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Open letter to the striking students in Montreal
To the striking students:
Are you succeeding? Are you getting what you wanted? I sure hope so, considering the problems you have caused for this province that, contrary to what you seem to think, does not belong to you.
First, you are acting like a bunch of spoiled children. Next, you are fighting against tuition hikes that would not unseat Quebec from its position as a place with one of the cheapest tuitions. For supposed intellectuals, you sure aren?t being very intelligent about your protests. Last, you fight against ?injustice? but create it yourself.
Here in Quebec we have the lowest tuition fees in North America. The quality of the education is not reflected in the price. We have world-class education that rivals even Harvard. How much is a semester there? Now, how much was the government originally planning to raise it here ? by $350 a year? Interesting. Did you know that comes out to about 96 cents per day? Wow. That certainly seems to be worth all the trouble, doesn?t it?
You people are supposed to be intellectuals seeking higher education and fulfilment. By that description, we would think that you were smart. Do smart people run around in their underwear? Do smart people smash windows and vandalize landmarks? Do smart people block bridges? No, no you?re right, I see now. The government will absolutely negotiate with people like that; the government will definitely give people like that what they want. The funny part here is, by blocking that bridge, you got fined more than the amount tuition was being hiked. I must say your logic is absolutely flawless.
You say that you fight ?injustice,? but somehow you ignore the fact that you create it yourself. Have you ever stopped to consider the people who don?t mind the tuition hikes, who just want to go to school? I know someone who worked his butt off as a bouncer, and even got stabbed in the eye, just trying to make money to go to school. Now that he has it, guess what? He can?t go to school. You want to know why? Yep, that?s right: because of you, the schools are closed! Do you feel ?just? now? He won?t even be refunded for the semester he lost at the hands of you ?protesters.?
I don?t know if I?ve made myself clear enough for you yet, so here?s the recap. You are acting like a bunch of spoiled babies. You fight over tuition rate that even after a price increase will still be one of the lowest out there; you make fools of yourselves for the whole of the province to witness; and finally, you deprive others of an education that they deserve.
* Zach Oskrdal is a Grade 9 student at Westwood Senior High School. He lives in St. Lazare.
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