We love living in Quebec. Why are we deemed a threat?
At a family gathering recently, a discussion about Quebec politics brought out a few interesting thoughts that I believe are worth sharing.
No one in our family had really thought of leaving Quebec since the last referendum, but now it seems to be in our day-today thoughts.
Quebec has been good to all of us. We have had proud careers and have educated our children here, and we enjoy seeing them in turn contribute to our Quebec society.
But our contribution appears to have become a threat to the existence of some Quebecers, and to the preservation of their language and culture. (Have any of them ever thought that the Internet, which links Quebecers to the rest of the world, may have something to do with it?)
Here in Quebec, we have a deep connection to our rich history, which includes misfortunes that happened to so many along the way. Have we learned from it? We tend to think so, but I am sure that 100 years from now, someone will be looking at our present actions and will be saying, well, that group, or that nationality, were really treated unfairly.
We are proud to have Black History Month, which highlights the cruel passage and struggle that so many endured. You can pass by a very excellent display about these events in downtown Montreal that points out, in a very clear and large text, all those misfortunes, especially the removal of basic civil rights. Unfortunately, if I want to read it in English, I will have a hard time: The text is much smaller. Yes, the display is all about civil rights.
My life has been that of so many Montrealers: rich in culture, rich in financial rewards and, mostly, rich from the English-French family, friends and lifestyle that I have enjoyed all my life. I do not want to give any of that up.