The Montreal Massacre and the Never-ending Violence Against Women

At a time when the United States is going through yet another spasm of gun violence.

And I see how some wing nut in that country reacted to this editorial in the New York Times. 



I'm glad that I live in Canada, and grateful that today is National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.

And that Justin Trudeau, our new Prime Minister attended a ceremony on Mount Royal, where 14 beams on light were projected into the sky.

To remember these Canadian victims of gun violence.



Twenty-six years after they were murdered by a man who hated women. 

The day, first established in 1991, marks the anniversary of the 14 women killed in a mass shooting at l’École Polytechnique de Montréal. 

 It’s been 26 years since Marc Lepine took a 223-calibre Strum-Ruger rifle, separated the men from the women in an engineering class, ranted about his hatred of feminists, and went on a shooting spree before killing himself.

And I'm also encouraged to see that all over the country, Canadians also gathered to honour their memory...



And remind us that the war on women continues, and that as a society we've got to do much more to stop it.

I'm also glad that Quebec is moving ahead with plans to bring back the gun registry. 

Quebec will create its own registry for non-restricted firearms, Public Security Minister Pierre Moreau announced Thursday, more than three years after the Conservative government passed a law abolishing the federal long-gun database.

Because whatever people in the rest of the country think about it, it was their precious legacy, and the legacy of those who loved them, and at least in Quebec it will be honoured.

And I'm delighted to see that the Trudeau government is planning to tighten up our gun control laws. 

Because we can't do enough to try to prevent another massacre like this one...



Or prevent our country from becoming another blood soaked Amerika. The home of the violent and the crazy.

Which reminds me, people who love guns more than people please spare me your comments. Over the years I have received hundreds of vile, hate filled diatribes. So now I delete them on arrival.

I know your position, you're welcome to it, and you know mine.

And because I have seen close-up the effects of gun violence, and because my heroes are healers not killers, and because I'm with the nations's first responders, I too will NEVER change my mind.

Or forget how Stephen Harper used the gun registry debate to divide Canadians...



And express his undying contempt for the rights of women.

But now is not the day to bring up that horror. Or Harper's hideous legacy.

Now is the time to recommit to the struggle against the violence inflicted on women.

As we take back our Canada, work to make it safer.

And remember these murdered women and all the other victims...



I know it has been a long time. I know some people would rather I let sleeping ghosts lie. And some would clearly like to kill me for daring to question their "right" to own as many guns as they want.

But some stories help define the country we are or want to become.

And they must never be forgotten...

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