Saturday 23 February 2013

20,000 Strong For A Better Quebec



We would like to thank everyone who helped us hit the milestone of 20,000 members today. We say members and not “likes” because we believe EVERY one of you have helped make the difference and directly impacted the political dynamics in Quebec for the better.

Since its inception in September 2012, http://www.putbacktheflag.com has fought with help of you all and shared stories and links in the millions,  which have forced politicians and public figures to issue statements and backtrack several times.

Putbacktheflag has been instrumental in reshaping the following events

Sep 17th, 2012 : Putbacktheflag was founded and within a week 5000 members joined as a protest against Pauline Marois removing the flag from the national assembly.

Nov 4th, 2012: Flag rally event draws 150 people in Place du Canada and draws big media attention. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/story/2012/11/04/mtl-language-rights-group-protest-clash.html

December 1st 2012 : We release a video of a flag stomping incident at at a separatist rally in front of Montreal's city hall. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbIrrfS-MFs. Pauline Marois is forced to comment.

Media attention goes coast to coast: http://www.barbarakay.ca/articles/view/702

December 13th, 2012 : We break the story about Ben and Jerry’s being harassed by the OQLF and igniting the flame for media to follow. The OQLF is again forced to comment.  Our blog : http://putbacktheflag.blogspot.ca/2013/01/olf-back-on-attack-against-montreal-ben.html

CTV:http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/quebec-s-language-laws-leave-ben-jerry-s-shop-with-ice-cream-headache-1.1077743
CJAD: http://www.cjad.com/CJADLocalNews/entry.aspx?blogEntryID=10478778

December 18th, 2012 : We force the PQ page in NY on FB to issue a statement after deleting posts detailing their own language laws: http://putbacktheflag.blogspot.ca/2012/12/pq-office-in-new-york-ashamed-of-their.html

Jan 21st. 2013 : A local cupcake shop is harassed by the OLF. We break the story and again media follows up
Our blog: http://putbacktheflag.blogspot.ca/2013/01/olf-targets-cupcake-shop-in-montreal.html

CJAD: http://www.cjad.com/CJADLocalNews/entry.aspx?blogEntryID=10494050

February 17th, 2013:  We hold an event from our page to protest Bill14. 400 attend, massive media attention both francophone and anglophone. We bring awareness to this unjust law. Google "bill14 protest" for the media links.
http://montreal.ctvnews.ca/protesters-rally-against-bill-14-1.1160321
http://putbacktheflag.blogspot.ca/2013/02/feb-17th-2013-quebekers-stand-in.html

February 19th, 2013 : We break CJAD’s Dan Delmar’s first blog detailing of the “PASTA” OQLF incident on FB and Twitter. For the next 3 days we share over 10 thousand times from our page alone and hashtag #pastagate furiously.

According to Sun Media we are the driving force behind #Pastagate. http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/sunnews/politics/archives/2013/02/20130220-135808.html

“The story has gained traction on social media, with Facebook page, entitled Put Canadian Flag Back In Quebec Assembly, leading the charge.The group has been instrumental in starting protests against Quebec's new Bill 14.”

Original blog by CJAD: http://www.cjad.com/Blog/DelmarAndDwivedi/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10506150


We believe these events have made a huge difference and raised awareness internationally for the first time in years. We encourage you all to share this page and continue to be active. Should you not be able to attend a protest or rally, simply invite 10 people to our FB page or share an article or retweet whenever you can. The above is PROOF that we CAN make a difference.

We also invite the francophone population to join us so we may feature blogs and work with the 70% that DO believe in a better Quebec and Canada. We are always looking for francophone blog contributions and will feature them regularly. We are not an anglophone or francophone rights group, we are a group that value human rights and free choice. 


A special thanks to the unity group that has done all the work on the ground for security, logistics and fundraising. We would not have had the success we have had without their help
 
Thank you.
PUTBACKTHEFLAG.COM


FB: https://www.facebook.com/putbacktheflag
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Putbacktheflag
Email : putbacktheflag@gmail.com








Monday 18 February 2013

Feb 17th, 2013 : Quebeckers Stand in the Blistering Cold to Fight for What They Believe In

Coffee in hand and bundled up doing their best to combat frostbite, protesters spilled onto Sherbrooke St W Montreal, Quebec in the hundreds right in front of Premier Pauline Marois' office to protest Bill 14. The bill that the minority PQ government are trying to table may possibly be one of the most ominous bills to be passed in Canada.

