"I think you merit our contempt for what you are writing in this
blog which is a racist rag. How can a self-respecting
English can write such nonsense."
- Jean BOUGARAN (in a comment left on my blog)
That was a comment left for me on my post about Pauline Marois and the PQ Party’s bigoted and repressive policies towards minorities in the province of Quebec. Even though I live in Quebec, you will note that the commenter referred to me as English rather than as a fellow Quebec citizen. That is because I am not ‘culturally’ and ‘linguistically’ pure enough to merit equal rights in their eyes.
Let me give you an example of the separatist/sovereignist version of democracy and equality for all citizens.
This is the Quebec that Pauline Marois and her PQ party are building. This is the arrogance and intolerance her policies not only encourage but enable.
A group of Asian Canadians, visiting Quebec were accosted by a group of sanctimonious, pur laine bigots because they were speaking English among themselves in a private conversation. Apparently this is how Quebec pur laine fanatics greet visitors to their province who are not only fellow Canadians but who had the audacity to speak anything but French among themselves. Apparently, fanatical French Quebecers no longer believe you even have the right to speak the language of your choice with your friends and family.
A group of Asian Canadians, visiting Quebec were accosted by a group of sanctimonious, pur laine bigots because they were speaking English among themselves in a private conversation. Apparently this is how Quebec pur laine fanatics greet visitors to their province who are not only fellow Canadians but who had the audacity to speak anything but French among themselves. Apparently, fanatical French Quebecers no longer believe you even have the right to speak the language of your choice with your friends and family.
There is no other word for it but racism and those in the French community who remain silent about it even though they do not support this behaviour or who who make excuses for it it are enabling this intolerance and paving the way for a society only fanatics want.
You won't hear current Premier Jean Charest, CAQ Leader Legault or any federal politician like NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair who is from Quebec speaking out against this racial attack. They are cowards who opt for political expediency over morality every time.
You won't hear current Premier Jean Charest, CAQ Leader Legault or any federal politician like NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair who is from Quebec speaking out against this racial attack. They are cowards who opt for political expediency over morality every time.
The PQ agenda has gone far beyond mere intolerance and has now crossed over from bigotry to purifying the culture. We have seen too much of this racism and discrimination in the past in places like Germany, Bosnia, Armenia and Serbia.
No one race, religion, culture, language or hair colour is superior to another. It is only the cowards who are afraid of everything that might force them to actually compete in a global village that focus on the differences between people rather than on all of the things we share in common.
Quebec is in dangerous territory economically and socially. Thanks to a portion of its population that has become entitlement-dependent, xenophobic and anything but democratic, it runs the risk of losing everything it gained as a modern society. If that happens, it can thank the Pauline Marois’, the Jacques Parizeaus, the FLQ and all of those who supported a racist agenda of cultural purity for that.
The PQ are turning Quebec into George Orwell's Animal Farm, an allegory tale where the animals in the barnyard were encouraged by the pigs to rise up against the evil farmer. After they took over the farm, the pigs moved into the farmers' home, they started selling off some of the animals and living just like the farmer and the rest of the animals found they were in worse shape than before.
The pigs reminded them that all animals are equal but some animals were more equal than others in order to justify their actions. In the PQ's Quebec, it is the PQ that are the pigs and the rest of the province that are sheep. The PQ's version of equality is highly selective and self-serving. It is built on intolerance and a narrow-minded view of the world and in the end, all citizens of the province, supporters of the PQ and minorities alike will get sheared.
The PQ are turning Quebec into George Orwell's Animal Farm, an allegory tale where the animals in the barnyard were encouraged by the pigs to rise up against the evil farmer. After they took over the farm, the pigs moved into the farmers' home, they started selling off some of the animals and living just like the farmer and the rest of the animals found they were in worse shape than before.
The pigs reminded them that all animals are equal but some animals were more equal than others in order to justify their actions. In the PQ's Quebec, it is the PQ that are the pigs and the rest of the province that are sheep. The PQ's version of equality is highly selective and self-serving. It is built on intolerance and a narrow-minded view of the world and in the end, all citizens of the province, supporters of the PQ and minorities alike will get sheared.
