The French Connection 2

I recently read an article in which the author states that in the place he spends his winter vacation, English is already a third language. He goes on to advocate that people should become fluent in English, French and Spanish, as these are the tongues that are slowly taking over our society. Hell, we can't even get people to speak English (the number one language) properly and this guy wants to throw French and Spanish at them. I have serious troubles with this thinking.

I know a lot of people already speak Spanish. A lot of them are in the USA and they are destined for Canada if Vincente Fox has his way. What incentive is there for them to learn and use English if they can go their merry way conversing in Spanish? If you want to speak Spanish, stay in a country where it is the native tongue. If you want to come to the States or Canada, learn English. Same goes for French. Just look at the nonsense we have to put up with by being bilingual here.

A recent book on separatism, published by Les Editions des Intouchables, slated to hopefully be used as a text book in Quebec schools, shows in its opening pages, a sample drawing for a kindergarten arts-and-crafts activity focusing on Quebec's Fete Nationale, a Quebec flag ripping a Canadian one in two as smiling celebrants look on. Gerald Larose, (president of the Conseil de la souverainete du Quebec) complained that sovereignty is considered a taboo subject in Quebec schools. It was dormant until then-premier Bernard Landry agreed to revive it in 2002 by giving it charitable status. The PQ gave $250,000 to get it re-started and the Bloc Quebecois donated as well. And get this now, the publisher, Les Editions des Intouchables, thanks both provincial and federal government funding agencies for their support. These being the aforementioned PQ and BQ along with help from the Canada Council for the Arts and the Canadian government.

A section on peace informs children that an independent Quebec would not require an army, so there would be billions of dollars to spend on other projects. If this is true, who is going to defend these nuts in time of war and strife? Who will they call on to help bail them out after the next winter storm knocks out all their power? Who will distribute water and food stuffs when they are faced with disaster within their borders? The book promotes the creation of a Quebec stamp. The reality is that there are already dozens of Quebec stamps issued on a regular basis. A separate country would require the establishment of a new postal service. The border services required in a new country would make Canada-U.S. discussions appear frivolous. Can you imagine the traffic jams caused by border guards separating the truck traffic between Quebec and Ontario or the cost of new passports and security documents? The Canada Council for the Arts, a Canadian organization established almost 50 years ago, with a budget which will soon surpass $200 million per year makes its largest investments in Quebec. The Conseil des Arts et Lettres du Quebec, with a similar mandate, was created almost four decades later with a current budget of $72 million.

All this because we allowed them to continue using French, and still it is not enough. They keep demanding more, and we keep giving it to them.

Becoming bilingual does nothing but create problems, and becoming trilingual is unimaginable.
Canada and the USA are predominately English speaking and should remain so.