The (Anti) Quebec Separatism Post, Part Two: Why? Just... Why?

In 1980, the people of Quebec were given a chance to vote on independence for Quebec, and 60% of them rejected it outright.  Not content to give up their lease on life, the Parti Quebecois refused to acknowledge that the people of Quebec really did not care much about some illusory need for "freedom".  Several summit meetings were held between the separatist politicians and the Canadian government, notably failing to come to any sort of ideal break away from Canada should Quebec ever secede.  What these brilliant people did figure out was that they wanted:

-A free Quebec...
-That uses Canadian currency and is integrated into the Canadian economy in what is called "economic association"...
-That has the full protection and support of the Canadian military...
-That continues to receive money from the Canadian government!

This sort of song should also be familiar to Puerto Rican politicians, who have been working for the same thing in relation to the United States for a while now.  That, however, is a different story for another post sometime this week.

Anyway, my question to these politicians would be, well, why?  Yes, French-Canadians are a distinct culture within the country, and since the 19th century have pretty much been a sizable minority within Canada, but we are hardly oppressed these days.  In the first post on this matter, I did acknowledge, especially from examples in my own heritage and family history, that the relationship between Les Canadiens and The Canadians has been a rather rocky one at times, going so far as to truly make us into second class citizens.  That said, we also owe our continued existence as a culture to an incredibly amazing shared history with Les Anglais.  In fact:

-In 1763 we could have easily been packed up and shipped up as the Acadians had been, but were allowed to remain in Canada.
-In 1774 the Quebec act guaranteed us freedom of religion, language, and culture.
-In 1867 we were a necessary ingredient in making the country even happen in the first place, and everyone on both sides knew it.  Until nearly a century later, in fact, Montreal was the crown jewel of the whole enterprise, and the place where our economic vitality in relation to the wider world came from.

Yes, those pesky English-speakers were rather tolerant and mindful of us after all!  So how is it that we stayed put in Quebec?  We did not!  French-Canadians can be found in sizable communities in New Brunswick, Ontario, Manitoba, Labrador, and in smaller communities throughout Canada.  Northern Maine, not even a part of the country anymore, also has quite a few of us hanging around.  The truth of the matter is, Quebec does not have the rights to an entire people as their politicians claim.  It is not a shock that they would try to claim rights to us in general, however.  French-Canadian prosperity has often been sold out by our leaders, notably Sir Wilfred Laurier, who is almost single-handedly responsible for preventing a westward spread of Canadien culture.  The man gave a firm no to requests by Franco-Manitobans to appeal to the crown for rights to French-language public schooling in majority Canadien districts.

Perhaps the most depressing and powerful example of what life would have been like under continued French, rather than British (and eventually Canadian) rule is the Louisiana purchase.  We would have been dismissed and sold by the supposed superior nation.  1763, in my opinion, is not a year of the demise of our people, but our true birth.  Quebec needs Canada.

Does Canada need Quebec?

Absolutely:

-In 1814, with no British regulars available to safeguard Montreal and Kingston, the Americans had a clear path at the conquest of Canada.  Fortunately, and perhaps to the amazement of the loyalists and English-speakers, our people took up arms at Chateauguay and repelled an American invasion force four times the size of the defending Canadians and Canadiens.
-In 1867, Canada was born because John A. MacDonald found a powerful and lifelong friend in George-Etienne Cartier.  Quebec was the glue holding together the very different pieces of Upper Canada and the Atlantic provinces.
-Our present society, while an immigrant destination country much like the United States, is distinct in being one of the few in the world in which two seemingly hostile cultures are held together in unity by mutual consent.  Canada owes her existence to government by consent.  We don't exist without it.  We don't exist without Quebec, Ontario, or any of the other provinces.  We have acknowledged that we are divisible, and yet have always found a way to make things work and are a model of effective regional government under a federal system.
-How could we live without Poutine?!
-Bilingual road signs topped with small crowns are perhaps the best way to tell you have left Michigan and New York and are in a different country.

So here we stand yet again, watching as we did in 1995 for the people to get ready to come to a decision.  This time, however, Madame Marois, we are ready for your rhetoric and pointless drama.  You do not represent the sum total of Canadiens, nor even of your province for that matter.  Much of your land in the north belongs to the Cree and Inuit, who happen to generously provide their ancient lands for the generation of your hydro-electric needs.  Your distinct society is only distinct inasmuch as it contains the majority of our culture's population.  Quebec is far more amazing than your plans or that of your party.  May her rights, shared with her by Canada as the whole, endure far beyond the short-sighted reach of your political ambitions.

I hope to NEVER look across and see this as a foreign state:

My homeland, Ontario in the foreground, and my ancestral homeland, Quebec, across the river.  Taken at the confluence of the Mattawa and Ottawa rivers in Mattawa, Ontario.

And I never will, because we already have what we need and want as a people, and the voters will show you that once again, should you decide to waste OUR time again.

Signed, a French-Canadian in love with Canada.