NATIONAL DAY OF REMEMBRANCE AND ACTION ON VIOLENCE AGAINST W
-Mario- @ Wed Dec 05, 2007 5:11 am
NATIONAL DAY OF REMEMBRANCE AND ACTION ON VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
Employment Equity Operational Committee and the Combined Advisory Group
Did you know that December 6 is the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women in Canada?
Established in 1991 by the Parliament of Canada, this day coincides with the sad anniversary of the death of fourteen young women who were tragically killed on December 6, 1989 at l’Ecole Plytechnique de Montréal because of their gender.
Beyond commemorating the loss of these fourteen young lives, this day represents a time to pause and reflect on the phenomenon of violence against women in our society.
It is also a time to have a special thought for all the women and girls who live daily with the threat of violence or who have died as a result of deliberate acts of gender-based violence.
Last but not least, it is a day for communities to reflect on concrete actions that each Canadian can take to prevent and eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls.
Taken from the Status of Women Canada website. www.swc-cfc.gc.ca
What can I do to commemorate the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women?
* Observe a minute of silence on December 6th to remember those whose lives have been affected by violence and to consider what you can do personally to help end violence against women and girls.
* Wear a white or purple ribbon to show your commitment to ending violence against women.
novachick @ Wed Dec 05, 2007 5:38 am
I didn't know about this Mario. Thank you for bringing this to the board!
Tricks @ Wed Dec 05, 2007 9:53 am
I've heard about this for the past week.
-Mario- @ Wed Dec 05, 2007 9:58 am
Tricks Tricks:
I've heard about this for the past week.
Do you think that they are trying to tell you something
Tricks @ Wed Dec 05, 2007 9:59 am
-Mario- -Mario-:
Tricks Tricks:
I've heard about this for the past week.
Do you think that they are trying to tell you something
One day there was a girl in the caf shaking a box of change singing something trying to raise money. One of the people at my table goes "If she doesn't shut the fuck up I'm gonna kill her."
I ask him if he knows what she is raising money for, he looks and just busts out laughing. Says that if someone did something, that he'd start a slow clap.
Tricks @ Wed Dec 05, 2007 10:00 am
lily lily:
The l’Ecole Polytechnique shootings occurred on my 3rd anniversary - that's not something you forget easily.
I remember when this day was made official - a ;ot pf people complained and brought out the stats showing that men are more likely to be victims of violence and where's their day? The sad fact is that women are more likely to be killed by someone they're supposed to trust - or simply because of their gender.
The day was never intended to blame all men.
It's turned into it! I remember when this day was made official - a ;ot pf people complained and brought out the stats showing that men are more likely to be victims of violence and where's their day? The sad fact is that women are more likely to be killed by someone they're supposed to trust - or simply because of their gender.
The day was never intended to blame all men.
Tricks @ Wed Dec 05, 2007 10:09 am
lily lily:
$1:
It's turned into it!
In what way?
Joe_Stalin @ Wed Dec 05, 2007 10:20 am
Barb on White Ribbons.
$1:
The last white ribbon
Barbara Kay, National Post
Published: Wednesday, December 05, 2007
MONTREAL -'I may sound callous," said a mental health professional in a national newspaper, "but doesn't grieving have a shelf life? …Let's wind it down."
This quote was contained in a September article in The New York Times suggesting the need for a tapering-off of 9/11 anniversary rituals. "Many people feel that the collective commemorations, publicly staged, are excessive and vacant, even annoying," the author noted.
The article cited other individuals who likened 9/11 to the recent Minneapolis bridge collapse or a tornado. None of those quoted perceived the attack as an act of war, or the 3,000 victims as representative of the millions of Americans al-Qaeda hoped eventually to kill.
By contrast, the Canadian public never seems to weary of the annual Dec. 6 tribute to the 1989 Montreal Polytechnique shooting massacre of 14 women. Indeed, 12/6's branding power burgeons with every anniversary: The theme of violence against women dominates the media; new physical memorials are constructed; additional programs decrying domestic violence against women are entrenched in school curricula; masses of white ribbons are distributed; more stringent gun control is more strenuously urged. Their cumulative effect is to link all Canadian men to a global conspiracy against women of jihadist proportions.
