuals who aspire to preserving human rights who look upon this with much concern and disappointment.

Myself included.

Quebec, in short, is not seeing the big picture. They claim this is all 'Quebec bashing' when in fact, they are the authors of their own humiliation. Living in fear of so many things - ie English signs, public displays of religious symbols for example - leaves them vulnerable to instilling and punishing fellow citizens through punitive measures for merely expressing themselves.

Quebec can never argue otherwise.