2012 12 06 -- Gun Control and the Montreal Massacre
What an amazing coincidence that a report recommending what
kind of gun legistlation we should have would be issued today—December 6th,--25th anniversary of the Montreal Massacre. 6 women were murdered for the crime of taking
engineering at the École Polytechnique.
The event has become the Canadian symbol of the rampant problem in our
country of violence against women.
Issuing this report today is like throwing sand in the face of the
families and loved ones of those in this country who have lost their lives
because of violence against women.
Violence against women takes many forms:
o
Domestic violence (including premarital date
rape) (Aggravated by addictions)
o
Economic violence (Incomes of $500-1000 per
person per month for social assistance leaves people vulnerable and exposed)
o
Cultural violence
caused by different view of acceptable male-female roles and relations.
o
Residential schools resulted in a complex set of
disease and dysfunction that often results in violence against women
o
Violence against women in the sex trade.
All of the people who are affected by this violence want to
see that steps will be taken to address these issues. We want to know that if a crime occurs
against a woman, no matter who she may be, she deserves a full investigation of
the situation. We want to know that
known crime prevention measures are being implemented to reduce these social
problems that result in violence.
We want a full evaluation to determine if the long gun
registry was at all effective in reducing gun crime. If it was, we want it back. If it was not, we want measures implemented
that will reduce gun crime. Too many of
us are on the wrong end of a gun.
The report reflects the point of view of those who supported
abolition of the long gun registry. The
body creating the report had no mandate to obtain the views of either police
chiefs or victims of crime or their families.
The recommendations include extending license renewals to ten years from
five. It proposes to loosen gun control
rules. They say there is no relationship
between these actions and violence against women.
The police disagree.
Again and again the government acts to reduce the safety of
Canadians while claiming to be the government of law and order. What can we do to stop this militarization of
our culture?
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