I saw the funniest thing

[HEyHEY]

On a Canadian news program called "roughcuts" An Edmonton minister who had a sermon, with the main theme being, "Forgiving Eastern Canada." It was an actual sermon all about how Western Canadians must forgive and stop dwelling on the "western alientation." Funny stuff if your from here.

[glarius]

1. I think "western alienation" is as much a myth as "Quebec separatism!"

There is no separatist "movement." There are not now, nor have there ever been Quebec citizens marching in the streets demanding liberation from Canada. People such as Parizeau, Bouchard, and Landry, conned some of the citizens of Quebec into a quasi-support for sovereignty, through tricky questions in a referendum. The rest of the time, Quebecers live their non-revolutionary lives just like other Canadians, in work and play. . Polls taken after the last referendum disclosed that a very large percentage of those who voted yes for sovereignty, thought by the tricky wording of the question that they would still be Canadian citizens! It's the same with "western alienation"....This is a phrase some politicians have conjured up to try to wrest more power away from Ottawa for their provinces! The average westerner is a Canadian like the average easterner.....It's all so damned tiresome!....I don't mean you are tiresome, I mean this whole load of crap about alienation.is.....:)
edit--spelling

[HEyHEY]

2. I don't 100% agree, but I KNOW what you mean (Now that's Canadian)

Quebec had some serious revoloutionary movements in the 70s. The october crisis, the first referendum, the Saint JEan baptist riots, the Richard riot... yadayada ydada.

The West situation is also there, I know many Western separatists, and many times in the past the "West" has been fucked over by the East and not given enough attention, this has cause the West to be somewhat..I don't know...estranged. BUt only those who are into politics really have any feelings on it.

I've always felt Central Canada has pitted Quebec and the West against each other in order to remain the "middle of the road guy"

Then you get the Newfies who want out...oye...should we even be?

[glarius]

3. I don't agree with one thing you've said

Sorry...I don't mean to be impolite, but I remember the so-called October crisis...It was a handful of nuts who killed Pierre Laporte and it was handled quite well by Trudeau...All the polls (even in Quebec) backed Trudeau in what he did....These things happen eveywhere...The States has had their problems where the troops have bee called out to help, at times and many other democracies....And as for what you said about the west not getting enough attention...Pullleeaase...I think we're all doing quite well in Canada, when you look at the problems in many other countries...The Newfies want out...are you kidding....Another politician shooting off his mouth for more power...The PEOPLE of Newfoundland don't want out!...My father was born and raised there and I still have lots of family there....

[HEyHEY]

4. Yeah, but you can't deny that certain feelings exsist

I have lived on Quebec, even voted there last election. I was born and raised on BC. I have lived in Ontario and New Brunswick. And when I see the amount of federal money spent in central Canada compared to what is spent here...I'll admit it makes me angry.

And if you honestly don't think some quebecers want to separate, go live where I lived, Trois Riverieres. You will find many hardcore separatists.

As for the Newfie thing...I was joking, even though there is a group attempting it, I think we should work on annexing that tropical island.

[glarius]

5. I was born and raised in an Ontario town not far from the Quebec border

My parents (after I was married) also lived in Quebec for a few years, happily and with excellent relations with their Quebec neighbours...Sure there are little pockets of separatists here and there but tell me when you have ever seen the CITIZENS in the streets demanding separation as has happened in European countries and other parts of the world when there REALLY IS a desire to separate?....The leaders like Parizeau etc. get them riled up every once and a while but since Chretien and the government passed the "Clarity Bill" it won't happen again because if they try a reforendum again they'll by law, have to make the question clear as to their intentions....Do you mean the Turks and Caicos Island?....I wrote my M.P about that about a year or so ago asking why doesn't our government grant them their wishes...they have come up to Ottawa a couple of times asking to join Canada....We would have our own vacation island and it would be a lot cheaper than going to Florida or the Bahamas or whereever....He wrote me back that he thought it was a good idea too, but the government wasn't ready to do it or something.....And listen....We have SO MUCH to be grateful for living on this continent....Even the Americans with their wacko president...we're all living in paradise when you think of African countries where the citizens are dying of aids or being slaughtered....:)

[HEyHEY]

6. Wha...no Island!!!!!!!!!

That rotten stinking lazy guy...I bet if I ran for PM under the "Tropical Island" banner, I'd get in!

Well, serious matters press, I do recall the Saint Jean Baptist riot of 1968, started by separtists. And there were many rallies in local arenas and such.

onedit: I'd love to continue discussing this, but I have to go out for a bit..good evening.

[glarius]

7. The number of people involved is very small compared to the

population....Listen I'm off to bed....Stay happy out there in beautiful British Columbia....I hope they get those horrible fires out soon...Watching it all on the news...It's wonderful the spirit of the people and the way everybody is helping everybody else....:)