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Harper Complains To Globe About Jan Wong Column


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Harper complains to Globe about Jan Wong column

Updated Wed. Sep. 20 2006 5:04 PM ET

Canadian Press

MONTREAL -- Stephen Harper has lambasted a newspaper columnist who linked last week's Montreal school shootings to Quebecers' alleged prejudice against immigrants.

In a letter to the Globe and Mail on Wednesday, the prime minister called columnist Jan Wong's argument prejudiced, absurd, irresponsible and without foundation.

Quebec Premier Jean Charest earlier sent his own letter of complaint to the Globe about the piece by Wong, which ran in the newspaper's Saturday edition.

"While the writer is entitled to her point of view, the argument is patently absurd and without foundation,'' Harper wrote.

"It is not only grossly irresponsible on her part, it is also completely prejudiced to lay blame on Quebec society in this manner.''

Harper said all Quebecers were horrified by last week's events, in which gunman Kimveer Gill blasted his way into Dawson College, killing one student and wounding 20 others.

"These actions deserve our unqualified moral condemnation, not an excuse for printing prejudices masked in the language of social theory,'' Harper wrote.

Charest's letter called Wong's suggestion a "disgrace.''

In the controversial story, Wong said Montrealers wondered why their city had seen three school shootings in 17 years -- 1989, 1993 and last week.

She noted that none of the shooters -- Marc Lepine (whose birth name was Gamil Gharbi), Valery Fabrikant, or Gill -- were old-stock francophones. Wong then appeared to offer an explanation.

"What many outsiders don't realize is how alienating the decades-long linguistic struggle has been in the once-cosmopolitan city,'' she wrote.

"It hasn't just taken a toll on long-time anglophones, it's affected immigrants, too. To be sure, the shootings in all three cases were carried out by mentally disturbed individuals. But what is also true is that in all three cases, the perpetrator was not pure laine, the argot for a `pure' francophone.

"Elsewhere, to talk of racial `purity' is repugnant. Not in Quebec.''

An assistant to Globe and Mail editor-in-chief Edward Greenspon said there would be no official comment Wednesday from the newspaper, but there would be an editorial on the issue in Thursday's edition.

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I didn't think somebody could be so friggin stupid especially since quebec is one on the most immigrant-friendly place in the world.

what can we say, shes from the center of the universe

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She wrote that? That is very disturbing. No way. NO!

Quebec is in my opinion one of the greatest examples of peace and harmony in the world. It's a beacon of hope. Two people who live together that were enemies 300 years ago. Name another culture on earth where that could ever happen. There are other answers but do they have a peaceful society so integrated?

There may be answers. I'd like to hear some input on that.

Quebec and Canada have their problems with each other. Blah blah. But, that's mostly due to confederation. The whole system is built to be confrontational between the Federal and Provincial governments. The way I see it, alot of hatred and frustration is caused by this one fact. Plus the constitution is built in this manner as well, giving marginal powers to the provinces. In Canada, we fight.

Does a Nova Scotian want the Albertan or P.E.I. guy to get the job? Does the Ontarioan want the Nova Scotian or Saskatchewan to get the job? The Premier will always stand up for his or her province to get the job. That's our system.

So, Quebec Mon Cher, you have a cultural mix with immigrants as well and you live in the confederation.

So, out of all of that and much more, how is anything that Jan Wong said relevant? I have courses in Sociology. I'm definitely not a genius or an expert on the subject. Still, what has she been smoking?

Vive le Quebec :que: :que: :que:

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Harper complains to Globe about Jan Wong column

Updated Wed. Sep. 20 2006 5:04 PM ET

Canadian Press

MONTREAL -- Stephen Harper has lambasted a newspaper columnist who linked last week's Montreal school shootings to Quebecers' alleged prejudice against immigrants.

"It hasn't just taken a toll on long-time anglophones, it's affected immigrants, too. To be sure, the shootings in all three cases were carried out by mentally disturbed individuals. But what is also true is that in all three cases, the perpetrator was not pure laine, the argot for a `pure' francophone.

"Elsewhere, to talk of racial `purity' is repugnant. Not in Quebec.''

Sadly but, it is true that I do hear on the media references about the 'pure laine' concept.