The dumbing down of 9/11 from global to random significance, and the elevation of 12/6 from random to global significance are disturbing signs of a confused, self-defeating cultural zeitgeist.
Public tributes to the fallen can bring out the best or the worst in our national character. We see the best in our beautiful Remembrance Day ceremonies, formulated in an era of national pride and cultural confidence, when male heroism was considered a quality deserving of public recognition. But now, a "grandfathered" Nov. 11 is the only day of the year when feminist ideologues refrain from overt misandry.
We see the worst on Dec. 6, a day when truly one may reasonably ask, "doesn't grieving … have a shelf life?" We should indeed wind it down, for it is as unethical to denounce an entire gender for an individual's behaviour as we all acknowledge it would be in the case of a race or religion.
And illogical. Logic would demand that the buried name of Laurie Dann be as recognizable and as reviled as that of 12/6 killer Marc Lepine's. Dann's hatred for boys exceeded Lepine's for women. A year before the Montreal massacre, this equally psychotic Chicago woman shot five elementary-school boys, poisoned two fraternity kitchens, torched the Young Men's Jewish council, burned two boys in their homes, shot her own son, and murdered an eight-year old boy, claiming he had raped her.
Lepine-generated male-bashing is often justified by the fact that more men kill women than women kill men. But who would justify a woman-bashing tribute to Dann's victims on the grounds that statistically more women than men abuse children (which they do)? What is lost in the emotional shuffle is that only a statistical sliver of either sex is violent to anyone, so all gender-demonizing impulses are sexist and immoral.
Commemorative ceremonies serve an edifying purpose when they facilitate a unifying rite of formal mourning for national tragedies, ceremonies that strengthen collective resolve to combat real, not perceived threats. Unifying is the key word: If public ceremonies divide instead of uniting the citizenry, they demoralize rather than edify the nation.
We should not fund grief rituals that nurture conspiracy theories and phobias. The 12/6 tribute has become a propaganda mill for both. It is high time we turned our attention and public funds to worthier commemorative projects. How is it that we have yet to inaugurate a yearly ceremony for the 25 Canadians who died in the Trade Towers?
More shamefully: Where, after 23 years, is our annual commemorative ceremony for the 329 lost souls of Air India flight 182? Are real terrorists of colour less indictable than "men"? Reject the sexist white ribbon of shame.
Source
Barbara Kay, National Post
Published: Wednesday, December 05, 2007
MONTREAL -'I may sound callous," said a mental health professional in a national newspaper, "but doesn't grieving have a shelf life? …Let's wind it down."
This quote was contained in a September article in The New York Times suggesting the need for a tapering-off of 9/11 anniversary rituals. "Many people feel that the collective commemorations, publicly staged, are excessive and vacant, even annoying," the author noted.
The article cited other individuals who likened 9/11 to the recent Minneapolis bridge collapse or a tornado. None of those quoted perceived the attack as an act of war, or the 3,000 victims as representative of the millions of Americans al-Qaeda hoped eventually to kill.
By contrast, the Canadian public never seems to weary of the annual Dec. 6 tribute to the 1989 Montreal Polytechnique shooting massacre of 14 women. Indeed, 12/6's branding power burgeons with every anniversary: The theme of violence against women dominates the media; new physical memorials are constructed; additional programs decrying domestic violence against women are entrenched in school curricula; masses of white ribbons are distributed; more stringent gun control is more strenuously urged. Their cumulative effect is to link all Canadian men to a global conspiracy against women of jihadist proportions.
The dumbing down of 9/11 from global to random significance, and the elevation of 12/6 from random to global significance are disturbing signs of a confused, self-defeating cultural zeitgeist.
Public tributes to the fallen can bring out the best or the worst in our national character. We see the best in our beautiful Remembrance Day ceremonies, formulated in an era of national pride and cultural confidence, when male heroism was considered a quality deserving of public recognition. But now, a "grandfathered" Nov. 11 is the only day of the year when feminist ideologues refrain from overt misandry.
We see the worst on Dec. 6, a day when truly one may reasonably ask, "doesn't grieving … have a shelf life?" We should indeed wind it down, for it is as unethical to denounce an entire gender for an individual's behaviour as we all acknowledge it would be in the case of a race or religion.
