Distinctly different patriotic voices

Editor:

Re: English first, then French, July 4.

Letter-writer Melany Barnsley may consider herself a proud Canadian and Peninsula resident, however, perhaps she is confused with some other country that has only one national language.

What precisely could be “wrong” about singing the national anthem first in French, then in English?

On Canada Day – or any other day – I’d welcome O Canada sung in any language.

Perhaps next year the organizers could plan for a nice medley of the languages we hear regularly in our communities, followed up with the traditional versions in our two official languages.

We have many more unofficial languages all over this country, and I for one would be proud to hear our national anthem sung in every one of them.

We are glorious and free, only until we are  obliged  to sing first in English.

Shonna Morgan, Surrey

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 Reading about the singing of our national anthem in French first, my message is get used to it.

Canada soon will be a French-speaking country, and all that speak another language will be facing the Quebec-style of racism – speak French or we send the language Gestapo.

Ottawa is spending billions – known and unknown – to enforce the French language, starting in small ways, like the truck driver in Alberta that made an illegal U-turn and was fined. The court cancelled it; the ticket was not in French, so complained by the driver.

The glory of it all is that all those that were Reform members from the west, and opposed the enforcement, are now Conservative sheep.

Suan H. Booiman, White Rock