It's not common but, also, I've never heard that position repudiated - by fellow francophones. It could be that it is but I've never heard it.

This is not to say that I agree with the racial connection to the shootings... I don't know enough about it and the shooter himself. Also, I don't believe that it's in my realm to have to know about that specific info. Safe to say that it would seem sufficient to accept the fact that the guy had to be angry/disturbed/etc.

:king: :hlogo: :king:

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I don't know where she got to and two together but maybe she got this idea from the last referendum where Parizeau blamed the 'ethnic vote'.

Or I don't I remember reading an article about immigrants not wanting to learn french.

I remember the taunting of a first nation hockey player.

But I mean every place has racial tensions. Geesh just look at my city its freaking segregated for gods sake.

Oh and the pure francophone idea. Who's ever spreading this idea needs to be stopped. That is racism pure and simple. I seem to remember the first referendum with Lévesque saying Trudeau wasn't a real Quebecios because his middle name was Elliot and he was half a scot. This is unacceptable. Playing racial politics is dirty and low brow. Look at what racial politics have brought to the world. Hitler Germany, Iraq, Confederate America, Jim Crow laws, Apartied. We as a society are better then this.

Edited by Pierre the Great
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Oh god, don't get me started on Churchill.

Yes he made a mistake but this 'pure' francophone, idea as I see it, isn't a new one. Its been around. But I hope its dying, because if you go by geneology Duceppe isn't 'pure' either.

I just think this whole idea of 'pure' is dumb. For example my relatives would disapprove of me dating a non white girl or non christian girl. These prejudices need to stop and only create isolation.

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I was just saying that Parizeau was drunk for that speech. He was also obviously angry. As a politician, he gets an A for intelligence and craftiness throughout his career. You could never catch him. And in an instant of anger of booze it all goes down the drain.

He should not have been as bad as he was. That cost him eveything IMO

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I think we shouldnt pay so much attention to an idiot like that Wong fella... Gives her too much exposure

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God I hate it when people take an expression from another language, do a botched translation and then try to draw conclusions from it.

"Pure laine" doesnt mean "pure francophone". It has nothing to do with ethnicity. "Pure laine" could best be translated as "typical" or "traditionnal". Youssef from Arab descent who lives on poutine, prefers Pepsi to coke, cheers for the Habs and gets drunk on St-Jean Day could be called "pure laine".

"Pure laine" is about a set of traditionnal and/or typical activities or behaviors; not about ethnic purity.

The actual expression for ethic purity would be "Quebecois de souche" (Quebecois from roots). That's really about ethnicity, genealogy and nothing else.

But this is the entire Francophone-Anglophone Canadian debate in a nutshell: two solitudes who get in petty squabbles because they can't even understand the spirit of the other's language, yet feel entitled to draw judgements on it.

Oh, by the way, this whole linguistic/ethnic-alienation thing is a load of crap from a distant ignorant who knows nothing about the city. Not to say there's not racism (there is in every big city), but its is actually because of the language laws that ethnic youths got to be better included. Without Bill 101, you'd see much more ghettos and alienation since those youths who wouldnt have had to learn French in primary school would most likely taken English and be excluded from many jobs who require bilingualism. Instead, you've now got kids who know at least 3 languages by the time they hit puberty and have tons more opportunities unilingual francophones or anglophones dont have.

I'm seriously pissed the Globe and Mail Editor slept on the switch and let such an ignorant, unfounded and ill-thought article slip by him.

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Here's a good reply by Pierre Boisvert.

http://www.cyberpresse.ca/article/20060920...128/CPSPECIAL12

The sad thing is that people in the RoC who dont have access to the counter-arguement; will just glance over Wong's article, nod to themselves and believe its true, perpetuating prejudices and misinformations. That's how ignorance, stereotypes and sheer stupidity is allowed to spread and survive.

Edited by KoZed
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The sad thing is that people in the RoC who dont have access to the counter-arguement; will just glance over Wong's article, nod to themselves and believe its true, perpetuating prejudices and misinformations. That's how ignorance, stereotypes and sheer stupidity is allowed to spread and survive.

