Segacs’s World I Know

Francophone kids in Quebec will still not be allowed to go to English schools, according to the Supreme Court decision that came down today:

The Quebec government is welcoming two Supreme Court decisions on the province’s language laws.

The court ruled against an attempt by francophone parents to win the right to free access to English public schools.

This is an English-rights issue in a way… but in reverse. It’s not anglophones in Quebec who are the second-class citizens here, it’s francophones. The oppressive language policy allows us English kids to become fluently bilingual in grade school, but doesn’t allow French kids to learn English at an early age and become fluently bilingual. That’s why so many people feel stuck in Quebec – especially those who live outside Montreal, where English instruction in French schools is often of poor quality.

Quebec is my home but it’s also a very closed, defensive society. Paranoia about English means that restrictive legislation designed to “protect” French actually holds Quebec Francophones hostage here. It’s a policy of fear with no basis in reality, since all evidence indicates that learning a second or third language at a young age helps, rather than hurts, kids’ language skills in their mother tongue.

And of course all the politicians who merrily protect these laws don’t care; they send their kids to private schools, where many of them do learn to be fluently bilingual.

There was a bit of a silver lining, as a second ruling tried to make it easier for immigrants to have access to English schools. I predict that the legislation will be reframed to avoid that as well.

And so, Francophone parents will continue to be restricted by policies intended for the “common good”. Not much changes.

It’s pretty clear that the student strikes no longer have much to do with the students.

Last week, the McGill Daily reported that the PQ youth wing and that major Quebec labour unions were supporting the student strikers, in an effort to topple the Charest Liberal governement and get the PQ re-elected. Yesterday, the Liberals angrily accused the unions of funding the strikers, lashing out at them for mixing issues:

Liberal party whip Norm MacMillan says unions appear to be piggybacking on the student strike in order to advance their own contract negotiations with the government.

“Everybody’s in negotiations right now: civil servants, teachers in universities and CEGEPS,” he notes.

MacMillan says some union money may even have paid for buses to help the students mobilize large demonstrations.

The university students federation doesn’t deny some funding has come from outside groups.

It’s not exactly news that the labour unions in Quebec overwhelmingly support the PQ and have been engaged in a bitter battle with the Liberals since their election. And the student cause seems to be a popular one; a Léger poll conducted two weeks ago found that 24% of people think that the government should cave to the student demands, and another 48% believe that a portion of the $103 million in cuts should be re-invested into the bursaries program. Furthermore, 44% of people said they would be willing to forego a tax cut in order to put the money back into the bursary program.

In the media circus surrounding the protests, rock-throwing at police, arrests and threats of cancelled semesters, the voice of dissenters is getting drowned out.

I’m talking about the students who actually want to go to class. The ones who want to graduate eventually. The ones who recognize the value of their education, and are willing to make an investment into it. Though disorganized and quiet, there are an awful lot of them. And they’re tired of being deprived of classes they paid for, of having their opportunities that they’ve worked hard for yanked away from them, and of the general attitude among their fellow students and even professors that they’re “selfish” or just plain “wrong”.

Times like this, I’m glad I’m not still a student. Because it’s tough enough dealing with the pressure without having to face the Quebec reality: that this is a socialist province where everyone seems to think that society “owes” them. Everyone wants to take out of the system, nobody wants to contribute into it. This is how we end up with massive economic failure. (But of course, the students and the labour unions have a perfect solution to this: tax the rich more. Never mind what happens when all the rich leave the province; they’ll just tax the next richest.)

Or, to quote the CASSEE spokespeople:

Members of the CASSEE say they’ve tried holding demonstrations.

Blocking traffic and offices works better, they say.

“We started by drawing up petitions, we held protests; our pressure tactics have escalated,” said Xavier Lafrance, another CASSEE spokesperson, and a political science student at the Universite du Quebec a Montreal.

[ . . . ]

Funding for higher education could be raised, they said, by ensuring private corporations pay their taxes – in full.

[ . . . ]

“Aggressive unionism is a Quebec tradition,” added Mathieu Cousineau DeGarie, a third CASSEE spokesperson.