Some of the highlights or “low lights” of Bill14:

  • Would give the PQ language minister Diane de Courcy judicial type powers of seizure and the ability to seize personal computers, files, documents and whatever they feel admissible.
  • Close a loophole that allows francophone military families a right to send their children to English schools.

  • Force high school and CEGEP students to have a “mastery” of the french language in order to graduate. Please note high schools and CEGEPS already have french language immersion and requirements to graduate. What the PQ considers “mastery” is unknown at this moment. 
  •  Strip municipalities and their citizens of bilingual status and publications

The media loves to spin the rally against Bill 14 into an ANGLO RIGHTS issue, however nothing could be further from the truth. You can find francophones and citizens from EVERY cultural background protesting. This rally had absolutely nothing to do with anglo rights, and ALL to do with human rights. You do not have to be anglophone to exercise a human rights issue.

A Canadian expat who had been following the news was amazed at the great turnout, despite the cold and -26 windchill and had this to say:

Dear Canada,

Today I listened to speeches made at a rally from a cold and windy street in Montreal, speeches made before several hundred of your countrymen and women.

They weren't there to celebrate a hockey win, they weren't there for some corporate sponsored event giving away trinkets with a red Maple leaf on them.


They were there to show solidarity against a government hell bent on taking away more of their rights. This is a government dedicated to marginalizing them even further. What they WERE there to do is tell the current PQ government and anyone supporting these ominous laws "Enough is enough!”

They WERE there to express how they love freedom, equality and liberty. They WERE there to tell them they want a Constitution that you may very well take for granted, to apply to them as Quebeckers and Canadians and not just the rest of Canada.

The next time you gauge your pride in your nation by donning a Team Canada jersey, the next time you sew on the flag to your backback before you travel, the next time you hold your head high and think, "I am proud to be a Canadian" you need to ask yourself the following questions:  


Ask yourself how would you feel if your rights were being taken away in the most offensive and apparent ways? And what if your fellow countrymen have remained silent and abandoned you for over 40 years?

These Quebecers and proud Canadians who, despite insurmountable odds, threats and acts of violence against them, and regardless of laws that already exist which classify them as second class citizens came out to stand in solidarity. 


Francophones, anglophones, immigrants and people from all cultural backgrounds in finger numbing cold and despite every  justifiable reason to believe an entire country has forgotten them, today they stood arm-in-arm to say they still love their country. And regardless of the odds, they stood together to say, "We are proud to be Canadians!".

After today, I feel a very strong case could be made for them being the greatest Canadians in the nation. So the next time you take a moment to reflect on what Canada means to you, take a moment to think of them. The Quebec protestors that stood there in the cold for hours and remember that on Feb 17th 2013, they showed the rest of Canada that they DO care.


So please do not abandon them,  they have not abandoned you Canada.


http://www.facebook.com/putbacktheflag
Follow us on twitter: https://twitter.com/Putbacktheflag

Special thanks to the “unity group” for their hard work on security media and the ground work for the protest.


Photo: http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2013/02/17/englishrights_activists_protest_new_quebec_language_law.html

Tuesday 12 February 2013

Pauline Marois s'en foute carrément du peuple Québécois

Le gouvernement est supposé être là pour le peuple, être la voix du peuple et gérer dans l'intérêt du peuple.

Mme Marois a été choisie par les Québécois (pas tous mais enfin) pour améliorer la situation, apporter du positif, ajouter un plus au Québécois mais à ce que je vois, le "peuple"... elle s'en foute carrément.

Au lieu d'avoir les yeux fixés JUSTE sur la conservation et propagation de la langue française et sur la séparation du Québec, elle devrait enlever ses œillères pour voir l'ensemble des vrais besoins des Québécois et il y en a des besoins bien plus grands que la langue française en ce moment et depuis un bon bout de temps. Moi je vois un énorme déséquilibre et je sais que la majorité le voit aussi.
Je ne dis pas de laisser tomber la langue française. Non. Le français est ma langue maternelle et j'en suis fière. Ce que je dis c'est qu'il faut qu'il y ait un équilibre dans la gestion du Québec et des besoins des Québécois. Mme Marois, demandez donc à TOUS les Québécois ce qu'ils veulent réellement. 
Pas seulement les jeunes en santé qui veulent qu'on leur serve tout sur un plateau d'argent, qui veulent que leurs études après le secondaires (CEGEP et Université) soient gratuites et ne rien avoir à débourser, aucun effort à faire et qui ne se rendent pas compte à quel point ils sont privilégiés au Québec où les frais scolaires sont raisonnables comparativement au reste du Canada et aux autres pays. 
 Pas seulement à ceux qui ont fait le choix délibéré de ne pas travailler, d'être sur l'aide social le reste de leur vie car c'est trop forçant d'aller travailler (je sais que certains n'ont pas le choix car s'ils l'avaient, ils iraient travailler) et pour cette raison, ils n'ont rien à perdre.

