A Province Transformed

Earlier this year, Quebec’s National Assembly unanimously adopted a motion declaring the province no more racist than anywhere else. It was a strange move, as though politicians were magicians whose words sufficed to make theirs “among the most open and welcoming nations in the world.” Of course, this attempt to shield the population from slander was really a defence of state policy. The motion was proposed by Jean-François Roberge, the minister for secularism, and it contains a clause insisting that Bill 21, which prohibits certain public servants from wearing religious symbols, should not be called racist either.

This logic creates a discursive trap, whereby claiming a law discriminates against minorities is actually proof of prejudice against the people of Quebec. It makes me wonder if I should preface any reproach with a declaration of love or with my tax returns, dating history...