Dear Editor,
Re: “End Richmond language wars with a little common sense” The Vancouver Sun Jan. 8, 2016
There it is again — the topic of language on the editorial page of the Vancouver Sun. Since when is common sense on the agenda of our civic government.
The topic would not even be on the Richmond council’s radar if not for the activism of some concerned residents.
From lack of English on signs to Mandarin-only condominium strata meetings … to what next?
And why reduce everything to financial loss or gain.
For me, it is about much more than just including some English words on retail signs. It is about the sum total of the effort and sacrifice that went into becoming part of the fabric of this country.
It is about living in a camp for a year before admittance to Canada — to freedom and opportunity; it is about the kindness of sponsors and neighbours and their demonstration of inclusiveness; it is about a mother who learned English from library books and who never saw her parents again; about a father who never again worked in his profession; about being placed in a school without knowing a word of English and being English competent at the end of that year and later, a student in a French immersion school to learn the other official language of the country; it is about the many gains at the expense of significant losses.
Although there is no appetite to legislate the use of the English language, strong efforts have to continue in order to preserve what identifies us — the connective glue that should bind us.
N McDonald
Richmond
