So veils are in the headlines again. This time it involves the voting process. My first impression was that Boisclair was right on, after all, how are we supposed to ensure the identity of a voter if we can’t verify it visually? But then I got to thinking, “why should voting turn into a moral question for someone?” Wouldn’t it just be easier to have a woman at the voting place who could take the veiled woman aside for identity verification? Couldn’t everyone be happy then? Even though I hate the phrase “reasonable accomodation”, I’m all for the spirit of it. What do you think? It’s not quite as black and white as it seems.

The one thing I’ve noticed about this election is that, the media not withstanding, there’s a huge amount of apathy in the population. I think I have a good chance to sample views, mostly from white collar workers who commute to work from the suburbs, and the overall theme is that “it doesn’t matter, they are all undesirable”. So people are either going to vote for the “least undesirable” candidate, or get to know their local deputé candidates to make their decision. I’ve noticed that people have great dissatisfaction with Charest, no confidence for Boisclair, and a sort of “underdog” phenomenon happening with Dumont. Still, the majority of my students (I teach adult Francophones English) are undecided. Sure this isn’t scientific, but might inform some of the speculation out there. Not much else to talk about in Montreal today. We’ve got snow, the St Patrick’s day parade (looks like a beautiful day for it - snicker) and the election. It’s going to be an interesting 8 days coming up.

With polls showing that the outcome of next week’s provincial election is too close to call, an interesting trend has emerged. According to today’s Montreal Gazette, the campaign has divided voters along regional lines, pitting the disgruntled inhabitants of rural Quebec against the urban elites of Montreal. According to political scientist and ADQ supporter Guy Laforest:

Mr. Charest is seen as being part of the Westmount/Outremont/Sherbrooke politico-business elite. Mr. Boisclair is more connected to the media/cultural elite of the Plateau Mont-Royal. Mr. Dumont appears more like a champion of the regions.

What I find worrisome is that the split is based less on linguistic concerns than on broadly cultural ones–immigration and ethnicity, for instance, which both Tornwordo and Laiya have written about here, as well as Mr. Boisclair’s sexual orientation, which certain commentators have endeavoured to make an election issue.

If the pundits are right, the Quebec split mirrors the ideological boundary between America’s “red” and “blue” states, across which the so-called culture wars are endlessly fought. In both cases, cities are viewed as a source of undesirable ideas and values that are imposed upon non-urbanites against their will, often at the expense of issues that are important to them.

I’m curious to know what Metroblogging Montreal readers think about this. Is there a fault line between the city and the regions? If so, can it be bridged, and how?

I normally don’t like to talk politics but this latest issue on the campaign trail hits too close for comfort. André Boisclair, leader of the Parti Québecois, refuses to apologize for referring to asians as those with “les yeux bridés”. Il prétend que “yeux bridés” est une expression acceptée et utilisée habituellement par les gens. He sees absolutely no problem with referring to people by one physical characteristic and does not believe this to be a racist act. Laissez-moi vous dire, M. Boisclair, étant une “Québecoise”, d’origine asiatique, née içi, au Québec, je trouve que votre choix de mots est en fait, extrêmement rasciste et offensif. It’s too bad that all the education in the world isn’t enough to enlighten small minds.

Si on se demande pourquoi le Parti Québecois n’attire pas le vote des immigrants, le vote “éthnique”, il ne faut pas penser trop pour trouver une raison. Comments like “slanted eyes” hurt. They hurt as much as they would to a small child in the school yard as they would to a fully grown adult. Si on ne peut pas vous appeler “une tapette”, M. Boisclair, qui vous donne le droit de référer aux gens commes des “yeux bridés”? Calling you a fag is as insulting as calling me slanted eyes.

Tant que le Parti Québecois continue à avoir cette mentalité de “nous” (les vrais Québecois blancs pur laines de souches) et les “autres”, le Parti Québecois n’atteindra jamais son but de bâtir une nation Québecoise. There is no room in André Boisclair’s vision of Quebec for “others”. Pour ma part, peu importe mes efforts, je ne me sentirai jamais acceptée comme étant Québecoise. Je m’identifie comme Montréalaise certainement, cosmopolitaine, mais malheureusement, pas Québecoise.

André Boisclair can claim to have many asian friends and be fascinated by asian culture but that doesn’t make him any less of a moron than those men who approach me with lines like “ni hao”, assuming that my being asian automatically makes me Chinese and madarin-speaking. Afterall, we all look the same and we must all be the same right? Tous les asiatiques sont les mêmes n’est-ce pas? André Boisclair’s vision of Quebec will never be able to compete with the global economy if he persists in his tunnel vision. Maybe one day, we will be able to live in a society that considers itself as one human race and not just races distinguished by big noses or big lips or slanted eyes.

All this at the start of Quebec’s Action Week Against Racism (March 15 - March 25). Incroyable.

God forbid that you should find yourself at next Wednesday’s Yulblog meeting with nothing to talk about so I decided to give you some conversation starters.

In what may very well be the best photograph ever taken of a Yulblogger, Fred caught a perfect shot of Antoine as he was having the living snot beat out of him by two drunken pop groupies.

While enjoying the perfect geek vacation, Pat, Martine, Ed, Michel and Marie-Jo risked life and limb to prove that they are not thirtysomething has-beens.

Jean-Luc has confirmed the well-known assumption that moving sucks and that moving furniture without help sucks even more.

Thanks to the stupidity of an inattentive driver, Melane has almost lost someone very precious.

Eric is finding out that going to Yulblog has a positive effect on his blog traffic. I’d better get a beer for this one dude.

cfd’s new nickname should be Taco.

According to Sylvain’s laptop, gravity does not exist and should be replaced by the law of intelligent pushing.

Will this be our last chance to see Karl before he starts digging his tunnel to Japan?

Geoffroi reminded us of an excellent representation that our technology-assisted language is still in its infancy.

ipub has been fire this month.

Serge successfully completed his half-marathon with his dignity intact and has now embarqued on a new career as a trash compactor.

Prusty the Prown, ’nuff said.

Thomas decided that letting the left side of his brain do the talking is the secret to a successful interview.

Mark discovered the joys of bathroom renovation (I told you were were a cool bunch).

Stephane is getting involved in municipal politics and seems to share some similar values with Vincent.

Michael explained why Ile sans fils is an activist group.

Eric seems to have been boating a lot.

Alex can kiss his future political carreer goodbye after admitting to a horrible secret from his youth. Actually, it explains a lot of things.

Jean-Pierre forced me to look deeply into my photographer soul.

Philippe is still hoping that the next one will be better.

Eric showed us his favorite finger.

Finally, I realized that I am really lucky that I never had to go to war in an Italian tank.