When a society can no longer tolerate equally all of its citizens, it soon is incapable of tolerating equality for anyone but a privileged and elite few. History has taught us that.
It has also taught us that hatred, bigotry and racism are not the foundations of a successful society.
It has also taught us that hatred, bigotry and racism are not the foundations of a successful society.
Did I respond to M BOUGARAN? Of course: "I have nothing but contempt for any group that feels it has the right to suppress the rights of fellow citizens as the PQ and pur laine do. Not being born French should not make a citizen of Quebec a lesser citizen nor should they have to bow to the pur laine. It violates the Quebec Charter of Rights, The Canadian Charter of Rights and the UN Charter of Rights. So spare me your cheap sanctimony. There is racism in Quebec but it isn't on these pages."
© 2012 Maggie's Bear
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After watching this I am grateful I no longer live in Quebec.
ReplyDeleteIt's a disgrace not only that this can happen in Canada but that Canadian politicians are too cowardly to stand up and speak out against it. Where's Mulcair, Legault or Charest. They're all Quebecers but apparently they either don't speak or only speak for the pur laine.
DeleteI am glad that I do not live in Quebec!!!!
ReplyDeleteIt's actually a beautiful part of the country with some very nice people. It's a minority of bigots, fools and cowardly politicians that are destroying it.
DeleteLike Anne I can say I and my family are also grateful to have moved out of Quebec in 1984. You should also know that these bigots react just as badly when one speaks European French, or with a European accent. I am also fed up with idiots everywhere throwing about the racist label when clearly they haven't a clue of the meaning. Quebecers, or pure laine as they call themselves, are NOT a race any more than Islam is a race. As for bigots I can personally confirm that few are a match for the pure laine Quebecers. Of course not all francophone Quebecers are this way nor think or behave this way, but there are enough to make one think twice about living there.
ReplyDeleteIt is a singular attitude that we have seen in other countries. They claim they were here first which always offends the Cree and other first nations who were here a very long time before either the French or the English. French Quebecers are the same as the rest of us; the descendants of immigrants and the cultural purists in their midst need to start remembering that.
Delete"No one race, religion, culture, language or hair colour is superior to another." Well, I do not buy this argument. I would say that western civilization based on
ReplyDeleteJudeo-Christian values has been uniquely instrumental in providing advancements to society.
Actually, that isn't quite true. Major advancements in mathematics and science were developed by Arabs. They, for example, developed the mathematical concept of "0" which western mathematicians couldn't conceive of. The Chinese developed gunpowder while western societies were still using bows and arrows. Glass was developed in Mesopotamia which is now modern day Iraq. The Japanese discovered Vitamin B in 1910 and it was the Japanese who invented the quartz watch among countless other things.
DeleteWestern society has discovered and advanced much but they have no claim to exclusivity when it comes to the advancement of medicine, technology, science or mathematics.
What you say may be true except the concept of zero was not developed by the Arabs but in India. I still contend that on the whole, western civilization has been the most responsible for the general advancement of society.
DeleteYou are correct that the concept of zero was developed in India but I am also correct. It was independently developed by the Mayans and around 300 BC, it was also developed in the fertile crescent that was part of the Babylonian Empire.
DeleteWestern civilization has given us much both good and bad but to believe that it is only western civilization that is responsible for the general advancement of society is to ignore history.
Even simple things like pasta which we consider to be Italian was developed by the Chinese and brought to western culture by Marco Polo. Civilization developed independently in cultures around the world. It was exploration and trade that expanded technological and cultural knowledge that accelerated the development of global societies.
This is what we English live in Quebec, it's so accurate! People think we make this stuff up.it's racism and bigotry againts anglos.. it's so true! thank for posting this.
ReplyDeleteWhat angers me most of all is that it is a bigoted minority representing less than a third of all Quebecers. Most, whether they are French, English or immigrants from other cultures, are very tolerant. My neighbours are all three and they are all wonderful people. It is that small fanatical group of mostly pur laine and absurdly ill-informed young people who give Quebec both it
Deletes bad reputation and its social and economic instability. As a Quebecer, I resent it.
