Digital BW, The Print

Andre;

I suspected you were a quebecer, and like most who are nationalist in attitude, have a hard time listening to truth. I do not, nor do I wish the "French to disappear". I am fluently bilingual, live with a french woman, my two daughters speak three and four languages respectively. What you say about the fun stuff in Montreal is true, but my remarks are accurate. you neglect to mention the nearly 200 million budgeted every year to what is essentially"language police", government employess who regularily spend time harassing predominately English towns and the Jewish community. As an example to our readers, during this Jewish holy period, there are many food speciality items that kosher stores carry, and as expected, their labeling is usually in Yiddish and sometimes English. More than once the OLF (language police) have gone to these stores due to a complaint filed anonomously by "nationalists" forcing the store to remove the items. TWICE now, the province has been censured in the UN for what is seen as an undemocratic, and quite frankly, rascist attitude (there is a third case pending to be presented before the UN in the spring). Even our previous "gestapo" head, Ms Beauduoin, was the subject of a 60 Minutes interview centering specifically on this subject.

What I stated are simple facts. I have many friends who have left Quebec, virtually ALL OF THEM French because they cannot stand this repressive attitude, and they like I, are sick of Quebec being seen as the world's first "fourth world" country. They haven't all gone to the US where they can make more money (some are engineers and some, like my wife, medical professionals), but most have gone elsewhere in Canada. It is extremely difficult for small business people to own and operate a business here . . . they are constantly harassed by a mentality and the incessant government red-tape and BS that is completely counter-productive.

Finally, you are right that this is not a forum for this, but to call me a "political rant", simply because you like to hide from reality . . . please. Are you that ashamed?

Paul Aparycki

(returning to work in French and interactivity in French my small town . . . I am the only English person here, and I like it that way)


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