Ever read something and say, I wish I wrote that? David Lisbona of the weekly newspaper The Suburban wrote a brilliant piece this week. I applaud Lisbona for it. Not enough people speak out about these discriminatory bullying tactics. Most sit and take it. The Province of Quebec has in place a set of prejudicial laws that limit the freedom to speak English in the workplace. The same prejudicial laws dictate the size that English lettering may appear on signs. These prejudicial laws prevents certain residents from freedom of choice by preventing some citizens from sending their children to English language schools.
My mother tongue is English and I speak French. It is not only important but useful to learn multiple languages. I love Montreal and have no plans to move. But, to force laws into place to protect a language to the detriment of other citizens is abhorrent.
I am not going to go into the whole history of Quebec, the Quiet Revolution, the language laws or why so many English speaking Canadian citizens picked up and left in the late 1970s. Some even tie the departure of the Expos to the anti-English separatist sentiment in the province.
If you have the time, watch these clips that ran on the CBS program 60 Minutes in 1998. If you don't have time to watch the video, David Lisbona's piece in The Suburban is a must read.
okay....heading over to read David Lisbona's piece in The Suburban!
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