Debating Feminism
This years CBA’s have again given rise to controversy. Last year the inclusion of a feminist category was considered unnecessary and this year it was included but was a complete farce. Commencing with the nomination of avowed feminist haters, continuing with a mysterious masked women’s studies minor slicing and dicing the nominiations dumping a true feminist (JJ) and including REAL women follower C4C and further continuing with Sask dumping again on women’s issues. So much of this devolves down to simplistic and erroneous assumptions of feminists being anti-child and anti-family. Which is anti-reality. The simple fact is that not everyone can or wants to stay home. In fact when it comes to the poor much is made about expecting single mothers or both parents to get out there and work. No mention is made of the lack of decent, licensed, affordable child care. Cutesy little scenarios of childcare choices while making terrific sappy little greeting cards do nothing to solve the issues for real families. I stayed home and raised 6 children and live in poverty because of it. Will receive no pension because of it. Many glurgy, gloppy sugary sweet fables are told of our love of family and children but this is simply not the case.
Those who identify as Cons do not support daycare which is necessary for many families to survive. They do not support good strong social foundations that would allow women to stay home and raise their children should they so choose and not have to do so in a way that compromises their ability to clothe, house and feed said children or their ability to feed, clothe and house themselves in their senior years. They do not support maternity leave or father’s leave or any of a number of things which would show true support of family. They rave on about women taking time off to have children and thereby inconveniencing employers and making it less likely they are as up to date as their male counterparts and in the same breath deride women who do not want to have children, or who choose daycare for their children. The real message then is that women ought not to work at all, but should have children and then magically fart out the monies required to raise them. They don’t believe in abortion but also don’t believe they have any responsibility to the children they are feel are illegitimate.
Do not look to the Cons or con apologists for family friendly legislation. It is the feminists who fight for good quality daycare affordable to all. It is feminists who fight for maternity benefits. It is feminists who fight for children to be recognized as equal regardless of circumstances of birth.
Courtesans were well trained to provide their benefactors with a feeling of power, they stroked egos, manipulated and always appeared subservient even when leading the way. These are attributes that many con women have refined to an even higher art. And sadly many men still fall for it. And while they repeat the mantra of feminists as man haters the worst man haters I have known have been conservative religious women. The things they say about men would curl your hair, and the ways in which they undermine men is scary in it’s Machiavellianism, yet in conversation or relationship with them they are as sweet as cherry cheesecake. Similarly some of the worst mothers I have known as those that say that women belong in the home raising their children. The reason for this is that they do not even necessarily like children, they are merely responding to an ideology and expectation and when they find themselves trapped in a life they hate they respond with a misery loves company mentality trying to ensure that everyone is forced to be as unhappy as themselves.
Ultimately, debating feminism is like debating any other human rights, there are those that find a masturbatory satisfaction is doing so, however rights are not and should not be the subject of debate.
December 6th Memorial
‘Tis the Season of the Pharisees
Just like many other Canadians this holiday season my family will be ‘making do’. For us the war on Christmas is not the inclusiveness of the many celebrations that take place at this time of year. It is not a choice of Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays on a sign or Christmas card. Heck I have Christmas cards that I received as a child back in the sixties that say Happy Holidays. It is not nativity scenes being kept off public property. The real war on Christmas is declared by the corporatists and right wingers. Corporations continue to move jobs off shore while at the same time advertising tells us we are somehow lacking without the latest and greatest new thing we should go into debt for. Right wingers and their ideologue political choices continue to filter money to their corporatist friends while gutting programs that help those in need.
How many children will wonder why Santa bypassed their homes this year? How many families will recall Christmas’s with son’s, daughters, mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, uncles , aunts, civilians and soldiers alike now dead because of war? How many families will spend Christmas wondering if the New Year will include employment or knowing it won’t? Wondering if they will even have a home next Christmas. How many are waiting for the political will to ensure there are jobs instead of rhetoric about people needing to tighten their belt or accept service positions that won’t cover the bills?
The war is on the people and it is year round. It relies on mean spirited, selfish motivations. It relies on those willing to spout a philosophy they cannot live. Those who spend the year advocating against relief programs then professing to protect the legacy of one who was born homeless and into poverty to young single mother.
Lest We Forget
Once a year we get together to remember the atrocity of the massacre at École Polytechnique. We are bound together in our horror and tears. When you see 14 roses being placed side by side it hits with full force just how many lives were ended that tragic day.
It could be hoped that their lives were not taken in vain, that steps would be taken to change the way women’s success and independence are viewed. Yet our current government has declared war on feminism. Status of Women Canada has been subjugated to the interests of the anti-feminist agenda of the right wing. Equality is no longer on the table, advocacy and research likewise have been struck down and if this years ‘Governor General’s Award in Commemoration of the Persons Case’ are an indication, it seems the epitome of a feminist is a corporate male. Daycare is given short shrift through completely inadequate programs such as the Child Tax Benefit the EI program continues to destroyed leaving women particularly vulnerable and the ‘lack of stimulus budget’ still includes a clause to end pay equity.
In the finance ministers weasel words;
“Another issue we intend to address is the litigious, adversarial, and complaints-based approach to pay equity. Since the mid-1980s, Canadian taxpayers have paid out over $4 billion in pay equity settlements. These settlements were the result of pay equity complaints to the Canadian Human Rights Commission. These complaints were filed after agreements on public sector wages had already been reached through collective bargaining,” Flaherty said.
“New complaints continue to be filed, sometimes for the same groups that have already received past pay equity settlements. These represent large potential future costs to taxpayers. This costly and litigious regime of ‘double pay equity’ has been in place for too long. We are introducing legislation to make pay equity an integral part of collective bargaining.”
Were we all receiving the amounts of money Flaherty refers to, one wonders how women’s incomes still tend to be 75% that of men’s.
Appalling levels of violence against women continue to flourish. Every year over 60 women are killed by their partners in what is euphemistically referred to as ‘domestic violence’. Since 1989, 1140 women have lost their lives.
Con supporters likewise have shown their contempt for women by scheduling rallies for today in support of this misogynist government. One supporter said this
Look. Just because one group holds a memorial to promote their feminist ideology, does not mean there aren’t more important issues or issue others believe are important. When did you all get dibs on deciding what was most important?
So remembering FOURTEEN women murdered for the crime of being women is simply a political agenda. Nothing to see here folks. Never did trust anything that bleeds for seven days and doesn’t die. These are the same people that say Lepine was an aberration yet their attitudes are not far removed from his.
Ever year the trolls come out to denigrate this day, to denigrate women and to uphold Lepine as a hero. Their mockery of the lives of these women is but a reflection of the contempt with which women and women’s issues are still treated. We must not allow those who see women, women’s rights, and women’s deaths as unimportant to set the tone for our country.
A Hamilton reporter went to McMaster to ask about the December 6th memorial. While these young adults knew all about Columbine, and other American school shootings none that she mentioned knew anything about École Polytechnique. Interesting that in all the other cases it the shooters who are remembered who are built up in status like modern day Billie the Kid’s. Yet the victims are clearly forgotten.
Let us not forget.
Who wants to be USA North?
I’m wondering who is behind the polling questions on the latest Angus Reid poll. Most deal with questions of confidence around the parties and leaders and whether you support coalition. There was also this question among the mix;
Which of these political systems do you think would be best for Canada?
Please select one response only.
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A presidential system, with an executive branch that is separate from the legislature
The current parliamentary system, with the prime minister and cabinet exercising power
A semi-presidential system, with a president in charge of foreign policy and a prime minister in charge of domestic policy
Not sure
A Presidential or Semi-Presidential system? Wonder who’s looking into garnering support for that?

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