Writer disrespectful
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Updated: November 04, 2009 7:57 AM
In his column in the Oct. 23 edition of the Cariboo Connector, Jon McCormick makes the disclaimer that no disrespect is intended and then proceeds with his profoundly not only disrespectful, but ignorant and patronizing litany of all the ways women need to change in order not to be victimized by men.
Firstly, what makes anyone think that women and men who “march with lighted candles” are passive resisters?
Where is it written that just because one chooses to make a non-confrontational, educational protest, that it is mutually exclusive of being prepared to haul off and kick an assailant in his equipment or blast him with bear spray?
Give us some credit.
Secondly, the march is not intended to change the behaviour of the Neanderthals that we are daily required to cope with in the streets of this country; no one is that naive.
The march is a public show of solidarity and sisterhood, a concept of which Mr. McCormick clearly hasn’t a clue, and a call for supportive males to lower their own capacity for tolerance of violence towards women, and foster respect in its place.
Men violate women for one reason only; they are allowed to.
In giving the advice that he does, Mr. McCormick indicates women, who are dealt with violently, are best served by responding with a “my stick is bigger than yours” kind of reciprocal violence.
Since violence begets violence, although this may have its short-
term attraction and may be an appropriate
first response to clear
and present danger, it is highly unsatisfactory as a long-term policy of behaviour for women towards men.
It compromises our integrity, insults our intelligence and demeans us; as we do what is done to us we are diminished.
The fact that Mr. McCormick has the temerity to comment at all on this subject is evidence of either sublimely blissful ignorance or the purest male pretension and self-righteousness; it’s probably a mixture and I’m willing to grant good intention without proof of its absence.
However, thus is the road to hell paved, and all well - intentioned males could note and note well, that on the question of violence towards women and children, it is males who must change, not females.
Rita Giesbrecht
105 Mile
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