Remembering Dec. 6
As the 11th anniversary of the Montreal Massacre approaches, some people ask, "Why are we still marking this event?"
The answer is simple--violence against women continues today. Almost every day, the news carries horror stories of women dying at the hands of their partners.
Groups working to eliminate violence against women face a significant backlash from those who think of these events as random, isolated incidents. Moreover, stereotypes that characterize violence against women as less serious, her fault, or an individual man's mental illness, continue to be fought.
Every time a woman suffers violence, it must be acknowledged that such violence is still not taken seriously despite advances made in the past 10 years. Women still face the threat of rape, assault, abuse, discrimination, and still earn less money in the same jobs as men.
Mi'kmaq women, in addition to facing discrimination based on gender and race, remain poor and have higher rates of ill health and abuse. All members of visible minorities face racism as a form of violence that pierces to the very core.
The 14 women killed in Montreal in 1989 stand as symbols of the continued violence women face in their lives.
What we forget, we are doomed to relive.
When a woman dies, we sit back and say, "How did that happen?" Lori Maxwell's death in Truro clearly shows that collaboration among community agencies was limited, that Lori's safety and indeed her very life were not adequately protected.
How many women are going to die at the hands of their male partners? How many times are we going to sit back and do nothing when we hear on the news that another woman is fighting for her life? The problem is not going away. That is why we must remember the 14 women in Montreal and every woman who dies at the hands of her male partner, leaving children without mothers, and mothers without daughters.
Recognizing Dec. 6 is also necessary for the families and friends of those who were killed--not only in Montreal, but throughout our country and our province. Grief counsellors at the Bereaved Parents' Support Group in Halifax will tell you that recognizing Dec. 6 helps families cope with their loss by showing that society hasn't forgotten their loved ones.
A death by violence becomes a loss that society doesn't want to think about and, therefore, is treated like taboo and not openly discussed. Non-grievers think they are doing the parent a favour by not mentioning the child's name, but they need to recognize that parents are terribly afraid that their children will be forgotten.
The 14 women in Montreal, and all the women killed each year, leave behind families: sisters, brothers, parents, children, nieces and nephews, and grandparents. Those left behind must live with this heart-wrenching loss every day. The families need to know that we remember and that each and every one of these women lives on in our hearts and memories and continues to be a catalyst for change.