This is the same attitude I experienced many years ago when I went to visit family for a wedding. It saddens me to think this has gotten so much worse. I hope the future of Quebec is not left to these small minded people. I'm glad you took a stand, but frankly I worry for the saftey of anyone that comes up against these thugs. Good luck in your efforts. Stay well.
ReplyDeleteI have no issue with any group of people seeking to advance the things in which they believe provided they do it democratically and they do not suppress or trample the rights of other citizens. My issue with the PQ agenda is that it is inherently bigoted and lacks respect for the democratic rights of all citizens of Quebec. They violate Quebec's own Charter of Rights and in the end, that will lead to a society that cannot sustain itself.
DeleteThe majority of the people of Quebec are terrific people. They are hardworking, friendly and law-abiding. It is a vibrant and creative community. I love the French culture and have learned to speak French since moving here although not as well as I would like. Almost everywhere I go, I am greeted by good will.
It is a minority of narrow-minded bigots who do not realize we live in the 21st Century that threaten the provinces prosperity and stability for all Quebecers, French, English and immigrant.
This is a province that unlike any other jurisdiction in North America, has the opportunity to become a cosmopolitan centre that celebrates the heritage of all of its founders while welcoming new Quebecers into the fold. It is a minority who have a small and narrow view who would throw that away to create an economic and cultural backwater.
ReplyDeleteARMENIA?? The country which is blockaded by Turkey and Azerbaijan? Who suffered the First Genocide of the 20th Cent by the Turks. Check ur facts plse.
That was precisely my point. It was genocidal ethnic cleansing by the Ottomans starting just after WWI. The Ottomans also targeted Assyrians and Pontic Greeks. Genocide is the final and most horrific end result of racism. The Jews experienced it across Europe during WWII and former Serbian leaders have stood trial for the same thing in the Balkans. You can also add places like Rwanda. Wherever racism is allowed to flourish to its ultimate conclusion, it isn't just rights that are lost. People die.
DeletePauline Marois and the P.Q. showed during the student 'strike' that they have no respect for the rule of law. So you can only imagine what will happen if Quebec separates.
ReplyDeleteBe clear on this point. The PQ have a great deal of respect for the law but only those laws they like and only when they are in power. I guarantee you that if the students pull the same stunt under a PQ government, they will find that government a lot more difficult with which to deal and far more draconian in applying the law. A PQ government is a government that is quite willing to trample the rights of minorities. It won't have any qualms whatsoever in clamping down on former supporters who disrupt their plans or conduct the kind of street demonstrations we saw earlier this year. It will act in ways that will make the Liberal government look almost benign because they believe they are not only above the law, they are the law and silly things like Charters of Rights and Constitutions are irrelevant. They make it up as they go along and anyone, including supporters, who get in their way.....get trampled.
DeleteIf you are referring to Bill 78. Well that law itself is anti-constitutional and against the Quebec Charter of rights.
Deletehttp://www.ledevoir.com/societe/education/355026/la-loi-78-porte-atteinte-a-la-charte-des-droits
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_78
Bill 78 is also severely criticized by the United nations.
The PLQ were the one who trampled the protesters by passing a bill that is against the Charters of Rights. They thought they were above the charters and the students showed him wrong. The 4 of September 2012, the democracy has won against the tyranny.
I am referring to both bill 101 and bill 78. Most Quebecers are law abiding and have a respect for democrat principles. It is the fanatics, the bourgoise pur laine elite and their ill-informed and undisciplined followers that only follow those laws that are convenient. They expect anglos to obey their repressive language laws but trample the rights of others as set out in Quebec's own Charter of Rights.
DeleteQuebec, for example, is the only province in Canada that will not permit a resident citizen to register at the polling booth on election day if they have proper identification. It was a PQ government that imposed that law.
