Aaaaah yes, another somewhat controversial post!
I love those lately lol
Most of you may not be aware, but some may be.
They’re trying to pass a new bill here, in the province of Québec (Canada), that most holidays may be removed from school calendars. That means Christmas, Easter, St-Jean (our national holiday), etc…. What this also means is that children around the province would have to go to school on those days and NOT have any of those days off to be with their families. Family is very important to me, and this will only result in spending LESS time with families.
Now, if the Minister making this proposition had said that this was created to remove most of what is religious in schools (I’m against yet a bit for that as well), I would have understood better. If she had said that it was a means to keep children in schools longer considering the obvious decline in education around here, I would have bought that too. (Although she could have tried to remove all those random and useless days off the scholar calendar instead of removing holidays). But no, that’s not the reason. What’s the reason you ask? Accommodate 6 schools who preach another religion. Since those schools do not celebrate most of our holidays, hundreds of “catholic” based schools need to abide to THESE 6 schools. How fair is THAT? I may have thought that it was all about religion… but what the hell does our national holiday have to do with religion? Nothing! It’s called St-Jean, but that’s it. Maybe it USED to be a religious holiday – hell if I know. Besides, no one I know ever celebrated “Jean”, it’s Québec’s holiday! And what’s next? Kids will have to go to school on New Years because it doesn’t follow the Chinese New Years?
Now here’s my problem here. Every year, bits and pieces of our culture is being taken away from us to accommodate other cultures from other countries. I love different cultures and other religions – I find them fascinating. But why is it that we keep abiding to others’ needs when, were situations reversed and I went to another country, I would be persecuted for pushing my beliefs onto others? What’s happening here!? Why is it that schools can’t have Christmas trees and sing carols anymore? (Let’s face it, Christmas isn’t very religious anymore – it’s a time of gathering and fun nowadays, so what the hell’s wrong with it?!) Why can’t we have Christmas and Easter decorations in malls anymore (it’s not like that everywhere but in many places – regardless, it’s becoming worst every year)? Why’d they have to shut down a sugar shack a couple of years ago because a big foreign family decided to pray in the middle of it, hindering others to the point of having the orchestra and the customers leave? Why kids of other religions are allowed weapons in our schools on the account that they’re religious artefacts? Do remember that while these religious artefacts are a-okay with schools, Christmas carols aren’t? See a loophole here, anyone?
I find it sad that it has come this far. While I doubt this bill WILL be passed (teachers would have to work during these holidays while everyone else wouldn’t because children are forced to go to school on these holidays), the thought that this was brought up ALONE, is an insult to me and many, MANY others.
Luv,
Maria
P.S. This is NOT a journal to bash other religions and cultures.
`anmari has been spreading her infectious positivity throughout our community for over 6 years. Throughout this time Ana has been at the core of all things devious, passionately developing an eclectic gallery, helping organise devmeets, participating in chat events and also recently completed dedicating her time as a Community Volunteer. We are absolutely delighted to bestow the Deviousness Award for May 2013 to `anmari, congratulations! Read More
Sta.sh
Theme
.
Total prizes reach 1000 
But of course there are always the rules......
Please please please fave the journal!
Make another journal about this giveaway and provide a link of that journal in the comments (this will help spread the word about this giveaway)
this journal 
oints:
Rules
Should be about School Times!
, comment and watch!
Unhappy 
-psst, read my journal please.
This is going on and on, in no matter what forum, even in online communities. These little groups have the loudest voices over the majority rule. Sheesh. It does get upsetting and aggravating to see our world turned upside down because a certain person is thin-skinned or think they KNOW what is best for everyone.
I feel for you, I do. The US I grew up with isn't the same anymore.
Australia faces these problems as well. Again, I must add that I'm not denouncing other faiths, I understand that religion is a rich part of every culture. It would be boring if we were all the same!
They are trying to force changes here. (It's not really working though.) Instead of 'Christmas Holidays' they are trying to call it 'Holiday Season' and we put up 'Holiday Trees' and blah blah blah, just to avoid upsetting a few people of 'different culture'.
But hold on. Isn't Christmas OUR religion? I was brought up in a Catholic family. Why are they taking Christmas of US? I don't see anyone taking Hanukkah off the Jews, or Ramadan off the Muslims. And like you said, it's not even about Jesus anymore. It's about family, the spirit of sharing, and a jolly old fat man from Europe.
But oh no... I work in retail. Management: 'Try to avoid traditional Christmas terms, and wish people a "Happy Holiday instead."'
Not bloody likely. I decorated my store in the best Christmas decorations I could find. (Santa themed, not Jesus.) I donned my Christmas hat and wished everyone a MERRY CHRISTMAS. I have people of all races in my store, they all reciprocated. I had no complaints, everyone was friendly and got into it. Why instil all this crap into the public about 'It's upsetting other people.'
It's not.
You ask any Muslim, Jew, Hindu etc, if they have a problem with us celebrating Christmas in our own country and they’d say 'no'.
Who's complaining? Nobody I've ever spoken to. I actually love attending the Chinese New Year and Budda’s Birthday celebrations, and the Greeks hold festivals outside their orthodox churches in my city where we all go and eat their food, light candles in their church and have fun. Mixing cultures is great, so long as we aren't SACRIFICING anyone else’s to do it. Which is sadly what the governments seem to be doing.
My main problem isn't with these cultures and religions. It isn't with the people who represent these cultures that I have a gripe, but the politicians who don't have enough balls to realize that because a handful of people are shaking their pants a little too much.
