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* HrrBY REEFÉÈSS, WEDNEESDAY, <lUNE 27,1990, PAGE 7 PAGE SEVEN AN OPEN LEITER TO THE PEOPLE 0F QUEBEC Cher Quebecois: Let me apologize at the outset for the fact that I cannot write te you in French. When I was in school some twentj. five years ago, the quality of French education was hopelessl inadequate. Much as I would have liked, the opportumity te learn your language has passed me by. Tbings have changed though. The opportunities te learn French have increased dramaticslly anadmy own two daughters aged 9 and 10 are among hundreda of thousanda cf anglophones nation-wide who are enrolled in french immersion courses; they will grow up te, be fluently bilingual. In spite of everytigyuv heard, the maoiy fÈ C3-eàdg anadians are still reaching out te embIrie the Canadian dreani. Has the death of the Meech Lake accord kcilled that drearm? Not for me nor for millions of others. Dreanis are what people do; constitutional accords are something that politiciens do. And they have failed us. I was one of those many anglophones who opposed Meech Lake - not because rmn anti-French or because I arn pro-Eng- lish but because it was, in my opinion, badly flawed and anti-democratic. I predicted three years ago that. an amending formula wbich required unanimity would grrnd the prcs ea halt. I stated that it was inappropriate te, deal excusielywith Quebec's position in the constitution when our native population bas been waiting for 500 years for the sanie recognition. But most importantly, I berated the fact that Prime Minister Mulroney and ten Premiers felt it approiaete te, make such decisions with neither the mandate nor the input from the people who were moot affected. It wau this "seanilese web" of secret deals that trapped us. Meech Lake did not die last week or the week before or at the marathon session in Ottawa a few weeks ago; it died a slow painful death over a period of three years. -Te way that Mulroney kept breathing new life into its corpse was truly amazing. It died,. not from a single massive blow, but from hunredsof little cuts that were allowed te bleed. Certainly the unwillingness "te change a single word" or even clarify those words was a wound that should have been helped te heal. The unwillingness te discuss "the next round" left millions with a sense that "the next round"' might be even more difficuit than the first. Canada bas been in a constitutional crisis for twenty-five years at least - the Meech Lake accord is only the latest episode, albeit the most serious to date. Through all of these decades, Prime Ministers and premiers have met regularly te, look for ways to accomodate,,and at the sanie time preserve, our diversities. Their failure is now complete. In spite of all the sour faces and dire precictions, I predict that the death of the Meech Lake accord will open the door for the kind of rapid constructive change that bas been necessary for years. Approval of Meech would have ensured that the snailpace would have continued for years. The death of Meech is the death of so-called executive federalism. The door us now open - the only door that us open - for constitutional change by direct popular participation. I do not believe that Quebec should separate; I believe there are ways te accommodate the concerns of ail sides. Separation or sovereignty association would be a 'coming-of age', <we don't need you anymore' ind of gesture - more symbolic than practical. I have no doubt that Quebec can suriveandproperon its own and I believe fervently in your democratic right of self-determination, but how much better could it be if we work together te accommodate our diversities. Meech was teo narrow and failed in part because women, aborigInals and westerners were not prepared te, wait for the second ... or third ... or fourth round - they had already waited teo long for the firet round. With the number of unresolved constitutional issues before us and the failure of our politicians te reach agreement it is time thatpeople took charge of the process. When the United States faced the sanie sort cf stagnation in 1787 after only a few years of existence, they held a Constitutional Convention that reshaped their country from tep te bottom. After two hundred years the American Consti- tution is still the most successful in the world. Democracy is aIl about people, and democratic governments are about the decisions that malce the ir countries better places for theïr people te byve in. Constitutions are about the processes a ensure that goverrnments respond te the jaspirations of their people. Ouhir ovrnments have d and only we can put the Yours in friendship and understanding Doug Anderson B I MEMBRSOF EASTERN STAR LODGE, INDEPENDENT ORDER 0F ODDFELOWS, C. 1906 In the back'row are: Jim Hallett, unknown, unknown, Bob Devereli and Dick McMillan. Ini the centre row are: E. M. Devereil, unknown, and Art Hopper. Ini the front row are: Dick Heard and bie brother Bll Heard. Whltby Axrhivu photo 10 YEARS AGO from the Wednesday, June 25, 1980 edition of the WIiMIY FREE PRESS " Expansion of the K-Mart Plaza received counil approval despite objections from the Corridor Area Ratepayerf' Association. " Whitby Brass Band and the County Town Singers will present a concert tomorrow at the municipal building to celebrate Whitby's 125th anniversary. " A coroner's jury recommends better surgical controls after a five-year-old boy died during an operation at the Dr. J. O. Ruddy General H-ospital. " Housing starts are down and apartment vacancies are up in Whitby. 25 YEARS AGO from the Thursday, June 24,1965 edition of the WHITBY WEIEKLY NEWS "*Iilîcrest School is being renamed to honor retiring Supervising Principal Earl A. Fairman. " Charles Stafford of Whitby St. John Ambulance has been named a Serving Brother of the Order of St. John. "*hMrs. William Graham of Fairview LodIge, celebrated her lOOth birthday on June 25. " Dunlop Tire woekers have staged a wildcat strike over a dispute in the shipping room. 125 YEARS AGO from the Thursday, June 22,1865 edition of the WHITBY CHIRONICLE " The largest meeting of magistrates in the history of Ontario County was held at the Court House last week. " G. Y. Smith bas resigned as head -master of the Henry Street Public School after 10 years of faithful service. " Henry Street Public School will be the location for the South Ontario County Common School competitive exaininations this month. " Grocer 'Thomas Lawler married Mary Charlotte Rowe, daughter of Whitby's first mayor, James Rowe, on June 15. 1~~. -- - I i ~ I