This argument is not going away quietly into the night. Premier Legault of Quebec said the other day that the question of Quebec’s Bill 21 and 96 did not belong in a federal election debate. Justin Trudeau said the question to Bloc leader Blanchet about Bills 21 and 96 was “offensive” and “inappropriate.” And conservative leader Erin O’Toole, in one of his stronger remarks, claimed the question to be “a little unfair.” The problem remains that Canadians across the country have little problem in recognizing bigotry when they see it.
And people who think they should be chosen prime minister should stop pandering to Quebec. A Quebec court has already noted that Bill 21 violates the basic rights of religious minorities. The only way the Quebec Assembly can get away with this bigotry is with using the “not withstanding” clause in the Canadian constitution.
What those fools in the Quebec assembly need to understand is that Canada’s real strength is in its diversity of languages, customs, fashions, religions, ideas and ambitions. And nobody can ever be allowed to carve out a chunk of this country and declare it a “no-go zone” for people of a different language or religion or tribe or different environmental concerns.
More people in Quebec need to come to understand the falsehoods and the perfidy of the Quebec assembly. They need to see through the ambitions of these bigots. You might disagree with the Hassidic Jew but you have to recognize his right to his religion and customs. The observant Sikh has a right to the five Ks of the Tenth Guru—the uncut hair, the comb, iron bracelet, underwear and the symbolic knives. You do not even need a religion to enjoy the freedoms, foods and customs of others. Our country is open to all.
The facts are that as much as we might disagree with someone who wears their religion or customs ‘on their sleeve,’ they have the right to do so. You might think that those laws that discriminate against these people are not directed against you. Just wait until next year—they might be. It is by protecting others, that we protect ourselves.
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Copyright 2021 © Peter Lowry
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