Originally Posted by painintheass

Whoa! I work with an Acadien. Ok, his French might be a little different. But his history started much the same way and he is not from Quebec. You can't forget the cajuns.

We all talk about this history and where it all began. But what about here and now. What can we do to rectify the current situation. We aren't living 200, 300, etc years ago. And english is used everywhere now. so it should not be viewed as an evil enemy.

I've offered what I think is my solution to the problem.

That is forced billingualism to the entire country. Each and every grade school age child has their days broken up to half and half days. In english Canada they start the morning with english and afternoons with french. In french canada it is the opposite.

See my point of view on doing this is because I am now living in france. When I arrived here my opinion was one of "no big deal, we are all french. I'm just getting closer to my cultural roots."

But after surviving pointed attacks on my dialect, coloquilisms and attitudes. It became very obvious that I was not French but Quebecoise. And more than that my attitudes and behaviours are a reflection of what it is to be Canadienne.

In very general terms... when compared with many other cultures, the people of Canada tend to "GET IT." The "IT" is undefinable but somehow Canadians/Canadiens/Canadiennes understand what "IT" is.

The French here don't "Get it." Much as the americans grasp different aspects of "it" but still miss the entire big picture. Therefore they don't always get "it."

Now if I sound really ridiculas, I'm sorry but you either "Get it" or you don't.

Ok, let the flames begin on my "IT" argument.