Not necessarily true. In fact, many people in the RoC have been known to perform critical thinking all by themselves. :)

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Not necessarily true. In fact, many people in the RoC have been known to perform critical thinking all by themselves. :)

You underestimate mankind's natural intellectual laziness. Critical thinking is rarely the norm amongst masses.

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now that poooooooor miss wong is crying that she's the victim of racism.

she just got a taste of he own medecin. good for her

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now that poooooooor miss wong is crying that she's the victim of racism.

she just got a taste of he own medecin. good for her

I discussed that with someone. Talking about the chinese cookie caricature, I thought it was racist too. The other guy told me "she had it coming, she did it and now its being done to her". I dont agree with that line of thinking. I think if you criticize someone for something, you can't just slump at their level and do it back to them. Eye for an eye makes the whole world go blind alright; but by doing so you lose all credibility and ethical high-ground.

.... then I learned the chinese cookies were because of Wong's father's chinese restaurant and it was fine by me.

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I haven't read her article, but I have read a lot of the hullabaloo that surrounds it. I think the article was in poor taste because it is based on speculation, and the irritants of first hand experience living in Quebec (Wong IS a Quebecker).

I have lived in Montreal all of my life and I have seen many anglo friends move on because of graffiti like "Englishit go home" written on their buildings; frustrations with the impossibility of finding a good job (if you are perfectly bilingual, this isn't a problem, but for those people out there who are less than perfect it can be a problem); and the frustration with "pure laine" francophones talking to you insultingly because you chose to speak English in public (doesn't hapen often, but at least once a year in Quebec I have to tell some stupid cow, "va te fair fourir par ta gang de epais!" just to show them that I am infact and Anglo-Quebecker; and the frustration with racist legislation like bill 101 (at my former place of work my boss had to put little stickers with french translations over all the English buttons on the Microwave because some dumbass complained to the language police .... and get this, I worked at an English school for franco-business people ... you would have thought that people learning English would want to practice English at School ... but, I guess, antagonizing my boss with the language police seemed like reasonable fair play to some dumbass).

Now I'm not bitching. I consider MTL my home, and my skins is thick, and I am resourceful in finding good work; but I have lived here my whole life, I am not a visible minority, and I am that kind of peron who persevers. But for some less thick skined people, or people who are visible minorities, the frustration of Quebecker low-level racism can be SO frustrating. It isn't violent and in your face, it is pervasive and debilitating.

Now before anyone jumps on me, I know lots of very nice, cool, pleasant etc. Franco-Quebeckers. However, like the Liberal Party, a few rotten apples can sometimes spoil the bunch ... not to me, but to other people.

Jan Wong has a big mouth, and she isn't very serious, but she isn't a racist either. And some serious people in Quebec should not be knee-jerk reactionaries, but use her article as a chance to consider how to make Quebec even more integrated and bilingual (although I am sure that this idea gives certain pur-lainists the hibby-jibbies!)

My two cents!

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Now before anyone jumps on me, I know lots of very nice, cool, pleasant etc. Franco-Quebeckers. However, like the Liberal Party, a few rotten apples can sometimes spoil the bunch ... not to me, but to other people.

Jan Wong has a big mouth, and she isn't very serious, but she isn't a racist either. And some serious people in Quebec should not be knee-jerk reactionaries, but use her article as a chance to consider how to make Quebec even more integrated and bilingual (although I am sure that this idea gives certain pur-lainists the hibby-jibbies!)

My two cents!

Like you said: a few rotten apples. Every city, province, country has them. Drawing pseudo-sociological theories based on the few is intellectual dishonesty.

Real sociology is far more complex than what Wong suggested, especially when it comes to Montreal. There's francophones there who still remember a few decades ago when talking in French in public could easily get you the infamous "Speak White!" reply. You've got even older folks, for whom people who speak French are still "Canadiens" and people who speak English are simply "Anglais". Contrast that to teens from foreign origins who speak fluently English, French and one or two more languages. Mix it with a few radicals from each side, pinning those who want to drive all the Anglos out the city against those who want to go back to the 1930 linguistic apartheid, throw in pragmatic business, touristic, administrative and communication considerations in the bowl, stirr it up with lots of political ambitions and you've got a situation way too complicated for someone as narrow-minded and logicaly-challenged as Wong to draw any conclusions on.

