I think it is central to who we are as Canadians, so it is important to protect French, and I agree with you that we also have to look at it from both the economic and the cultural perspective.
There are so many places in the world where more than one language is spoken. In Canada, we sometimes get bogged down in the two languages. I think it is important to recognize the crucial role played by the francophonie, both in Canada and on the international scene.