“We at the CASSEE want to revive that tradition.”

So they continue to strike. And I continue to rant. Because nothing will improve while the student unions are allowed to hold the Quebec education system – and its students – hostage. No government has the political capital to change the situation; only the students can make a difference by rallying to oppose their oppressors. Sadly, their voices seem too scattered, and students opposed to the strike have no choice but to grumble and sigh.

I didn’t want to post on the death of Terri Schiavo, mainly because every media outlet and op-ed writer and blogger has already said way too much.

But watching the media circus surrounding her last days, I have to pause to express my disgust.

The whole thing is so sad. This was a family battle, between a husband who claims he was just trying to let his wife die in dignity, and parents who have been in denial about their daughter’s condition for fifteen years and just wanted her back like she was, realistic or no.

It should have remained a private matter. Instead, it turned into a Democrat-versus-Republican, knock-down, drag-out media circus. The fact that the top story on Entertainment Tonight was the Schiavo case and the reaction of celebrities should say everything there is to say about what’s wrong with this whole thing. A private tragedy should not be our entertainment – tonight or any other night.

Lynn said it better than I could, as usual. To that, I’ll just add that, working in the direct mail fundraising field, this doesn’t surprise me much.

Hmmm, seems I’m on one, doesn’t it? All kinds of stuff going on right now. Back soon.

The NHL has cancelled next year’s draft since there’s still no agreement reached between the players and owners.

Oh well, there goes next season. I can’t even work up anger anymore. Just a kind of frustrated resignation.

In a refreshingly sensible ruling, a Canadian immigration board denied the refugee claim of Jeremy Hinzman, an American who joined the army cause he figured it would be a cheap way to pay for university, and then fled to Canada when he discovered that – doh – he might actually have to fight a war:

An immigration board ruled that Jeremy Hinzman had not convinced its members he would face persecution or cruel and unusual punishment if returned to the United States.

Seven other American military personnel have applied for refugee status, and Hinzman’s lawyer estimated dozens of others are in hiding in Canada waiting to see how the government ruled.

I can understand fleeing a draft when you don’t support a war. But if you volunteer for the army, then that’s a whole different ball game.

I don’t bear Hinzman any ill will. If he goes to Iraq, I hope no harm befalls him or any other American soldier. If he chooses to object, he can serve his sentence for desertion. But the US army isn’t just an education finance program, and Hinzman should have understood that and known the risks when he signed up. And it’s refreshing to see Canada recognize this instead of revert to our typical “Bush is wrong and America sucks” attitude.

It’s lunacy on parade all over again, as Quebec student agitators take to the streets to protest the cardinal Quebec government sin of replacing bursaries with loans (i.e. making people actually pay back their handouts… gasp!). And in the usual fashion, the protestors are acting with reckless disregard for personal safety, property, or even the interests of the students they’re supposedly defending, as they wreak havoc all over town:

A five-hour blockade at the Port of Montreal ended yesterday in a standoff with riot police and the arrest of six students protesting against cuts to financial aid.

The typical accusations of “police provocation” on the part of the student shit-disturbers followed, of course.

It goes beyond mere rock throwing and idiocy, though. Votes to strike at several university campuses are threatening the semesters of students who actually want to attend class. Most of my friends are absolutely livid that their semesters may be delayed or even cancelled. To quote one friend at UQAM:

Now the students are saying they don’t give a d*mn if our term is cancelled. I am really pissed at them, and considering suing my student association. If it is cancelled, I want my $1000 back. It is not by throwing that much money out the window that we are “helping future generations”… And then these idiots throw rocks at policemen and block streets.

But the union leaders and protest agitators don’t actually give a crap about the students they’re supposed to represent. None of them care about losing out on class time, since few if any actually ever set foot in a classroom. None of them care about graduating since they don’t actually intend to ever graduate. None of them care about the effect of a delayed semester on summer or other job prospects, because none of them actually ever intend to get a job. Never mind that Quebec university tuition is so cheap, they could pay it off easily if they actually got a job instead of spending their days throwing rocks at police. Where’s the fun in that?

