(no subject)

[pictor]

I was reminded of this on the radio today as I went to lunch. Until then, I had totally forgotten....and I should not have.

15 years ago today, 14 women were shot dead while at l'ecole polytechnique in Montreal, 13 more were wounded. They were shot not because they were anyone specific, but because they were women, that was the only reason needed to condemn them in the mind of their killer.

Genevieve Bergeron, 21: Helene Colgan, 23; Nathalie Croteau, 23; Barbara Daigneault, 22; Anne-Marie Edward, 21; Maud Haviernick, 29; Barbara Maria Klucznik, 31; Maryse Leclair, 23; Annie St-Arneault, 23; Michele Richard, 21; Maryse Laganiere, 25; Anne-Marie Lemay, 22; Sonia Pelletier, 28; Annie Turcotte, 21

article in Montreal Gazette

This is an event worth remembering, and worth fully digesting. On it's own, it's a tragedy, but a small one compared to the scale of violence against women that goes on across the world. What it is however, is a single, tightly ecapsulated, and above all visible example of gender based violence. We have too few examples that the public consciousness will latch on to, that an ignorant public will look at, and pay attention to. This, to me, is among the chief reasons why we should make sure it continues to be acknowledge by others. It is something we have to learn from. Too many people are numb to single acts of violence. It's yet another beating/shooting/rape/assault/discrimination. Many people will nod sagely and admit that it's an awful thing, but it's "just" another one, there are so many. Does it take 14 dead in one combined act to overcome this apathy? I wish not, but it won't do to forget or go numb to this one as well, what will it take to shake us up after that?

Comments

Remembering

[larmer.livejournal.com]

Michael,

Thank-you for the good post.

I too have commented on the massacre in my LJ. It is especially close to me as 13 of the dead, as engineering students,were going to be my peers one day. Now they never will. They were killed for being women who wanted to be engineers. I had never considered until that date that someone would want to murder people because they chose my profession.

Thank-you for also mentioning that 13 were wounded. I had forgotten that fact.

ty for giving their names

[ylani.livejournal.com]

I quoted you on my lj and copied the names and beginning paragraph onto my lj hope youdont' mind as i did give you credit...ty again.

*hugs*

[tashiro.livejournal.com]

Do you remember when I worked at CHUO, and you and I were interviwed about this? I had a white ribbon around my arm, and the news crew had me on TV.

I still have that on tape, and I think what I said then still applies now -- this has to be kept in the public's awareness, it has to be made important, because if we let ourselves lapse, this sort of thing can happen again.

[mikepictor.livejournal.com]

....I didn't, but yeah, I remember it now. That'd be about the right timing for it.