Xref: utzoo can.politics:2024 can.francais:106
Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!onfcanim!dave
From: dave@onfcanim.UUCP (Dave Martindale)
Newsgroups: can.politics,can.francais
Subject: Re: Notwithstanding clause -- truly a sad day for Canada
Message-ID: <17017@onfcanim.UUCP>
Date: 28 Dec 88 07:26:02 GMT
References: <1988Dec13.133220.28851@lsuc.uucp> <4321@hcr.UUCP> <809@auvax.UUCP> <230@electro.UUCP> <2521@looking.UUCP> <560@cavell.UUCP> <10@rsoft.UUCP> <2052@van-bc.UUCP>
Reply-To: dave@onfcanim.UUCP (Dave Martindale)
Distribution: can
Organization: National Film Board / Office national du film, Montreal
Lines: 22

In article <2052@van-bc.UUCP> sl@van-bc.UUCP (pri=-10 Stuart Lynne) writes:
>
>Failing that, I would like to propose that all other nine provinces pass laws
>prohibiting the use of French on exterior signs until such time as the
>Quebec law is withdrawn. Not the use of Chinese, Italian, Swahili, just
>French.

This is a terrible idea.

First, it's a very bad idea to punish one group for what someone else
did.  The francophones outside Quebec are full-fledged citizens of
Canada and of whatever province they live in, and are entitled to
all the rights of any other Canadian citizen and provincial resident, no
matter what happens in Quebec.

Second, I don't think it would have any effect on the faction in Quebec
that wants to suppress English.  They'd just say "let all francophones
move to Quebec".

Third, I don't see that you win anything in what is essentially a moral
argument by demonstrating that you too can stoop to the level of the
other side.