I understand the reasoning behind wanting to protect the French language. There is a long history of oppressing minority languages, but the newly proposed Bill 96 goes beyond that. Not only does it attempt to strengthen the French language, but it basically eliminates any opportunity for anglophones and francophones to coexist, and it puts society at a disadvantage on such a grand scale. Bill 96 strictly limits the chance for Francophone’s to become bilingual, which limits opportunity. It also places a cap on both linguistic communities’ access to education in English, the language of the world, and services and documents will only be carried out or provided in French. People don’t like it when they lose opportunities and their interests aren’t looked out for. Protecting the French language? Sure, but make sure you’re not throwing the entire population under the bus in the long run.
My Take: By Taylor McClure
