I wish I had the time and focus to write something eloquent and powerful about the Dec. 6, 1989 Montreal Massacre and the resulting National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, but to be honest, I’ve spent the past hour crying through a news program about violence against women and it left me feeling defeated.
So this is just a quick note to remind you all that today marks a significant, sad day in herstory. CBC has archived footage here and I’m pasting Status of Women Canada’s official statement below.
NATIONAL DAY OF REMEMBRANCE AND ACTION ON VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
December 6
Did you know that December 6 is the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women in Canada? Established in 1991 by the Parliament of Canada, this day marks the anniversary of the murders in 1989 of 14 young women at l’École Polytechnique de Montréal. They died because they were women.
As well as commemorating the 14 young women whose lives ended in an act of gender-based violence that shocked the nation, December 6 represents an opportunity for Canadians to reflect on the phenomenon of violence against women in our society. It is also an opportunity to consider the women and girls for whom violence is a daily reality, and to remember those who have died as a result of gender-based violence. And finally, it is a day on which communities can consider concrete actions to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls.
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four comments
Could you refrain from using "herstory" - A) out of respect for those that associate its usage with extremism and B) out of respect for those that know "history"'s innocuous root in Latin.
Posted by Michelle
December 6, 2007, 8:08 PM
"I read [history] a little as a duty; but it tells me nothing that does not either vex or weary me. The quarrels of popes and kings, with wars and pestilence on every page; the men all so good for nothing, and hardly any women at all, it is very tiresome; and yet I often think that it should be so dull, for a great deal of it must be invention."
Catherine Morland in "Northanger Abbey," by Jane Austen.
I have no issue with the word "herstory;" in fact, I prefer to use when discussing the story of women's lives and in celebrating the voices of women.
Since it's origins as merely a descriptive narrative, "history" has been used to serve the interests of men, to describe the world from men's points of view, and to silence the voices of women.
Whereas "history" tends to focus on death and destruction, wars and violence, "herstory" tends to focus on the lives of women. I see nothing extreme in presenting an alternate vision wherein the experiences of women are valued.
However, I would much rather see the term "herstory" used to describe the wonderful things women have done and given to the world, rather than in documenting an act of male violence against women.
Posted by John
December 6, 2007, 9:28 PM
You make a good point, John. To be honest, I hardly ever use the word herstory and I'm not sure why I did in this particular instance. I think I was feeling kind of off-balance after hearing several women's stories about losing loved ones to violence, and was just fumbling for words when none seemed to be enough. That said, I don't find the term offensive and don't personally associate it with extremism.
Posted by melinda
December 7, 2007, 11:27 AM
Thanks for posting about this for us Melinda - I meant to post something but like you, couldn't really think of what to say. One of the most distressing things about this is that, looking at the date, it occurred to me that it was almost 20 years ago. 20 years! But yet things haven't changed THAT much.
Posted by Thea
December 7, 2007, 1:13 PM
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