G7 Welcoming Committee Records. Uncooperative since 1997.

No folks, misogyny is not a delicious Asian soup. It’s the hatred of women, and December 6th each year marks the anniversary of an event known as the Montréal Massacre, which sadly exemplifies this hatred taken to its end game.

It would be an interesting coincidence (not irony, as a less incredibly smart and literariliy-minded author might have written) that tomorrow holds the expected verdict of Robert Picton, who is accused of abducting, torturing, raping, and murdering up to 31 women on his farm in B.C.

Alas, it is not, because in our “enlightened” society, misogyny still stews in our culture, our institutions, our workplaces, and even in most of us. In a society that still happily depicts women as sexual objects, domineering nags, or helpless victims, it’s no surprise that those in that society who are prone to violence and are looking for a scapegoat for their shortcomings would specifically target them. And with hundreds of Aboriginal women reported missing in Canada with little or no police action, what message is sent to those already warped by our culture’s fucked-up view of half of the population?

While it’s easy — and even fashionable these days — to point with disdain at cultures in other parts of the world where women are considered second-class citizens and have few rights enshrined legally, we should remind ourselves that women are getting a fucking raw deal in the West as well. Despite hard-gotten gains, there’s still a ways to go.

Hopefully this doesn’t come off as paternalistic, further portraying women as “helpless victims” while condemning that very portrayal. Cuz that would actually be ironic.

And that’s coming from a guy … with a dink!

See previously: 17 years later, how much has changed?.

As this week finds us bombarded with confusing and generally completely inadequate snippets of reporting on an alleged peace process nearing completion in the mideast, perhaps it is a good time to revisit the late Tanya Reinhart’s devastating and timely book “The Road Map to Nowhere”. Things are not always as they seem.

Travis Tomchuk, legendary front-dude of G7 heavy-weights Malefaction was recently in up in Tyendinaga (Mohawk land being stripped of resources by the Federal and Provincial Government of Ontario), helping install insulation for the coming winter.

He also forwarded the following interview with Shawn Brant, spokesperson for the Bay of Quinte Mohawks who is facing 12 years in jail for his part in actions that closed the CN rail lines through Tyendinaga on April 20, 2006 and 2007, and the 401 and rail lines June 29, 2007. Very interesting indeed.

For more information, solidarity action suggestions, and donations
details for the Tyendinaga Legal Defence Fund go here.

Interview with Shawn Brant, Nov. 7, 2007.
by Matt Silburn, Kingston Indigenous Solidarity Network

Matt Silburn: I don’t feel like regular Canadians, understand that what seems like an increased militancy on indigenous territory within Canada is coming from a cultural revitalization. Or that’s how it seems to me anyway, I wonder if you’d speak to that.

Shawn Brant: Well it’s interesting because I think the cultural revitalization comes from the militancy and not the other way around. I think that what has happened even in the last year has created a sense of pride and optimism that wasn’t otherwise available to young people living in First Nations communities. Particularly when the demographics show that 50% of the community is under the age of 22. There really wasn’t a belief that learning the culture, learning the language, learning that attachment to the land was important because there was no pride that was being taken in the community or from leadership or a direction that promoted that. I think in the last year, young people have come to realize that there are options available rather than the status quo and waiting for things to happen and it’s that whole taking control of your life and making things happen. I think that that has allowed for what we see now, that community, that culture, that integrity and that pride. And people are seeing that in First nations communities just because you’re poor, doesn’t mean that you’re lacking of character and integrity and culture. And it’s nice. It’s a nice change. We know that those are the types of feelings that reduce the number of suicides. And even if there isn’t any immediate financial relief, there needs to be immediate an social relief. And that’s best demonstrated by the actions that have been taken, and militant action.
Keep reading …

Anyone out there read the book Human Cargo? I’m only a few pages in, but am already feeling the weight of it. Here is a special guest endorsement from that legendary celebrity Todd “The Real Hairhole” Kowalski of Propagandhi, specially formulated for your inner crusty:

“What would happen if in some bizarre mutation of reality crusty punks actually achieved their goals of making North America a zone of total and utter chaos? The vermin eat the weak, the strong die of filth, the elderly rot as cities go dead, the grocery stores are sold out of their last packs of Mr. Noodles and no one has any more power to play their Amebix records. Well, it’s quite possible that you may end up being forced to flee your beloved homeland to another part of the world where the punk scene does not have such an overwhelming grip on society. Becoming a refugee could happen to anyone on this planet, even you.

Imagine your life if you had to pay and trust traffickers and smugglers to help you get to safety. What if when you got to where you were going you were met with detention, threat of deportation, and unwelcoming citizens? What if your situation was taken advantage of by criminals and employers who would heartlessly abuse your situation?

Now add to this list the fact you ended up in a part of the world where you didn’t understand the language, or customs, where your gestures of good will were interpreted as insulting, where people are not willing to take the time to help you, where everyday new obstacles were introduced, where you could not, no matter how hard you tried, grasp the way your new home works, and even though you were a highly skilled engineer back home your degree has been rendered worthless.

Lets add to that that you were a different colour than everybody else and lets say you were there alone, frustrated, you are dropped in an unsafe area of the city and you afraid to leave the room you stay in.

This (minus the crusty punks) is reality for millions of courageous people in this world everyday.

Human Cargo is one of the greatest books of all time. It may change the way you look at life.”

You can check out Human Cargo here, or look for it at your local library.

I thought i was pretty much acclimatized to the genius of the Ali G/ Borat schtick, but this still somehow managed to make me laugh.

Remember, i live in a bubble.