An Invitation To English Language Activists

Rick is the director of a consulting firm and has recently founded what is known as The Fireweed Democracy Project. He is also a director at the Manning Centre for Building Democracy, a Conservative Think Tank founded by Preston Manning and his wife Sandra to promote Conservative values. In all my years, Rick Anderson and Preston Manning are the two people who have most impressed me with their political views and ideas. We think very much along the same lines. During Election 2000 I was a candidate for the Canadian Alliance in Eastern Ontario. However, in all that I have heard and read lately about their ideas on democratic reforms and renewal for Canada there is one very important element missing. That element, of course, is the language issue. In my view, there can be no democratic reform or renewal in Canada unless a review of the language issue is part of that process. In my view, the language issue and how it has been brought in, perceived and applied by successive governments, both provincially and federally, and in some cases even municipally, how it has been manipulated and imposed on the majority of unsuspecting Canadians for political expediency, has subverted the democratic process at every turn. And yet, those who are in the positions of influence if not of power to review the language policies that are at the root of much corruption of our democratic institutions, through systemic discrimination, either prefer to ignore these, for political expediency and favouritism (or so as not to upset the apple cart), or have simply accepted these as part of the norm and are blinded to or ignorant of the nefarious effects on our democracy. Groups such as Canadians for Language Fairness and even more so Language Fairness National have done much to bring awareness and education to the Canadian populace across the country about the negative effects that the bilingualism policies of misguided governments have wreaked on the country. Most of this has been achieved through the wondrous world of high-tech communication and cyberspace. A court case has been brought against the City of Ottawa, challenging the legitimacy of their imposed hiring policies, which are mirror reflections of the federal government hiring policies that have for years put the ability to speak French far ahead of qualifications and merit, ruining many lives in the process. In spite of all this work, most Canadians remain unconvinced or are apathetic to the situation. This, in my estimation, is due to the fact that for most of their existence, these language groups operated almost like secret societies with monthly meetings of the faithful and a constant flow of emails across the country, which amounted to not much more than gripes, complaints and sad stories of the injustices being perpetrated on the majority of Canadians and about which we are helpless. And after a while, the same stories just kept repeating themselves, like cats running after their own tails. Shortly after becoming involved with these language groups, I succeeded on putting a public face and a voice to these by my appearances on TV, Radio talk shows and newspaper articles written about me and the organisations, as well as a number of articles and commentaries I wrote, which appeared in newspapers and on the internet. And for a short while, it appeared they were becoming forces to reckon with. But after I left and ceased to be their spokesman, it all waned. Unlike our opponents, who have accused us of being “pyromaniacs” by daring to speak in defence of our rights, that was about the extent of the actions undertaken by the aforementioned language groups. Our opponents, on the other hand, because of political manoeuvring and rules and laws passed specifically to favour their cause, received mountains of monies from various levels of governments, to finance their activities and achieve their goals. More importantly, they have an understanding of the value of militant action. Consequently, they have succeeded in validating their cause by various political actions, lobbying parliamentarians, businesses and other pertinent institutions, and appearing in front of Senate Committees, to make their views known, claiming fear of assimilation in a sea of English North America, playing the pity card, all the while unchallenged by the overly generous Anglo hearts who foolishly believed it would bring peace to their troubled land. The Anglos were bamboozled by successive Liberal and Progressive Conservative governments claims of the necessity of such actions for a United Canada, and that this could only be resolved by giving Quebec and the French what they wanted. And they got and got it and got it. And they are still getting whatever they ask for, all at the expense of not only taxpayers’ dollars, but of the rights and freedoms of the non French, not only in Quebec but everywhere in Canada as the French Factor expands across the country by hook, by crook and by stealth. For many months the discussions have been going on and on and on across cyberspace through exchanges of emails between a multitude of individuals. Except for my intervention with Purolator Courier about a year ago, which resulted in changes of language policies on their literature and all printed materials, vehicles, etc., little, if any, concrete action has taken place that I am aware of, that has actually resulted in positive changes in language policies, anywhere, by anyone – business or governments. Debates are a good thing. Exchanges of ideas are a good thing. Talking with friends and neighbours and even with strangers about issues that concern us, and what ails our society, are also a good thing. But, to quote Preston Manning in a speech at the Fireweed Convention at Mont Tremblant in Quebec two weeks ago: “Democracy is not something you talk about. Democracy is something you do.” There comes a time when you have to stop talking and start doing. And this is what I am proposing. If we are to achieve anything beyond the exchange of words, if we are to cause changes to take place to correct the inequities of the language corruption in our country, if we are to at least attempt to bring back a semblance of democracy to the language issue, we have to at the very least emulate our opponents and become militant. To achieve this we must first form an organisation that will replicate itself in other communities across the provinces and across the country. Sounds ambitious, you say? Of course it is. Just remember, if the French can do it, and they are a minority, so can we. Are we not the majority? The French have access to practically unlimited funding, you say? Yes they have. But that can change, if we set our minds to make it change. But more importantly, we have a duty to ourselves to raise the necessary operational funds. This is a political action. If political parties can raise funds for their political activities, there are no reasons why the type of organisation I propose cannot raise funds from individuals as well as other sources. Every organisation needs structure with delegated responsibilities. No one is interested in having responsibilities without the glimmer of hope of achieving results. Results cannot be achieved without action and the satisfaction of knowing that that action will lead to real changes. In politics and in government circles, changes are achieved through pressure at the appropriate levels by lobbying from political activist groups. In business, consumers and consumers’ groups achieve changes through pressure by various means that businesses respond to: their bottom lines. These are the two main areas of intervention that will cause the changes we seek. But to achieve these desired changes, it must be done by means of concerted efforts through an organisation that regroups factions from across the country and present a united front. Power is in numbers. That is how labour unions, professional associations and federations and political parties work. That is how we must work: united and with a common goal. The first rule of success is to look for solutions to problems. What has been most destructive and disparaging has been the very bad habit that some “well intentioned” people have of always talking about how difficult or even impossible something is to achieve. My motto is: find ways to get the job done, rather than waste time looking at how difficult it is to do or how impossible it is to achieve. It uses less energy. It is the difference between being positive and being negative. I cannot deal with negative people. All this to say that I am looking for positive people to meet, face to face, here in the Ottawa region, for preliminary discussions on how to put together such an organisation. It would take place probably on a Saturday at a local hotel conference room, comprising of at least 20 participants and preferably more. After the initial presentation, there would be workshops on the various aspects of the organisation that would be required for a founding assembly some time in the future, then a summation of the day’s work, hopefully establishing a foundation. In the interim, other participants would be brought in through the cyberspace and phone media, conferences and discussions to do strictly with the setting up of the organisation, and the writing up of a constitution under which to operate. This would have to take place in the shortest possible time frame so as to become effective in a very short order. Anyone wishing to be part of this initial group can get in touch with me through this email address or by phone. Registration fee: $40.00 per person - to defray the costs of organising and realising this conference. Make cheques payable to “The Phoenix Project”. Closing date: 31 May 2006. When there appears to be sufficient interest in the project, a date and venue will be chosen, probably in late summer or early autumn. Everyone who has committed to participate will be notified. The participants will have to arrange their schedule accordingly. It is not up to the organisers to try and accommodate each individual. If the number of interested participants is not sufficient to warrant holding such a conference, the registration fees will be returned, so make sure all the necessary information is included. Are you concerned enough to participate? Awaiting your replies L. Sebastian Anders