I honestly don’t get what’s happening to women MPs, MPPs, and all manner of women politicians and civil servants. The hatred being directed their way is costing us, as a nation, the talent of wonderfully gifted and purposeful people in public life. And there has to be a way to stop it.
Misogyny has been around for as long as we have, but it seems much worse today, probably for a number of reasons.
One of those is the fact that more and more women have entered the realm of politics, becoming more visible as decision-makers. That holds true in upper management for both public and private entities as well. Second, the emergence of social media and its allowance of online personal banditry makes it easier for people to harass and intimidate others, and in particular women. Thirdly, we seem to be in an age where angry males feel more and more left out of mainstream opportunities that were once theirs alone. As society changes and becomes more reflective of inclusion and demographic realities, these men see women as people who have benefitted from affirmative action programs at their expense. Finally, some men just don’t respect women at all, maybe something they witnessed first-person at home while growing up.
When Elliot McDavid of Grande Prairie confronted Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland last summer in that town’s municipal building, he was the action-man stereotype of the repugnant male, often supported and goaded along by an equally repugnant female. It was almost perfect that he was wearing the kind of t-shirt known as a “wife-beater” when he did it.
How is it that this person faces no consequences for his abhorrent behaviour? Instead, he gets to be a local hero among his pals, probably knocking back cold ones while re-watching the video of the attack that was made by his girlfriend/wife who filmed it while offering her own belligerent commentary.
He yelled out her name. A big man, he advanced upon the all-female party as they entered an elevator, closing the distance rapidly and surely. He vomited out a stream of hateful profanity towards the minister who, with her colleagues, just took it without any inflammatory push-back of any kind.
This is assault. When you put a person in fear of their safety, and if it’s reasonably felt that you intend to carry out some act of personal violence on that person, then you have assault. You don’t need to strike, that’s battery. Elliot O’Connor committed assault against one of Canada’s ranking politicians. Yet he got to go home and har-de-har with his buds in the garage.
In a world full of assholes, how is it that there isn’t one who’s going to visit Elliot with a baseball bat and deliver a little dose of good-ol’ fuck you? Where are those assholes? Illegal as hell, as in assault with a weapon or even aggravated assault if Elliot experiences grievous injury. But satisfying as all giddy-up.
I would never counsel such strong illegal and violent action, but in the vacuum of official action, it’d be kind of nice to send a guy to jail for doing the rest of us a solid. Hell, I’d send him candy in prison.
People have lost their minds with hatred towards others, and of course, as in all other things, women bear a disproportionate amount of the stuff being thrown around.
We’re not ever going to chase this problem away. But does that mean we’re just going to sit back and allow such behaviour to continue and to be regarded as normal?
Elliot O’Connor would kick the living snots out of me ten times out of ten. He’s bigger. He’s younger. He’s stronger. He’s got that t-shirt. And he’s ugly. But friends, I’d have something to say, for sure. Maybe even something to do, regardless of my beaten-up snots. Still, it would be nice if there was somebody out there bigger, badder, uglier who could sort of jump into Elliot’s face and make him cry.
When are we going to make social media more accountable? If you threaten somebody online, or threaten their family, or their pets, or their property, is it okay that you can just fade into anonymity afterwards? You know, like a coward?
I’m a senior white male. I have common decency when I interact publicly with others, and show due respect to everyone regardless of gender. I don’t judge you on your race, your gender, your beliefs, your language, your culture, or any of that. I judge you by how you treat others and on the integrity you display as you go about your business.
These louts need to be stopped. Count this old bastard in.
It’s a hill I’d fight on.
NEWSMAGRENFREW 