Xref: utzoo can.politics:2021 can.francais:104
Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!alberta!auvax!charlesv
From: charlesv@auvax.UUCP (Charles van Duren)
Newsgroups: can.politics,can.francais
Subject: Re: Nationhood
Summary: Great contribution!
Message-ID: <823@auvax.UUCP>
Date: 26 Dec 88 19:24:37 GMT
References: <560@cavell.UUCP> <726@myrias.UUCP> <727@myrias.UUCP> <2063@van-bc.UUCP>
Distribution: can
Organization: Athabasca U., Alberta, Canada
Lines: 52

In article <2063@van-bc.UUCP>, sl@van-bc.UUCP (pri=-10 Stuart Lynne) writes:
> In article <1742@maccs.McMaster.CA> riehm@maccs.UUCP (Carl Riehm) writes:
> >In article <727@myrias.UUCP> dre@myrias.UUCP (Duane Eitzen) writes:
> >
> >Can anyone seriously think that Quebec could become independent without
> >a civil war of some kind?  It is a mistake for Canadians to think that we
> 
> 
> Why not?
> 
> They don't want us! 
> 
> We don't want them!
> 

What's the next line in this argument?

Oh yeah? Says who?

Says me! Wanna make something of it?

Who are "they?". Who are "us?". This is exactly the kind of simple-minded
attitude that exacerbates the whole language (rights) situation. "Us" includes
French linguistic minorities in most other provinces who have a direct interest
in the outcome. "Them" includes an English speaking minority with an even
greater interest. Canada does not separate that easily into two unilingual or
uni-cultural units. That's what the whole problem is all about. Recognizing
Quebec as a distinct society ignores this aspect of the problem. Unfortunately,
in many parts of Canada, tolerance of the linguistic rights of French
minorities is as great as that demonstrated by the Quebec National Assembly for
those of Quebec's English-speaking minority. This is generally manifested in
funding for education, etc.

It has to be recognized that the French-English problem did not start with 
Trudeau and official bilingualism, nor did it start with the P.Q. and modern
assertions of Quebec separatism. This is true in the same sense that the
"troubles" in Northern Ireland did not start in the early '70s, and will not
be solved by the simple expedient of unification. Canada is a political entity,
built on compromise and accomodation. Bourassa's catering to narrow political
interests in Quebec is reprehensible. So, however, is the attitude in Alberta
for instance, that a large cultural group such as the Ukranians gets no special
rights, so why should a tiny (30,000) group like the French?

If "them" and "us" were easily identifiable the problem might not exist. Trying
to reduce the problem in order to make it go away is a simplistic attitude that
has no place in this discussion.

Charles van Duren
TIP Project, Athabasca University
alberta!auvax!charlesv
> -- 
> Stuart.Lynne@wimsey.bc.ca {ubc-cs,uunet}!van-bc!sl     Vancouver,BC,604-937-7532