Like you, I never ever heard of anyone of another culture complaining about our own. Most changes made are said to come from a majority of complainers but I'd like to meet this "majority" because I have yet to.
As I said, I find other cultures fascinating and if anything, I LOVE learning more about them, and whenever I have a chance, I try to educate myself on the subject with these people.
The thing is, when you hop on that subject, people often think that you're talking against these religions when it's not really the case. I'm extremely tolerant, so much so that I've actually defended many of them from other people who were ridiculously extremists and racist toward them (like when this regular customer told me once that I shouldn't let a Muslim lady pump gas because she was obviously gonna steal it. I shut his mouth fair and square right there - not to mention, she was one of my neighbors and she was an exceptionally nice lady).
As I said, other cultures are fascinating and I love living around them and learning more about them. I find we're privileged in that aspect, really.
Like someone else stated though, I have yet to meet ONE person from another culture complaining about ours by coming here. They'll accommodate without losing their heritage, and that's perfectly a-okay with me.
Sadly, the main problem comes from politicians who want to abide to a handful of people who apparently represent their whole community. What does that create? Animosity. There's some people who cannot make the difference between a handful of complainers and the other 98% of their community, and so these people will go to anyone of another culture and say "Go back where you came from". Makes no sense to me.
I understand what you mean by the French Canadians.
When I worked at the gas station near my place, we got both french and english customers. At one point I had served an english customers, so out of reflex I told the next customer "Hello! How are you?" He looked at me like he wanted to kill me and told me (in french), "Do I look like a fucking english twit to you?" To which I responded (in french), "Well sir, it's not written on your forehead." I wasn't a bitch to customers often - in six years, I can count how many times I responded to a customer in an arrogant manner on one hand - but this was a ridiculously childish behavior.
And it doesn't stop there. It's on both sides. There's no good or bad side at that point. Québec is generally french, and it's true that we're loosing it little by little, and I don't agree with it. The whole country SHOULD be bilingual, but let's face it, it's not. I'm perfectly happy with concentrating to preserve french in Québec and not harass other provinces about it. But this constant finger pointing needs to stop before we can make any progress.
I agree, I love the idea of a completely multicultural country. I love other cultures. I love that Canada is so open to other cultures. I just wish that it didn't cause all these rediculous problems that, as you said, are stirred up by a few that want special treatment while the majority are happy to co-exist with all the other cultures around them.
and your right, I haven't met anyone who has moved to Canada and made any complaints. Those who I have spoken to have expressed how much they love Canada and more than one have been applying for Canadian citizenship. Most people accept that if you move into someone else's "house" you should be prepared to abide by their rules. If they don't like the rules then they usually move back "home". *shrug*. It is annoying that politicians want to accomodate the few in ways that accept the many. I haven't found it a problem where I am (the west coast) so much but I don't pay as much attention to the news as I maybe should.
I do remember one occasion when I worked in a bakery having little turkey picks in some of our pastries that said "Happy Turkey Day" rather than "Happy Thanksgiving". I actually had a customer ask if it was a concession to the Muslims. I didn't know but I seem to remember having other picks that DID say "Happy Thanksgiving. He wasn't a rude guy but I remember her makign a comment about how he hoped it wasn't a concession becuase if we went to a Muslim country they wouldn't make any concessions for us. I thought it was a silly thing to be concerned about. It might have been true but it just seemed kind of intolerent to me and intolerence just breeds more of it. Not to mention that Thanksgiving isn't really a religious holiday...I dont' know the history of it but as far as I know Canadian Thanksgiving never really was. Maybe I'm wrong.
I hate people who say "Go back where you come from"...to anyway. This is Canada; except for the First Nations EVERYONE came from somewhere else if they go back far enough in their family history and for me it doesnt' matter if a person's family go back to the voyagers and habitants or moved here last year...I just don't see any call for it. it seems so pointless to me.
Living on the west coast I only hear about the whole war between French and English Canadians from a distance...but it always bothers me. Sometimes it just seems to me like a microcosm for the whole hatred between France and England carried on within our own borders, though I'm sure there are peopel who woudel agree with me and I'm sure it's far more complicated than all that as well. I DO know that French Canadian culture is suffering terribly and that English Canada has been as underhanded with French Canadians in the past. Maybe they still are being...I'm not entirely sure.
the whole conflict between English and French just makes me sad. I do wish that Canada was more bilingual than it is. I wish that i was fluent in both English and French but sadly on the west coast (and most other parts of English Canada) we just aren't required to learn French like I think we should be. I wish I was bilingual but I only speak English.
Though I can see how speaking to a customer in that sort of way is kind of unprofessional I can't help but applaud you. Such a rediculous reaction. That's like me getting angry because someone came up to me and said "Happy Chaunika". I'm not ewish but I'm sure if someone said that to me I'd just smile and wish them Merry Christmas. In Quebec it's kind of true that you can't look at a person and tell at a glance if they are English or French. I remember a comedian in a Just for Laughs presentation making a joke about that...about how in many countries it's about appearance but in Quebec you have to talk to someone first before you can tell if you're supposed to hate them or not. I thought it was kind of clever.
I agree with you. French and English are Canada's official languages and everyone should be truly bilingual. I certainly wish I was. I wish I had been in French Emersion in school. I wish that I was fluent in both langauge.
Yes, both sides need to stop pointing fingers as you said. I wish that we coudl all sit down and figure out a solution that works for everyone...of course you can't make everyone happy all the time, but we can dream can't we?