All for one and one for all--- in Quebec?

Page 9

To anybody following the ongoing political soap opera currently running

in Ottawa and Quebec, it almost seems that God indeed does have a sense

of humor, or at the very least a sense of irony.

I am, of course, referring to the sudden spate of threats concerning

the potential partition of a possibly independent Quebec into smaller,

culturally specific fiefdoms.

It's such a ludicrous change of events, a twisting of fate, that it can

only be properly explained by the use of exceedingly bad cliches, if you

look at it properly. Evidently, turnabout is fair play.

Now that the proverbial tables are turned, Quebec is saying "you can't

do that. We can, but you can't!" I guess it's a simple case of do what

I say, not what I do.

With the still recent memories of incidents like Oka and the bizarre

comments from a certain former Quebec leader about those pesky "ethnic

voters", its no wonder people like the Inuit and Crees of Northern

Quebec want to pick up their toys and go back home to Canada--should the

province separate. It's a matter of choosing the lesser of two evils.

Now that the shoe is on the other foot, I can't help but wonder if it

won't be too long, before we start seeing television commercials

flooding the Quebec airwaves with such slogans as "My Quebec includes

the Ungava Peninsula" or "My Quebec includes the Gatineaus." Provincial

unity rallies are bound to occur all across La Belle Province. I see

bus loads of Parti Quebecois supporters making forays into the nether

regions of the province, showing up in isolated Aboriginal communities

stating with a smile, "it just won't be the same Quebec without you

guys". It's possible.

But if this is their bed and they have to lie in it, then they should

be happy. If all these areas of questionable P.Q. loyalty were to exit

the political entity of Quebec, that would leave a couple hundred square

miles of pure French territory. After all these years of being the

oppressed minority, they can now proudly rule as a majority along both

banks of the St. Lawrence. What they may lose in quantity, they will no

doubt revel in quality.

If it is simply a case of dishing it out but not being able to take it,

the Quebec government should be aware that if you live in a glass house

you shouldn't throw political stones. They just might boomerang.

As for Native people of the province, it is not just a simple case of

wanting back the land that the province insists they surrendered to the

government long ago. That, of course, would make them Indian-givers.

It's just simply a matter of wanting to maintain their cultural and

linguistic individuality in an environment dominated by another forceful

and aggressive society. Sound familiar? But no sense in the pot

calling the kettle black.

AFTERTHOUGHT:

If the province does dissolve into various factions, does this mean

Matthew Coon Come will be the Cree Lucien Bouchard? I just hope it's

not a case of the same cart, different driver. Apples and oranges,

hopefully.