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Like you said: a few rotten apples. Every city, province, country has them. Drawing pseudo-sociological theories based on the few is intellectual dishonesty.

Totally agree with your points ... but one, since when could journalism be considere "intellectual honesty"? Most of the articles in major newspapers nowadays is crap. Yes, there are a few exceptions ... but most journalism is opinion. The only reason people reacted to what Jan Wong said is because of political grandstanding (or ass kissing in Harper's case), or knee-jerk reactionism.

Wong's piece may have a kernal of truth, or it may be complete crap, but the onus is not on her to write intellectual pieces; the onus is on her to sell copy. This is the problem with most journalism. Look at any writing on the Montreal Canadien's in Quebec for long enough and you will know this to be true.

Howeve Quebeckers should look at why they are reacting so strongly to her piece. There is a lot that can be discovered through this self-reflection.

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Wong's piece may have a kernal of truth, or it may be complete crap, but the onus is not on her to write intellectual pieces; the onus is on her to sell copy. This is the problem with most journalism. Look at any writing on the Montreal Canadien's in Quebec for long enough and you will know this to be true.

Howeve Quebeckers should look at why they are reacting so strongly to her piece. There is a lot that can be discovered through this self-reflection.

Ok, I disagree here.

You sell copies with scoops and hard news first, and brand name columnists second. Not with writers like Wong; or articles like she wrote.

Second of all: newspapers are not TV or radio. I've worked in news papers.Its a very different, more "thoughtful" medium (as in: more time to think about what you'll write about; and people going over your work) and things are weighted before going to press. What Wong wrote isnt something that just "slipped out": its something she thought of and something the Editor agreed. Much more liability here.

Third of all: If indeed it was to sell copy, you have to remind yourself for which market the Globe and Mail is printed for. Hint: not for francophone Quebecois. If Quebec-bashing sells in some parts of Canada, I think you're right: alot can be discovered though this self-reflection. However the real reflection here belongs to the Globe and Mail's and its readers'. What does that tells you?

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She noted that none of the shooters -- Marc Lepine (whose birth name was Gamil Gharbi), Valery Fabrikant, or Gill -- were old-stock francophones. Wong then appeared to offer an explanation.

i was a witness for the Fabrikant shooting - testified in court - knew Dr. Fabrikant - and - i'll tell you this - the shooting had NOTHING to do with Montreal or French or language. nothing at all.

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Ok, I disagree here.

You sell copies with scoops and hard news first, and brand name columnists second. Not with writers like Wong; or articles like she wrote.

Second of all: newspapers are not TV or radio. I've worked in news papers.Its a very different, more "thoughtful" medium (as in: more time to think about what you'll write about; and people going over your work) and things are weighted before going to press. What Wong wrote isnt something that just "slipped out": its something she thought of and something the Editor agreed. Much more liability here.

Third of all: If indeed it was to sell copy, you have to remind yourself for which market the Globe and Mail is printed for. Hint: not for francophone Quebecois. If Quebec-bashing sells in some parts of Canada, I think you're right: alot can be discovered though this self-reflection. However the real reflection here belongs to the Globe and Mail's and its readers'. What does that tells you?

I disagree. Hard news is on the way out. Sensationalism is on the way in. Was Theodore hooking up with Paris Hilton "Hard News" ... not to me it wasn't. It was pure sensationalism.

Second, I work in print media too. When there is a deadline, there is a deadline. Sure, for glossy magazines that do deep research the bar is higher, but for columnist you have to strike when the iron is hot ... and Wong's piece came out days after the shootings took place (not months or weeks). I never implied that it slipped out. But I don't think she had the time to do do in depth research, interview the family of the assassines, talk to psychologist who were aware of the assassines or had spoken with their family members ... it was, from the hip in so far as it was not well researched, but was an opinion piece like Jack Todd's writing. A columnist's work.

I hardly see how the column is Quebec bashing unless you feel that Quebec is a Utopia where no one does anything wrong. Jan Wong, as a Quebecker, has every right to talk about problems that exist in her home province. Sure, everyone should reflect on their own biases and prejudices ... it is cathartic. But I don't think Ontarioans have anything to do with Jan Wong's writing. It is like me telling you you need to go get sensitivity training, and examin your prejudices because Parizeau blamed immigrants for losing the last referendum. The two have no connections aside from the fact that you are both french Quebeckers ... and so that would reveal a certain kind of stereotypying from me in-so-far as I would be insinuating that all french quebeckers are the same.

