French has served its purpose

Sebastian Anders,Director of Media Relations Language Fairness National:

Consequently, as a guest on a French talk show on Rogers Cable, the host asked me whether I had suffered some traumatic experience in my life that would cause me to take the stand I was taking in what I perceive as fighting for justice for all Canadians, regardless of their "mother tongue". The French media and commentators perceived me as being against the French. As the show's host and most Quebecers and Franco Canadians see it, I am a traitor because I am of French ancestry, born in Quebec, and if I am not against the English, then I must be against the French.

However, my perspective is somewhat different. It is not based on linguistic or cultural bias. I have lived in more than a dozen countries and at one time spoke as many as five languages fluently. I had the pleasure of reading Scott Reid's book "Lament for Notion", among numerous other books I read on the subject, from various perspectives.

French is a beautiful language. At the beginning of the last century, it was the principal language of diplomacy in the European Royal Courts and at most official levels. Language is but a reflection of a culture, which evolves with the people using that language. We are now in a new century and for a very long time French has not been a world dominant language. In fact it is low on the statistical scale of language usage. And all the false "Francophonie" fanfare attempts at reviving it to its former or even pretence of its former glory will not succeed. Like other living things, languages must be allowed to evolve and survive naturally, or fade into disuse or oblivion. And the more attempts are made to force it into continued existence by forcing people to speak it, is a sure fire way to kill it outright. French has served its purpose and should be allowed to survive only as a secondary romantic language for those who freely choose to learn it. However much we like horses and wagons, like French, they are of another era, and just do not suit the times.

Sebastian Anders,
Director of Media Relations
Language Fairness National
www.languagefainess.com