I have to believe the comments by Mr. Ronaghan, (“Bilingualism,” June 11), were either foolishness masquerading as good intentions, or satire that never quite got off the ground.
The gentleman seems to believe that Quebec separatism is a “mood” that Quebecers get in whenever they are dissatisfied. After two and a half centuries, Quebec nationalism only seems to wax and wane. Presently it is being institutionalized by a handful of radicals in Quebec City who do not give a fig for friendly gestures or empty phrases in cooked up constitutional documents.
Read Also
Farmer ownership cannot be seen as a guarantee for success
It’s a powerful movement when people band together to form co-ops and credit unions, but member ownership is no guarantee of success.
Canada’s so-called “unity crisis” is really a family squabble between those Quebecois who believe all of Canada should be half French, (Trudeau, ChrŽtien), and those who believe that Quebec should be all French, (Bouchard, Parizeau). In both cases, the 22 million Canadians outside this debate are considered a demographic nuisance.
Appeasement of radicals does not work, and bureaucratic versions of culture only breed division and animosity. Making 50 percent of everything conform to the comfort level of a select group that makes up two percent of the population (in Saskatchewan’s case) is not fair, equitable or “friendly” but rather expensive, foolhardy, and insulting to all other Canadians.
Better we should ignore government pronouncements of what we are supposed to be, and live as we used to: with mutual respect and an acknowledgement of our differences.
– James G. Scott,
Orleans, Ont.
