8 • Thursday, August 29, 2013
The Standard
EDITORIAL
Diversity and division For a piece of provincial legislation that will not directly impact the majority of Canadians, the proposed Charter of Quebec Values has certainly attracted its share of attention. When a piece of legislation includes the banning of religious symbols in the workplace, it shouldn’t be a surprise. To say it will unite Quebec residents, as did Premier Pauline Marois this week, is a long shot. To suggest it won’t be a divisive piece of legislation is ludicrous. Canada, which the latest history textbooks indicate still includes Quebec, is a diverse country where multiculturalism in each of its provinces and territories is not a new phenomenon. The population of La Belle Province does not need a babysitter ensuring everyone in the sandbox plays nice by making them all look and act the same when out in public. Considering that for the most part, everyone already gets along, it’s hard to believe that is all the legislation is designed to do. While the suggestion by some commentators, that the Quebec law is analogous to the recent legislation enacted in Russia targeting gays and lesbians (along with anyone who openly defends them from such bigotry), is a bit of a stretch, it at least leans in the same direction. Religious symbols, wherever they are worn upon the body, are not hurting anyone and if a government is intent on banning their presence in the workplace, why not just bar the wearer from entry as well? If the symbol itself is so offensive, surely the person, who’s beliefs are represented in that symbol, must be just as bad? Open proselytizing is one matter, the simple wearing of a crucifix or hijab is another. If it’s not interfering with an employee’s performance, then who cares? It appears to be a slippery slope and it doesn’t take much thought to realize that if enacted, it wouldn’t stop at the public sector. Whether this would isolate Quebec from the rest of the country remains to be seen. But maybe, just maybe, that’s exactly what its government is going for.
Local resident describes terrifying incident while riding her horse To the Editor, Recently, I was riding down our dirt side road to meet a friend for a hack. It was the middle of the day, and all was quiet. That is, until a black Chevy pickup came over the hill towards me. He was flying and he was dead in the centre of the road. As most
riders do, I waved my arms to signal him to slow down. He slows, but comes right up to the side of the horse and starts yelling at me that ‘I have no right to tell him to slow down or stop.’ I told him he was speeding and he yelled at me that I was ‘a bitch,’ etc. I decided to continue on my way.
Thanks from Exploring Horizons To the Editor, Thank you so much for having a photographer come to our event. There were very few seniors when he came to take photos. Shortly after he left, we in fact had a turn out of 25 participants.
Thanks again for all your support. Our next session is scheduled to happen on September 14, 2013 and we will keep you updated. Alisha and Natasha Exploring Horizons Uxbridge
He throws the truck in reverse and backs up beside me, spinning his back wheels to throw rocks and gravel at the horse. I kept on going. He continues backing the truck up and forces us into the ditch. His back wheel is now at the edge of the ditch, so he stops. The horse and I were half in the ditch. The horse is trying to keep his balance and the truck is so close to us that his front leg grazed the side of the drivers’ door. He stops. I told him that I had his plate number and then I moved through the ditch to look at the plate again. I pull out my cell phone and call the police. He takes off. I have lived here for many years and have never had an incident like that. Most drivers here are very good at slowing down and giving a horse and rider a bit of extra
space. Not this guy. When I phoned the police later to give them a more detailed description of him and his trucks, I was told that the police had ‘attended the incident’. I hope that they noticed the skid marks on the road. This letter is a warning. The police can only do so much. This guy is still out there. He is clearly nuts and dangerous. If I had not been riding a sane, calm animal, the outcome of this could have been very different. So, if you have an incident with him or someone like him, protect yourself and call the police. We have the right to go safely down the road, as does everyone else. Name withheld for safety
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