Thursday, November 06, 2008
Intoleranace and Subtle Racism
English speaking Canadians remind me of ugly Americans sometimes. When they travel they expect everyone to speak English. English speaking Canadians expect everyone to spake clear non dialect accented English. How often have you hear the words, "Can't understand a word he is saying", Can't speak English and you want to live in this country??
This intolerance is part of the reason Dion lost the election. The attitude toward non-English speaking Canadians when we have tow official languages is subtle racism. An English speaking politician going into Quebec is cut slack and we say "at least he tried" but for a French speaking Canadian/ politician who speaks our other official language English Canadians not cut them the same slack. As Gilles Duceppe put it in Canada there are two official languages, English and simultaneous translation. The demand that Dion speak perfect English and the lack of tolerance for his disability to hear certain sounds and therefore miss certain parts of words/questions makes me sad to be a Canadian.
Dion may not have done as well in Englich speaking Canada but he improved the party's position in Quebec. Fellow Qubecers acepted the professors ideas and vision he had for a better Canada.
This intolerance is part of the reason Dion lost the election. The attitude toward non-English speaking Canadians when we have tow official languages is subtle racism. An English speaking politician going into Quebec is cut slack and we say "at least he tried" but for a French speaking Canadian/ politician who speaks our other official language English Canadians not cut them the same slack. As Gilles Duceppe put it in Canada there are two official languages, English and simultaneous translation. The demand that Dion speak perfect English and the lack of tolerance for his disability to hear certain sounds and therefore miss certain parts of words/questions makes me sad to be a Canadian.
Dion may not have done as well in Englich speaking Canada but he improved the party's position in Quebec. Fellow Qubecers acepted the professors ideas and vision he had for a better Canada.
# posted by Nobleton Clear @ 7:56 AM 
Comments:
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What? Where do you get off making ridiculous generalizations like that? Is this some kind of joke?
Do you know how many people I work with who speak heavily accented English? I deal with it and I don't make fun of them.
Now let's try something else. I'll go to a restaurant in Quebec and try to speak French. More than half the time the waiter will roll his eyes at me and refuse to answer in French, instead switching to English. It's not out of politeness. It's rude and condescending. I know why he does it. It's because I'm "butchering" his language. It sounds like "nails on chalkboard" when I speak.
Where exactly are you going in Canada that you find people who can't tolerate misspoken English? That's the whole reason that English is a world-wide standard language and French is not - because English speaking people are far, far more tolerant of grammatical errors and accents.
Dion lost because he lost the support of the corporate wing of his own party and because he lacked charisma - even among francophones.
But your post is just some ridiculous satirical joke meant to rile up people like me, right?
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Do you know how many people I work with who speak heavily accented English? I deal with it and I don't make fun of them.
Now let's try something else. I'll go to a restaurant in Quebec and try to speak French. More than half the time the waiter will roll his eyes at me and refuse to answer in French, instead switching to English. It's not out of politeness. It's rude and condescending. I know why he does it. It's because I'm "butchering" his language. It sounds like "nails on chalkboard" when I speak.
Where exactly are you going in Canada that you find people who can't tolerate misspoken English? That's the whole reason that English is a world-wide standard language and French is not - because English speaking people are far, far more tolerant of grammatical errors and accents.
Dion lost because he lost the support of the corporate wing of his own party and because he lacked charisma - even among francophones.
But your post is just some ridiculous satirical joke meant to rile up people like me, right?
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