Every year it breaks my heart to watch as 14 roses pile up in remembrance of the horror of December 6, 1989.
In the face of such an atrocity one can only hope that lessons will be learned. Unfortunately, it seems that few have paid attention.
Women are still being killed simply for being women, for asserting their rights, or simply for being there. Women’s shelters are still full and daily women face abuses and the possibility of death.
It is often difficult, especially in light of such tragedies, to make those privileged enough not to have to deal with the daily issues see how ‘small’ things contribute to the larger picture.
When you allow words as weapons (calling women cunts, throw like a girl, etc), when you excuse sexist behaviour, when you smear an MP because she calls someone on an act that would not be allowed in any other workplace, when commercials that talk about how “boys are just built different” no icky girls allowed, when these things passed unremarked the message that girls are somehow ‘less than’ is ingrained.
The women cut down in the act of terror committed that day deserve better.
Lest we forget
Gamil Gharby did indeed kill these women because they were being educated . As a good Muslim he was demonstrating what Islam feels about the females place in society. Unfortunately feminists created another story about all men and their inherent badness.
Why do you not engage Islam? What about Aqsa Parvez and all the women of Islam like her who face death at the hands of their male relatives? Feminist groups say nothing on this issue and thus lose a great deal of credibility.
Is it because they are not quite your sisters? Or are you afraid to criticize Islam?
A) anyone who reads my blog knows I have no use for any religion. I have nothing against those who are spiritual, believe in a god/goddess/spaghetti monster/unicorn, but religion of any ilk is no better than a cult mentality designed to place one group of people over another.
Now B)as for your Islamophobia. It’s spelled, Gharbi and Lepine was born in Montreal and was baptized a Catholic. And it is pretty obvious how the catholic church views women.
C) Apparently you are the type of person who crashes memorial services with uneducated rantings. Perhaps you should see someone about that.
Bl@kbird, I was in Oklahoma City a couple of months after those good christian, Timothy McVeigh, Eric Nichols and Michael Mike Fortier -showed their love for all mankind by blowing up the Murrah Building. It was amazing how a small truck load of Amex can take out half a substantial building.
Did you comment anywhere how this terrible, terrible act was a function of their western culture and Christian identity? The three fools that did it took it as a protest against the incident at Waco, involving a very Christian, if off-centre, bunch.
If not, if you apply one standard to Islam and another to Christians, then you, sir (a’ la Keith Olbermann) are a racist. As for your comments about the “feminists created another story” – it is you sir that has bent and twisted the story to suit your own sick logic.
April – while I respect your judgement in most things – it is hard for me to agree with your views of religions ….. if they work for several billions of people, I cannot dismiss that as a cult or a social passing fancy.