Without Mercy!

Is it without mercy or without merci?  Not sure, but these statements from the PQ language minister on what the party would do with a majority suggests that they would, indeed, have no mercy:

De Courcy said she thinks it’s great if individuals want to learn different languages like English, Spanish, Mandarin or Arabic in their private lives, but institutions and businesses must function strictly in French.
“There is a difference with what is institutional and it must be without mercy,” she said.

What upsets her so?  That when you shop in Montreal, the clerk says "bonjour-hi" and then then conversation goes into whatever language the customer wants--French or English--because you want to make the sale.  Customer is king, right?  Nay, nay, non!  It is more important to crush the use of non-French--without mercy!

De Courcy is "pained that some business owners do not seem very enthusiastic about protecting French."  Sucks to be her.  And, of course, she wants to move the pain back to where it belongs--on those who want to operate in one of Canada's two official languages.  Deny that reality, but Quebec still is in Canada, and heaps of folks who move to Quebec have moved there thinking that it is just an interesting part of Canada and not a special place where the local majority gets to repress the local minority.  The hypocrisy, as always, is stunning.

More unintentional comedy:
“Reinforcing the French character of Montreal is essential to facilitate integration (of immigrants),”

Ah, integration of immigrants is so important to the PQ as long as they give up observing their religion if they happen to work for their government or if they prefer to use another language other than French when they shop.

One of the joys of living in Quebec was going to the barbershop where the conversations moved between French, English and Italian.  The comfort those guys had with themselves and their clients--what is the problem here that the PQ needs to fix?

Yves-Thomas Dorval, president of Conseil du Patronat: “When it comes to the perception of bilingualism in the workforce as a threat, on the contrary, since around the world the international language of business is English, we have to be careful not to ghettoize ourselves."

Actually, I am pretty sure that is the intent. If the people of Quebec are alienated from the rest of Canada and cannot partake in the workforce outside of Quebec, then ignorance will be bliss for the PQ.

Montrealers do not deserve this party.  Oh well, glad I got out while the getting out was good.