Certain type of articles come back regularly in our National Newspapers despite the fact that there are no new facts to report or that no news story has broken out. They are labelled opinion pieces and written by people who are fairly obscure as to their background and why they should be considered opinion or trend setters. These opinion pieces are written to provoke, a little like someone striking you in the face just to see what your reaction will be. The opinions expressed have to be outlandish and or categorical, then it is pretty obvious that you cannot have a debate unless you want to put yourself on the margin.
One type of article or opinion piece that appears regularly in any of our National Newspapers is the whole question of bilingualism (French-English) in Canada, another is Quebec bashing (nothing coming from Quebec can ever be right), the province is described as corrupt, evil, full of Nazis or Fascists, the small English minority living in Montreal is persecuted, etc....
On that score a recent article in the Globe and Mail struck an ironic note, Who is the most persecuted the article asked. It went on to describe the two linguistic groups as trying to gain the upper hand of who was most discriminated against in Montreal. The article concluded that there would never be an end to this debate because you could always find someone either French or English claiming to be the most discriminated against. The two solitudes in other words, living side by side but not knowing each other and eyeing each other with suspicion.
Recently the National Post ran an opinion piece by Matt Gurney who boast that he can travel to French speaking countries and shout louder in English to make himself understood and apparently using hand gesture helps too. He is telling his audience that Punjabi or Mandarin are languages more frequently spoken in Canada than French. Mr. Gurney is not advocating you learn such languages, he suggest we all speak only English, it would be easier for him and others like him. In can also be argued that English in certain parts of Western Canada is not spoken at all, if anyone looks at ghetto Asian communities of the West Coast. Maybe Mr. Gurney would advocate speaking louder in English to them so they can understand him.
Why would a paper like the National Post allow such uninformed pundits write such bladder.
The NP prides itself as having daily a whole segment of their newspaper entirely devoted to Israël. Now why would they allow someone like this Gurney fellow to make inane comments and put his ignorance on display in such a fashion while attacking one of the founding Nation of Canada. The NP would not allow him to write in such fashion about Israël or some other group. Of course his article invited all manners of profoundly racist comments, some advocating a Final Solution for francophones, ethnic cleansing and spewing venom and hate, this on the pages of the National Post. Not very edifying for a publication claiming to be a serious newspaper.
Unfortunately this happens far to often in Canada's newspaper. This is what they call Freedom of the Press, frankly if that is their so call freedom I prefer Chinese Communist censors.
One type of article or opinion piece that appears regularly in any of our National Newspapers is the whole question of bilingualism (French-English) in Canada, another is Quebec bashing (nothing coming from Quebec can ever be right), the province is described as corrupt, evil, full of Nazis or Fascists, the small English minority living in Montreal is persecuted, etc....
On that score a recent article in the Globe and Mail struck an ironic note, Who is the most persecuted the article asked. It went on to describe the two linguistic groups as trying to gain the upper hand of who was most discriminated against in Montreal. The article concluded that there would never be an end to this debate because you could always find someone either French or English claiming to be the most discriminated against. The two solitudes in other words, living side by side but not knowing each other and eyeing each other with suspicion.
Recently the National Post ran an opinion piece by Matt Gurney who boast that he can travel to French speaking countries and shout louder in English to make himself understood and apparently using hand gesture helps too. He is telling his audience that Punjabi or Mandarin are languages more frequently spoken in Canada than French. Mr. Gurney is not advocating you learn such languages, he suggest we all speak only English, it would be easier for him and others like him. In can also be argued that English in certain parts of Western Canada is not spoken at all, if anyone looks at ghetto Asian communities of the West Coast. Maybe Mr. Gurney would advocate speaking louder in English to them so they can understand him.
Why would a paper like the National Post allow such uninformed pundits write such bladder.
The NP prides itself as having daily a whole segment of their newspaper entirely devoted to Israël. Now why would they allow someone like this Gurney fellow to make inane comments and put his ignorance on display in such a fashion while attacking one of the founding Nation of Canada. The NP would not allow him to write in such fashion about Israël or some other group. Of course his article invited all manners of profoundly racist comments, some advocating a Final Solution for francophones, ethnic cleansing and spewing venom and hate, this on the pages of the National Post. Not very edifying for a publication claiming to be a serious newspaper.
Unfortunately this happens far to often in Canada's newspaper. This is what they call Freedom of the Press, frankly if that is their so call freedom I prefer Chinese Communist censors.
It is both sad and comforting to see people everywhere far too often channel "The Victim", even in Canada.
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