And illogical. Logic would demand that the buried name of Laurie Dann be as recognizable and as reviled as that of 12/6 killer Marc Lepine's. Dann's hatred for boys exceeded Lepine's for women. A year before the Montreal massacre, this equally psychotic Chicago woman shot five elementary-school boys, poisoned two fraternity kitchens, torched the Young Men's Jewish council, burned two boys in their homes, shot her own son, and murdered an eight-year old boy, claiming he had raped her.
Lepine-generated male-bashing is often justified by the fact that more men kill women than women kill men. But who would justify a woman-bashing tribute to Dann's victims on the grounds that statistically more women than men abuse children (which they do)? What is lost in the emotional shuffle is that only a statistical sliver of either sex is violent to anyone, so all gender-demonizing impulses are sexist and immoral.
Commemorative ceremonies serve an edifying purpose when they facilitate a unifying rite of formal mourning for national tragedies, ceremonies that strengthen collective resolve to combat real, not perceived threats. Unifying is the key word: If public ceremonies divide instead of uniting the citizenry, they demoralize rather than edify the nation.
We should not fund grief rituals that nurture conspiracy theories and phobias. The 12/6 tribute has become a propaganda mill for both. It is high time we turned our attention and public funds to worthier commemorative projects. How is it that we have yet to inaugurate a yearly ceremony for the 25 Canadians who died in the Trade Towers?
More shamefully: Where, after 23 years, is our annual commemorative ceremony for the 329 lost souls of Air India flight 182? Are real terrorists of colour less indictable than "men"? Reject the sexist white ribbon of shame.
Source
Joe_Stalin @ Wed Dec 05, 2007 11:08 am
Give2TheTroops Blog - Bravenet BlogPosted by Barbara:. Every day at the NC center when the mail carrier brings the mail, ... This Memorial Day I bought my usual poppy outside of Stop&Shop. ...
Not the Barb you say?
http://give2thetroops.bravejournal.com/entry/22078
novachick @ Wed Dec 05, 2007 11:25 am
Frankly I don't think violence against woman has a shelf life. Nor do I think ALL MEN are at fault. Obviously neither do some men. The white ribbon campaign in fact is an effort started by men to end physical and sexual violence against women by men.
http://www.whiteribbon.ca/
The school shootings are a rare event garnering massive amounts of media attention. Yes, it should be remembered. The sad fact however is most violence against women is not perpetrated by a stranger with a gun. Most often it is violence directed at you mother, your sister, your friend at the hands of someone they know, they trust, they love. Yes, these women are angry, bitter, hurt and lost. Yes, in their angst it may seem they blame ALL men. The reality is their trust has been shattered to a degree they are afraid of any man. No, that isn't rational but neither can these women rationalize what has happened to them at the hands of someone that claimed to love them, care about them. Is it so much to don a ribbon and in a quiet unspoken way give these women their dignity back. To say we know you are out there, we feel for what has happened to you, we encourage you to heal, we support you in that effort.
novachick @ Thu Dec 06, 2007 5:14 am
Bump
Tricks @ Thu Dec 06, 2007 9:13 am
Add into that pledge that if they ever see any of that being done, they fuck the guy up.
Zipperfish @ Thu Dec 06, 2007 9:40 am
lily lily:
The l’Ecole Polytechnique shootings occurred on my 3rd anniversary - that's not something you forget easily.
I remember when this day was made official - a ;ot pf people complained and brought out the stats showing that men are more likely to be victims of violence and where's their day? The sad fact is that women are more likely to be killed by someone they're supposed to trust - or simply because of their gender.
The day was never intended to blame all men.
I remember when this day was made official - a ;ot pf people complained and brought out the stats showing that men are more likely to be victims of violence and where's their day? The sad fact is that women are more likely to be killed by someone they're supposed to trust - or simply because of their gender.
The day was never intended to blame all men.
I remember getting kicked out of a ceremony on the first annual memorial of the L'Ecole Polytechnique attacks. Reason: Being Male.
Still, the current trial of Robert Pickton is testament and the recent spate of gender-related killings by the South Asian community here in Greater Vancouver are testament to the reasopns we need a day like this.