Demandez plutôt à ceux qui ont tout à perdre, les personnes âgées qui ont travailler fort et contribué à l'économie du Québec toute leur vie; aux jeunes qui ont bûché pour faire des études et qui ont de la difficulté à se trouver du travail dans le domaine qu'ils ont choisi, aux jeunes couples ainsi qu'aux couples et sans oublier les femmes et hommes monoparentaux qui tente d'avoir une vie décente et d'offrir les nécessités à leur progéniture.

Que dire des ressources naturelles et de l'environnement pour le futur des petits Québécois qui deviendront grands un jour ?

Les besoins de TOUS les Québécois, petits et grands, jeunes et vieux et entre les deux devraient être votre priorité.
  Membre putbacktheflag.com,
Sylvie Leboeuf,
Valleyfield Québec
 
FB: http://www.facebook.com/putbacktheflag

Twitter :  https://twitter.com/Putbacktheflag

email : putbacktheflag@gmail.com 
 

Monday 11 February 2013

Montreal Dental Clinic Refusing Care To Anglos

Since the PQ have taken power, fear and hate have gripped the mindset and the main target seems to be all non-francophones. Teenagers being beaten, headlocks and assaults by STM workers, ambulance technicians denying proper service in emergencies, families being egged, new immigrants humiliated at the SAAQ, language police crashing small and medium sized business with cameras and threats of large fines for using words like cupcake, “peace and love” or brownie and GST on cash register receipts. These are just a fraction of the stories from business owners and citizens who are brave enough to stand up to tell their story.


Nothing prepared us for what we were going to hear next. A dentist’s office refusing to serve anglophone patients in a scene reminiscent of the southern United States in the 1800’s, when a father and his two and a half year old daughter were asked to leave.

Maryam who is fluently bilingual had booked an appointment for her 2.5 year old daughter Donya, who was suffering from unknown dental pain. When Maryam’s husband Pedro (from Toronto and has been living in Quebec only 2 years) brought his daughter to her appointment, what he was about to experience, left him in shock and total disbelief.

Pedro presented himself at the secretary’s desk at the clinic and admitted that his French was quite weak and he could not understand. Pedro explained, “I am sorry, I do not speak French, is it possible to speak in English?”

To which the secretary sternly replied in English, “ Your wife spoke French and someone who speaks French will need to be here. We only serve French people.”

After Pedro tried to relay the information to the secretary that they had an appointment at 1pm, he was told again that they do not serve English people here. And then she mumbled the words F#ck y@u under her breath.

Pedro figured maybe she was having a bad day and eventually little Donya was seen by a dental assistant for a cleaning. Pedro thought the matter was resolved. After cleaning her front row of teeth, Donya needed a break. Pedro heard the dentist speaking to the secretary in French. They were then told to leave and that they had to bring their daughter to a specialist as she was not cooperating.

As Pedro insisted that he see the dentist as his daughter really needed to be looked at, the technician said,“The doctor does not want to see your daughter, go see the specialist.”

A followup call by Maryam resulted in the same kind of treatment, ‘we do not serve anglos’ and a prompt hang up of the phone.

One of our member reporters decided to follow up with the clinic to see if we would be treated in the same fashion if posed as an anglophone wanting to book an appointment. Sure enough, they received the same treatment and were told they only serve “French People”. You can listen to the audio clip attached below in this blog.

We have chosen not to release the name of the dental clinic and leave it to the mainstream media to be responsible for following up with the family that was refused treatment and the clinic. If they decide to publish the names they can do so at their discretion

Link to Audio call made by a member : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=johktNJb9DA&feature=youtu.be

Join our facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/putbacktheflag

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email : putbacktheflag@gmail.com