Anyway, I don't feel like arguing this to death. Sorry if I offended you, but my opinion still stands (and there has been at least one Quebecker film maker who made a film examining the racism that exists in Quebec), that Quebec should reflect upon its racist tendencies ... and that it can only grow from the experience.

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Anyway, I don't feel like arguing this to death. Sorry if I offended you, but my opinion still stands (and there has been at least one Quebecker film maker who made a film examining the racism that exists in Quebec), that Quebec should reflect upon its racist tendencies ... and that it can only grow from the experience.

Dont worry, I'm not offended by what you wrote. We're just discussing here. What Wong wrote did offend me though. Not so much because of what she wrote (read worse, many time), but because I used to hold "serious" newspapers like the Globe and Mail to a higher intellectual standard than that of a shock-talk radio station. There isn't an ounce of validity in Wong's musings, regardless of how anyone tries to spin it as a "need for reflecting on racism". She said the shootings were caused by Francophones' intolerance.

What's next? Heart disease amongst Anglophones is caused by Francophones' intolerance because, hmmm, let's say, its really really stressful to live in a city where the majority speaks a different language than your own?

C'est d'la grosse calice de marde!

Case in point: Is this good journalism or sensationalism?

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/article.jsp...925_191110_5544

I think that the journalist knows too little to be "objective"; but it sure grabs attention.

That's human interest. Far from the fascist-sociology leanings of Wong's writings.

i was a witness for the Fabrikant shooting - testified in court - knew Dr. Fabrikant - and - i'll tell you this - the shooting had NOTHING to do with Montreal or French or language. nothing at all.

Oh my! You were?

Of course it was'nt! Fabrikant's a guy who grew up most of his life in Russia, and when he lived in Montreal got in a squabble over writing credits with other teachers from Concordia (none of which a "pure laine") and when threatened, decided to shoot them up.

Nobody in his right mind would even try to make it somewhat related to Bill 101 or blame it on pure laine. Unless they couldn't care less about facts and only tried to grasp for straws in an attempt to sketch up a wild conspiracy theory to justify their own prejudices. Its not really that different than Adolf, in his cell, putting the blame for German's miseries on the Jews.

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There isn't an ounce of validity in Wong's musings, regardless of how anyone tries to spin it as a "need for reflecting on racism". She said the shootings were caused by Francophones' intolerance.

I stated in my very first post that "I haven't read her article", but then I notice that I missed out a word in my last paragraphe. It should read:

"Jan Wong has a big mouth, and she isn't very serious, but she isn't a racist either. And some serious people in Quebec should not be knee-jerk reactionaries, but use the reaction to her article as a chance to consider how to make Quebec even more integrated and bilingual (although I am sure that this idea gives certain pur-lainists the hibby-jibbies!)"

I don't want to spin anything, but I think that Jan Wong, as misguided as she was in her argument, hit a serious nerve, and that it that there is deep and subtle racism running in Quebec. Alophones and Anglophones feel it every day ... and you may not notice it too much if you are French.

That's human interest. Far from the fascist-sociology leanings of Wong's writings.

Facist? Well I guess you have never read Jan Wong before. And I guess you are smarting from what she said. You should think about why you are so mad? Are you so mad because she is a poor sociologist and she was printed in a newspaper? Well then you must be tearing your hair out everyday because a lot of Pseudo intellectual crap, poor invetigation, and hackery happens everyday, everywhere. Nut I think it is more about the fact that she said something about Quebec that you don't like, and that thing hit a sore spot.

Human interest ... well, I guess that is why I don't watch entertainment tonight, or read anyone of the crap Quebec newspapers that got all in a tizzy about that episode. Because I don't care about wasting my brain on stupid "human interest" speculation. To be honest, I also don't really like Jan Wong's writing. But the reaction to what she has written is WAY over the top, and it is over the top because she hit a nerve. Ignore it at your own peril, again, IMO.

Edited by Bacchus
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