It’s all well and good to try to protect students against spiraling or unreasonable tuition hikes. But things have gotten way out of control. The tuition freeze is crippling Quebec education, but no government can lift it without paying a severe political price. This has disastrous long-term effects on the health of Quebec’s economy and society in general. Accessible education is one thing; accessible quality education is another altogether. If the student agitators get their way, Quebec will have free education that’s completely, utterly useless, creating an entire generation of people who intend on living off the backs of the state.

Unfortunately, the students who understand this basic fact are disorganized and lack a powerful political voice. So as the strikes and protests continue, who is going to stand up for the rights of students who actually want an education?

Despite what I wrote below, I did, in fact, thoroughly enjoy my trip to Costa Rica… all but the last 12 hours or so. Everything else was wonderful. From the beautiful beaches on the Carribean and Pacific coasts to the fascinating rainforests to the volcanoes to the whitewater rafting to the zipline canopy tours, I had a great time. Costa Rica is an incredibly beautiful and exciting country. We had good weather, got to see tons of cool birds and animals (howler monkeys are loud!), and met some great people. Despite the lousy way the trip ended, I’m extremely glad I went.

P.S. No, I am not receiving any money from any Costa Rican tourism agency for the above message.

P.P.S. If, on the other hand, you read this and work for a Costa Rican tourism agency and would like to send me money, I won’t object. After all, I have some stolen stuff to replace.

The thing about the illusion of safety is, well, that’s just it: it’s an illusion.

Saturday night, walking back to our hotel in San Jose after a couple of hours of souvenir shopping, my friend and I were grabbed by three guys who pulled a knife on me, a gun on her, and stole our bags. It was the sort of random, petty crime that happens to people every day, and can happen anywhere and at any time.

Somehow, though, I never really thought it could happen to me.

Oh, sure, I knew it could happen to me. I spend time running through safety precautions every time I travel, but I tell myself that it’s not good to be too paranoid either because these kinds of things are random and you could just as easily get hit by a bus or something. (In Costa Rica, that’s a very real possibility). So I took the sensible precautions. Passport in hotel safe. Wallet attached to bag with a chain. Money belt locked in the safe, or worn under the clothes. Don’t walk alone after dark. Be aware of surroundings and belongings. All the things you’re supposed to do.

None of it mattered. We were targets for being tourists, standing out without even trying because, well, it’s kind of hard to blend in. We were mugged in broad daylight, half a block from our hotel. They got away with our bags, cash, cards, cameras, souvenirs… the works. A wallet chain or a money belt wouldn’t have mattered, as the muggers patted us down and stole whatever we had. Somehow, having a knife pointed at you makes you forget all resistance and just hand things over as quickly as you can.

At least we had the presence of mind not to try anything stupid, I tell myself. At least nobody was hurt. At least it was just stuff. It could’ve been much worse, and we know that all too well. People who deal with real traumas and tragedies get through. Even while we were in Costa Rica, a hostage cris at a bank in Monteverde devolved into a shootout that claimed nine lives, shocking the country. Next to that, what happened to us was an inconvenience, a minor scare – nothing really. The “take-a-number” attitude of the police who took our report underscored that nicely. These things happen. Deal with it. File your insurance claim and thank your lucky stars you didn’t lose your passport – or your life. Shrug it off.

But as minor as this was in the grand scheme of things, trying to shrug it off is proving harder than expected.

They say to be strong. Be independent. Be courageous. Never give in. If you get off the horse, climb right back on. (Actually, the falling off the horse thing happened to one of the members of our tour group several days earlier – and she did get right back on. A bit bruised but otherwise unfazed. An example to live by, to be sure.)

So why am I looking over my shoulder everywhere I go? Why am I unable to sleep at night? Why am I scared to resume my normal daily routine? Why am I questioning habits I previously took for granted, wondering if I was simply being naive? And where is that fine line between sensible additional precautions and over-reaction? Is changing anything akin to letting them win? Is failing to change anything potentially dangerous?

And now that the illusion of safety is gone, how long will it take before I can summon the courage to get back out there and move on?

I know it’s only been a couple of days and it may take time. But the truth is, I don’t know when things will feel normal again. And that’s probably what’s scaring me most.