[Canada] Canadian Politics Redux

[Barrister]

BB, I don't understand how this is an example of stupid politics?

It's an issue that has nothing to do with French vs English, but Quebec politicians are inserting the French vs English dynamic into it.

[crazy canuck]

Politics in this country can be so profoundly stupid.

So there's this case of a part-time professor at University of Ottawa.  She used the n-word in class - apparently as an example of a word that has been reclaimed by the marginalized group it is being used against.  Predictably the students complained and social media rose up against the professor, causing her to be suspended.  Even worse was when some of the professor's colleagues wrote a letter in defence of the professor, those letter-writers were denounced too.

(And look, as an aside, I've been against "cancel culture" for awhile now and I think what happened was ridiculous)

But... despite this taking place in Ontario, all stripes of Quebec politicians are speaking out about this because the professor is French-Canadian.  And while they are speaking out in defence of free speech... they're also pointing to this as an example of prejudice against francophones. 

https://montrealgazette.com/news/quebec/quebec-minister-wades-into-n-word-controversy-at-ottawa-university

It is as if you did not read the very article you linked. 

The article clearly says that professors who came to her defence were themselves attacked in part for being Francophone.

It makes perfect sense to me for the Premiere of the largest Francophone province in the country to say something about that.  In fact it would be bizarre for the Premiere of Quebec to be silent in those circumstances.

[crazy canuck]

BB, I don't understand how this is an example of stupid politics?

It's an issue that has nothing to do with French vs English, but Quebec politicians are inserting the French vs English dynamic into it.

Please read a bit more about what is going on before spouting such nonsense.

[Grey Fox]

BB, I don't understand how this is an example of stupid politics?

It's an issue that has nothing to do with French vs English, but Quebec politicians are inserting the French vs English dynamic into it.

There is always a FvE dynamic.

[crazy canuck]

BB, I don't understand how this is an example of stupid politics?

It's an issue that has nothing to do with French vs English, but Quebec politicians are inserting the French vs English dynamic into it.

There is always a FvE dynamic.

I just realized BB may be ignorant of the fact that U of O is an officially bilingual university offering courses in both official languages and as such as has a community of scholars which reflects that fact.

edit: and I also realize now that one needs to further connect the dots by pointing out that most of the people who work at the U of O probably live in Quebec - right across the bridge from the campus.

[Malthus]

I'm fully on the side of the Quebec politicians in their take on the controversy, but if it were happening in Quebec and the Ontario legislature was up in arms about it, everyone here would be saying quite firmly it was none of their business. 😄

[crazy canuck]

I'm fully on the side of the Quebec politicians in their take on the controversy, but if it were happening in Quebec and the Ontario legislature was up in arms about it, everyone here would be saying quite firmly it was none of their business. 😄

You probably missed my edit.  The vast majority of the people affected by this probably live in Quebec.

[Malthus]

I'm fully on the side of the Quebec politicians in their take on the controversy, but if it were happening in Quebec and the Ontario legislature was up in arms about it, everyone here would be saying quite firmly it was none of their business. 😄

You probably missed my edit.  The vast majority of the people affected by this probably live in Quebec.

The first defence in the article was that similar issues had arisen in Concordia. So, a call for a united front on the issue. Which is fair enough.

Still, even if it takes place in a bilingual university, with lots of people from the other province working there - every province is very touchy about their independence and none more so than Quebec. This just invites the Ontario legislature to stick their spoon into Quebec's business.

[Barrister]

BB, I don't understand how this is an example of stupid politics?

It's an issue that has nothing to do with French vs English, but Quebec politicians are inserting the French vs English dynamic into it.

There is always a FvE dynamic.

[crazy canuck]

I'm fully on the side of the Quebec politicians in their take on the controversy, but if it were happening in Quebec and the Ontario legislature was up in arms about it, everyone here would be saying quite firmly it was none of their business. 😄

You probably missed my edit.  The vast majority of the people affected by this probably live in Quebec.

The first defence in the article was that similar issues had arisen in Concordia. So, a call for a united front on the issue. Which is fair enough.

Still, even if it takes place in a bilingual university, with lots of people from the other province working there - every province is very touchy about their independence and none more so than Quebec. This just invites the Ontario legislature to stick their spoon into Quebec's business.

Sure, but the discussion is about what the university ought to have done, in part, to respond to attacks against part of its faculty based on the language they speak (and lets not kid ourselves - their province of origin).  BB would like to pretend none of those dynamics exist and turn this into a case of stupid politics.

[Barrister]

I just realized BB may be ignorant of the fact that U of O is an officially bilingual university offering courses in both official languages and as such as has a community of scholars which reflects that fact.

edit: and I also realize now that one needs to further connect the dots by pointing out that most of the people who work at the U of O probably live in Quebec - right across the bridge from the campus.

You really think very little of me don't you.

[Oexmelin]

This just invites the Ontario legislature to stick their spoon into Quebec's business.

Which it has done, many times. Some of it is fair game; some of it, less so. Somewhat recently, the Ontario's legislature went much further than simple comments from the PM about Quebec's Bill 21, for instance - which, for the record, I think was fair game. But here, it's not really Legault meddling in Ontario's business: it's Legault condemning decisions by an autonomous body, the University of Ottawa. If Legault wanted to meddle, he'd ask for Ford to provide some sort of legal framework for Ontario universities.

[crazy canuck]

I just realized BB may be ignorant of the fact that U of O is an officially bilingual university offering courses in both official languages and as such as has a community of scholars which reflects that fact.

edit: and I also realize now that one needs to further connect the dots by pointing out that most of the people who work at the U of O probably live in Quebec - right across the bridge from the campus.

You really think very little of me don't you.

If you are implying that you knew all of that before you made your reductionist "stupid politics" comment, then I certainly think less of you now. 

[Josephus]

I would pay to see BB and CC face off in a courtroom some day.

[Barrister]

I would pay to see BB and CC face off in a courtroom some day.

Alas if CC took on a criminal case I would clean his clock, whereas if I took on an employment case I would similarly have my timepiece free from marks.