Essay On Quebec Independence

Central to the separatist movement of the latter half of the twentieth century was the argument that Quebec needed to become an independent state in order to ensure the survival of the French language, uphold the integrity of Quebecois culture, and allow Quebec’s government to proficiently govern its own affairs. In the views of many, the fact that Quebec has managed to do these things in recent decades without sovereignty has diminished the need and legitimacy of calls for separation. In my opinion, these developments have indeed put to the lie the need for Quebec independence, for it is now apparent that independence is not a prerequisite of achieving these goals. That said, it does not necessarily put to the lie the legitimacy of independence, for the legitimacy of Quebec’s desire for independence is based on more than necessity alone. This essay will discuss how Quebec achieved each of the aforementioned feats without independence, in order to …show more content…
Traditionally, the claim that only as a sovereign nation would Quebec be able to protect the French language was one of the strongest arguments for independence. After all, the French language was the central element of the Quebecois identity, and it did seem to be at risk in the 1960s and 1970s, with immigrants adopting English as their language of choice, and many Francophones learning it out of necessity or pragmatism. Since then, however, Quebec has managed to secure the French language’s future by enacting strict language laws, and as a result, the French language is arguably healthier than it has ever been in Quebec. It has been possible for Quebec to take drastic action within Confederation on linguistic matters, and, as such, it is no longer accurate to claim that language protection constitutes an urgent need for