We should put a bag over Marois' head and ignore her completely. We don't have to play by Marois' rules. If she can't pick a fight with the ROC, Quebec will have to stew in "the Quebec states" own juices. I don't think they'll like it when there is no way to distract from the state's abuses of it's own citizens. As Conrad Black said, the real revolution will begin when Quebec looks itself in the eye. We should get out of their way.
ReplyDeleteIt would be nice if we could but there are still too many apologists and people who rationalize all of this as anything but the bigotry that it is. Canadians, both within Quebec and the ROC, have been silent for too long and it has allowed politicians the luxury of accommodating the radical sovereignty agenda. It's time to speak up, shine a light on these people and expose them for what they are and then, perhaps, our political leadership might actually grow some balls and put an end to this farce once and for all.
DeleteThe problem with any abuser is that they attempt to take attention off themselves by making someone or something else the abuser while casting themselves as the hero. One has to refuse to play so that the victim recognizes the real abuser. Silence and turning a blind eye is part of the game of enablement. I'm not advocating for silence. We can call bigotry and rights abuses what they are without apologies. Apologists are cowards.
DeleteI agree with everything you wrote.
DeleteYou will find narrow-minded person everywhere, in every country, apeshiting for any reasons, and they are a MINORITY. So stop hating on separatist.
ReplyDeleteThe terrorist attack agaist the PQ yesterday during the victory speech is another consequence of this never ending escalation of hate between french and english:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/quebecvotes2012/story/2012/09/05/marois-victory-speech-shot-fired.html
We see in the video the killer shouting "the english are awakening".
Hates will generate more hates. And this blog doesn't help it.
"The PQ agenda has gone far beyond mere intolerance and has now crossed over from bigotry to purifying the culture. We have seen too much of this racism and discrimination in the past in places like Germany, Bosnia, Armenia and Serbia." -Bear
Comparing the "separatist" to nazi... c'mon man, this is an exemple of the minority of narrow-minded. And you are ingorant about it.
Okay, let's stop this madness and try, for once, to build something, together.
Why not build a country together where every Quebecers, French, English, Asian or whatever can feel save and be proud!
What an absolute crock of self-serving shit
DeleteYou are confirmation that some people can rationalize anything, even the stripping of rights of fellow citizens. You claim to want to build a strong country together where all citizens can be proud. How do you propose to do that in a society where one group has taken away the rights of others simply because they are minority?
The attitude behind Bill 101 is no different than the attitude in the southern states back in the ‘50s that required Afro-Americans to ride in the back of the bus because they did not have the right to sit anywhere they wanted on the bus.
It is also the same attitude that was seen during the rise of the Nazis in Germany who treated Jews, gypsies, communists and other minorities as second class citizens and we all know where that ended up.
You are right that there are narrow-minded people in every country but it becomes a huge problem when that bigotry become official government policy and it is official government policy in Quebec. It violates not only the UN Charter of Human rights and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms but also Quebec’s own Charter of Rights and how you propose to build a united and strong society on that escapes me.
I find it contemptible that people like you are offended by me criticizing institutionalized discrimination and cultural racism rather than by the racism itself. I find it bizarre that you think it is somehow possible to build harmony and unity by suppressing the rights of minorities.
You may be young and limited in your experience but most of us have seen this before. I fought against this kind of discrimination in the 60s and know where it leads. It leads to frustration, anger and resentment and eventually, that leads to violence and much more violence than just one wingnut in a bathrobe. As yourself if that is the society you want to build and then act accordingly.
I find it interesting that you only commented on the shooting last night but not the video of Asian-Canadians being bullied on the streets of Montreal because they weren't speaking French to each other. That too is what happens when the rights of minorities are stripped away. Extremists and racists on all sides bully whoever they want.
As a final point. The people who speak out against racists, it's the people that take away the rights of fellow citizens who are.
I hate the word "tolerant". Since when have we been reduced to being just tolerant with each other?
ReplyDeleteWe were reduced to being just tolerant when we lost the courage to defend our Charter of Rights and to speak out against discrimination and oppression of the rights of our own citizens. We were reduced to striving for only being tolerant because of people like the guy represented in the comment above yours.
Delete