Look! A Non-Squirrel!

One of the biggest problems with Quebec's Charter of Values is that it is addressing a non-problem: accommodating the religious folks who feel obligated to wear various symbols and clothing is not causing anyone any real issues.  This letter by a head of company that not only employs Quebeckers but handles employment problems illustrates this quite well.

We hear it all – from day-to-day relationship challenges to workplace problems to real crises. What we don’t hear are questions or problems about religious or cultural issues. They literally do not make the list of employee concerns. Of the 75,000 calls we received from Quebeckers last year, the top three issues were personal relationships, personal stress and mental-health issues, consistent with our statistics from the rest of Canada. Our diverse work places are working, but the pace of life, and business, is changing. Canadians, including Quebeckers, are finding ways to work together harmoniously, notwithstanding their differences.

Rights should only be infringed when there is a real risk posed to the rights of others.  Lots of rights can come into conflict, but I don't think the need for the state to be neutral is so threatened by a small percentage (hey, we have no stats collected by QC government to make their case) that infringing on the rights of minorities makes sense.

Unless you think tyranny of the majority is a good idea.

Again, there is no problem here, and so the Charter of Values proposal is lousy distraction sauce--most folks see it for what it is--a non-solution to a non-problem because governance is too damned hard for the PQ.