Languages - March 2nd, 1970

March 2nd, 1970

Dear Diary,

I knew that a French-Canadian Prime Minister would be bad news for normal Canadians.  Do you have any idea what he did today?  He named a "Commissioner of Official Languages of Canada".  And he tells everybody that his job is to "uphold French and English language rights in all federal institutions under the 1969 Official Languages Act."  All of our signs are already in English so somehow I don't think he will be spending much time defending my rights as an English speaking Canadian. 

I asked Mrs. Sharples if I could speak in class to raise the alarm about this declaration of war on true Canadians.  She would not allow it and instead spoke at length to the class about our "proud French-Canadian heritage".  I forgot that she had grown up in Montreal.  To add insult to injury she forced us to sing nothing but French songs in music class to end the day.  I made up my own non french lyrics and sang them as loudly as I could.  Kenny Spencer joined in and I realized that my protest had sunk to a level at which I wasn't comfortable.  I lectured him on the importance of respecting our teachers and our education and switched over to the proper lyrics.  After class he threw my notebook into the garbage and then pushed me in head first when I attempted to fish it out.  I went home covered in peanut butter.  Father will still not consider sending me to private school.

It has been more than a week, but my Asbestos information drive/petition is not doing very well.  I have still only given away the three information leaflets.  Jorge, the Bolivian Exchange Student is the only person to have signed my petition.  I will give this a few more days and then approach the Principal with my petition.


SJH

Added April 29, 2012