Sorry Bob, 
I have truly underestimated your love of Canada. However, I don't
think it is fair to declare over 10 million people speaking French in
a country as a "minority". That's obviously a lot of people. I've been
to Montreal, and yes, there were a few occasions where people didn't
speak English very well, but it made me think that maybe I should
polish up on my French, instead of him work on his English. I didn't
feel like there were "language police" overlooking my every move, or
that French was being forced down my throat. As I recall, there were
quite a few businesses that had their signage in English, and no one
was protesting. No doubt there is tension between French and English
(read Two Solitudes if you are interested, but I think that the
younger generation doesn't seem to have the dislike towards the French
that my parents generation does.
(I'm not French by the way)
Richard (Rick en anglais)
--- In audities@yahoogroups.com, bob <segarini@...> wrote:
>
> I do get it. I've been in Canada since 1971, the first 6 years in
Montreal, (and no, I didn't come here because of the draft or anything
else. I came here because I fell in love with Canada after many trips
playing and recording with The Wackers.
>   It is my home.
>   I COMPLETELY get "French Canadians". What I don't get is the
federal government's cow-towing to a minority that costs the country
idiot amounts of money for no reason other than to placate a small
percentage of insecure poluticians that believe they have to force
people to embrace THEIR culture.
>   I'm Italian by heritage.
>   My culture lives within me and cannot be threatened by outside
influences. I do not wish to impose MY culture on anyone, and neither
do the wonderful friends I have here from all over the world. We are
Canadians, regardless of where we came from.
>   The insecurity of the French, (maybe Dennis Miller has something
when he refers to them as "Surrender Monkeys"), is so rampant in their
elected officials, (both here and in France), that the French
Government has a "Misnistry of Slang", that forbids the use of english
expressions like "Prime Time", and "Dick-Wad". I am NOT making this up.
>   Most pf my Quebecois friends are emnarrassed by their elected
officials constant disregard for other cultures, and the force feeding
of theirs to the rest of the country, with no regard for economic
impact or anyone else's viewpont. Kind of like Bush, but without a
nuclear arsenal.
>   I wrote a television commercial years ago fo the Canadian Board Of
Tourism. It showed Mountied laughing with little kids, the splendor of
our vast and beautiful country, bustling street scenes, crowded city
streets at night, smiling, hard working people enjoying a high
standard of living and willing to work for it. Our standard is
slightly higher than the US, with  10% paying the taxes to make that
possible. It truly is the work ethic that is barely alive in the US
these days.
>   Anyway, nice music, images of a happy, prosperous people, and
closing with a fade to black, and simple white letters/w voice over
saying: "Cahada...The American Dream".
>   It was, of course, rejected...but the letters of praise were many.
>   Still love going to Montreal and Quebec city...but really, this
would be like the Mexican population of Los Angelos demanding that
Spanish be California's other official language. I guess they're not
insecure enough in their heritage to force laws to make that official...
>    
>   bob
> rickbilous <rickbilous@...> wrote:
>   
> > Hi Rick,
> > 
> > Where do you live in Canada? Out west here in the prairies and in
BC, we
> > don't learn French in school at all and it's only an option in high
> school.
> > Some students take it in high school but no one ever learns how to
> have a
> > conversation in French. An example of that is that every politician in
> > western Canada, including the current Prime Minster, Stephen Harper
> can't
> > speak French in parliament until he takes a course in French...
> > 
> > Apparently only 1 % of Torontonians speak French.
> > 
> > Mike V.
> 
> 
> Hi Mike, 
> My apologies to the list members because this is wayy off topic, but
> one of the things that makes us Canadian (and not American), is our
> French Canadian influences. WE should embrace it, not complain.
> Because Bob grew up in the US, he doesn't get it. 
> MIke, I don't where you are getting your data from - throwing at a
> dart board perhaps, magic 8 ball?
> I am from Manitoba, where French was compulsory up to Grade 9. I
> continued to take it up to University. There are lots of people that
> can speak French that I know. If you want a government job, you have
> to be bilingual. Learning French only opens doors, not closes them.
> I presently live (and teach) in Alberta, where French is compulsory up
> to Grade 7. So, I can only assume you live in Saskatchewan, and well,
> if that is the case, not much more needs to be said
> Rick
>