Austin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
> > So, why is this system still in place? Why hasn't someone run for
> > government specifically with the idea of getting rid of it? Or,
> > just ignore the whole thing, use the "wrong" words without a
> > second thought, and don't argue in front of the rest of the world
> > lest the Quebecois will start to get the idea that they're as good
> > as you....
>
> Hey, at least in France it's not illegal to post a sign in English
> (AFAIK), or do business in English (AFAIK).
of course it is.
if you sell something where documentation is in english, you just
became an out-of-the-law
you just do not know that we're a country that promote the
linguistical liberties and the curtural differences in the sense that
everybody that come in france should speak french and only french,
must give up their habits
eg: when french political people speak about immigrants, they always
say they must be assimilated instead of integrated/welcomed. or
look for the number of poeple who want to forbid muslim weil[1] in
schools or public bureaucracy whereas of course showing a
catholical cross is not a problem (the idea being forbidding
proselytism...)
about the weil, catholic sisters often got authorized bo be weiled
on their ids but now police chief is talking about forbiding it
for muslums.
you just only see the so called "human rights country" surface. eg:
most french people will tell you we've the best social/assurance
system of the world despite we do not live longer :-)
but as every other country in the world, it has its drawbacks.
france is not as opened as it seems.
and it's the same for so called regional/minority languages: in 1992,
our House of Representatives make a law to protect french language
against the so called "english language imperialism" (!!!); they told
us that it would never be used againts minority langugaes.
but last year, the equivalent[2] of us suprem court forbid to include
diwan school (that try to save britton language by using efficient[3]
methods) because of that law that made them anticonstitutional.
in fact, it has not the power to forbid but to advice.
their argument was: they refuse because the european law[4] that
protect minority languages is anticonstitutional and so has to be
rejected (despite the france signed threaties saying that european
laws supercede french ones)
but the senate follow them rejected the law that would make all
britton schools equals to other because of that.
now, the senate refuse to alter the 1992 law (that should never have
been against minority languages in the first place according to public
declarations at that time) because we've not adopt the european law
and the government refuse to adopt the european law because the 1992
law makes it anticonstitutional.
no, of course they do not make fun about those who want to learn
french and britton (or any other minority language)
oh, i forget to tell that they reject the britton schools because they
do nearly all teaching in britton [but these childrens still have
better results in french language tests]) at the same time they
in the same time, our state give money to schools that use the same
system but to teach french in louisiana ...
so if you want to save the britton language, you've to paid taxes for
french public schools and schools that teach french in foreign
countries *and* to pay for private schools that save it because the
state refuse to do anything for britton.
when your state give more rights to other countries citizens because
they speak french than to you because you want to speak french and
britton, it's of course not discrimination or civil rights
inequailities
but else we've an opened country that go fast on subjects that
interest people and who cares about his citizens, ...
last but not least: we've a low to discriminate music on radios and
tvs not on their quality but on the language the singer used.
french sings've 60% of time. others share the remaining 40%.
and yet, it's of course not discrimination when sing quality is less
important than the language you use ....
nobody seems to understand this is against the free speech right :-(
[1] the question of male/female equality being not the same problem as
accepting foreign people habits
[2] it's not so equivalent since it depends more of the government
[3] efficient because despite we should officially all be able to
speak one or two foreign languages, most frenc are hopelessly
monolingual people
[4] http://conventions.coe.int/Treaty/EN/WhatYouWant.asp?NT=148&CM=8&DF=19/07/03
