Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to take part in this debate because last Friday I experienced a particular situation in my riding.
I had the pleasure of meeting with four students from the Les Pionniers high school. Two are first year students and the other two are enrolled in the IEP, the International Education Program. Their names are Cynthia Lacourcière, Kate Denis, Mathilde Bélanger and Mathieu Hubert, the latter being the president of his class. They were accompanied by Mr. Gérard Garceau, with the campus ministry.
They wanted me to know that 450 students had gathered on Wednesday, October 24, and marched in the streets around the school to demonstrate under the theme “Let's Cultivate Peace”.
That meeting was not only very moving but also very instructive for me. All the more so since first year students wrote some 160 letters, half of them addressed to your humble servant, the member for Trois-Rivières, and the other half addressed to my colleague for Saint-Maurice and Prime Minister of Canada.
These letters show that not only are those students very much aware of and sensitive to the situation, but they are also, like the rest of the people in Quebec and around the world, traumatized and concerned, particularly by Canada's participation in the war. That is especially obvious in the letters addressed to the Prime Minister.
The key themes are “no to war”, “no to armament”, “no to vengeance”, “no to violence”, and “yes to peace and humanitarian aid”, as can be seen in the letters I will quote in the time I have available.
While all of course focus on the same themes, they are all different at the same time.
I will start with this one, a poem in which the student expresses an opinion.
Over there in Afghanistan, the sky lowers darkly. Bombs rain down on the houses. Scarcely a breath of wind Stirs the smoke that billows through the smoldering streets. The Americans smolder still with hatred While people are dying, Even children, innocent children. They cannot go to bed and dream sweet dreams, Dreams that the winds of hope may be blowing when they awake.
Another letter:
Dear Mr. Rocheleau:
I am writing to share my opinion with you. I feel we ought not to join in the war; instead we should be sending people to help the children who are dying of hunger, to care for all those in need of care, and provide them with drinking water and other necessities to build peace between us.
My friends and I are not in favour of this war. Let us say no to violence and war.
Another letter reads as follows:
Dear Mr. Rocheleau:
This is to express my point of view on what is taking place in Afghanistan. I do not want Canada to participate in an offensive, but rather to help people suffering from the consequences of war. I think we should, amongst other things, send medicine and food to help those who are suffering.
Thank you for your patience.
The following letter clearly has a philosophical tone:
Dear Mr. Rocheleau:
Human beings often brag about what they do or what they invent. They describe themselves as the most intelligent living creatures on our planet Earth. However, seeing all that is going on right now, I think that they are slightly off, because when I look at the way animals and plants behave, I find they are more caring for their own kind than humans.
If we gave more thought to our unique planet, we would realize that we are turning it upside down.
I think that man was not created to fight individuals of neighbouring continents but to pursue good deeds.
This is why, in the wake of the events of September 11, I ask you, as a human being, to get involved for the sake of humanity rather than for its suffering, because I tell myself that war can make more innocent victims than guilty victims.
I thank you for taking the time to read this letter.
Another letter reads:
I am writing to you, Mr. Rocheleau, to express my disagreement with Canada's participation in the war against Afghanistan. We can send troops, but they should go not to kill but to take humanitarian assistance to the Afghanis, who are dying of starvation, or to protect them from the American bombing.
This does not mean hurting the United States, but helping them to hit their targets and not civilians. And even if they destroy Osama bin Laden's training camps, bin Laden will retaliate with other terrorist attacks and the army will counter-attack and on and on it will go.
In any case, I hope that you understand why I do not like the war. I also hope that this will change your mind on this decision.
Here again, the letter is in poem form:
In Afghanistan far away, The war gets worse every day. Some are dying Others crying.
Send in soldiers But not to fight. Send them to help, Do what is right, And never regret.
For if you send us The losses would stagger. Think of the death And all who would suffer.
The greatest dream can hardly come true Is peace in the world for me and for you. But all of us must do what we can To bring about this noble plan.
I would remind the House that these are grade eight pupils.
Here, I have a letter that sums up the whole issue perfectly.
I am sending you this short note, Mr. Rocheleau, to tell you this : no to war, no to arms build-up, no to violence.
I am in favor of humanitarian aid for Afghanistan. War has never benefited anyone. Our neighbours to the South should learn tolerance, that if we disagree with them, it does not mean we are against them.
War always brings misery and starvation, and children are the ones who pay the price. I was not put on this Earth to see such misery, but to live an active and peaceful life in harmony with God and my fellow human beings, to respect the other races and religions, not to kill or interfere with other people's liberties, trying to make it work the American way.
What is good for the goose is not necessarily good for the gander. We are put on this Earth to be different from one another; life would be boring if we were all alike.
It goes without saying that I am truly happy to read these testimonies in the House of Commons. Many of them, 160 letters in all, remind us, by the candor of their authors, that children hit it right on the head. I believe these letters speak for themselves. I was really impressed by their quality, sensitivity and interest. When we have doubts about the next generation, about the meaning of collective life and about the responsibilities of citizens, reactions to such an event give me hope for the future.
I will read one last testimony that is more blunt. The writer expresses his ideas in a more straightforward manner. He says:
The attack where a plane crashed into the World Trade Center was masterminded by bin Laden who was trying to provoke us and show us he wants war. But we are stupid enough to wage war against a third world country.
I think this sums up quite well what the government, cabinet and the Prime Minister should consider. I am very proud to see that our youth is in sync with the people of Quebec when it comes to sensitivity.
The latest polls show it: the concerns of Quebecers are quite different from those of the rest of Canada. Again that shows that a sovereign Quebec would have a different voice in the community of nations at the United Nations and humanity would benefit from it.