It took 30 years for the Polytechnique massacre to be officially recognized as an act of violence against women and femicide. When 22 people were killed in Nova Scotia the RCMP skirted around the notion that the killer’s actions were spurred by misogyny.
When we learned that the first victim of the attack was GW’s partner—who survived—RCMP used language that labelled her as a catalyst for the deaths.
When The Coast published two articles quoting or written by feminists and advocates for the prevention of violence against women in light of the April killings, people took time to dismiss the claims.
These pieces, ‘Call it by its name: Misogynist violence’ and ‘From day one, advocates knew shooting was linked to domestic violence’, along with providing an often-overlooked perspective, show the importance of believing women.
We know the importance of believing women.
Yet in the comments and shares across social media, we were shown how much work is still left to be done.
So when it was reported this week by CBC, the Canadian Press and the Halifax Examiner that a woman had reported the Nova Scotia gunman’s misogynist behaviour to police years ago, it’s hard to say people were surprised. Disappointed and furious, yes, but even now the insistence on discrediting claims of violence against women are evergreen.
‘Boe,’ who was the gunman’s neighbour in Portapique back in 2004, says one night she saw clear proof domestic violence was happening.
“They weren’t even in that house for a year when [GW’s partner] ran over to my house one day saying that Gabriel was beating her up and she was scared. She wanted to hide somewhere because he had blocked her car with his truck so she couldn’t get out,” she told the Halifax Examiner.
In the summer of 2013, when another incident occurred, Boe reported it to police. But nothing happened.
“The RCMP basically said, ‘the only way that we can actually get the information on this and prove it … like for her being beaten and strangled and stuff like that. She has to say it.’ And there’s no way that she would do that,” Boe told the Examiner.
On May 13, Premier Stephen McNeil addressed domestic violence in his daily C-19 briefing. “We are seeing too many of our daughters and sisters living in violence and fear and staying there because of their children or staying there because of the fear of their lives, and we need to have an open and frank conversation about how do address this issue in our province,” he said.
Although McNeil gave no specific announcement, he said domestic violence is “completely unacceptable” in this day and age, and alluded to a future announcement. “We need to create a network to give them a way out that feels safe and secure so that they can rebuild their lives,” the Premier said.
But feminists know this happens all the time. Women report violence, it gets media attention for a few weeks, but eventually, it gets overlooked, denied, and dismissed.
“Studying a problem endlessly without actually doing anything about it is not going to change,” Linda MacDonald of Nova Scotia Feminists Fighting Femicide told The Coast in April.
McNeil admitted Wednesday in response to a question that Nova Scotia likely isn’t doing enough to prevent domestic violence.
“You’re never doing enough if women and girls are living in fear,” he said.
If your post is included here, thank you, dear reader, for showing folks around the world how much work is still left to be done.
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This article appears in May 1-31, 2020.
“I’m disappointed but not surprised to see the camps dig in to spin a tragedy to support their ideological narrative.”
Claiming there is no ideology behind the attack is its own insidious kind of spin. Dante reserved a circle of hell for fence-sitters like this.
I’m completely befuddled by the angry resistance some people demonstrate to considering that this was mostly about violence against women. I will be very surprised if almost all the victims are not linked to domestic violence, including men who were killed because they stepped in to help previously, or were collateral victims shot during the “rampage”. Three other women (and no men) were gunned down in cold blood. He knew the other two who women did not die in Portapique. The two other people he killed (and a third he tried to kill) were RCMP officers. If the violence and control he had exerted over his domestic partner had been dealt with safely, this would not have happened. Men like this control women in relationships with threats they will kill them, their families, their friends, and anyone who tries to help them – and that’s what he did.
I’m not sure that putting labels on acts and pointing fingers will answer any questions or solve any problems. Males attack females; females attack males; males attach males, and females attach females. We have to find the root of the behaviour. We have to be taught how to identify the signs of potential violence and we have to learn how to deal with those warning signs to try to prevent any kind of violence against anyone regardless of sex or race. it is not a competition to see if women outnumber men or whites outnumber all other races. The violence is inbred in the individual from sources we can only guess at. Genes, abuse in all its forms, and other extenuating circumstances? Why do individuals choose to be violent? As a type of violence Domestic Violence is typically against females. No two ways about it. I think in many cases it stops there, in the home. But where does the violence of wars, and drug dealing, and theft and fraud, and any number of community situations come from? Where does it begin? At home, school, in the workplace? It probably will never be resolved with a definite answer. Therefore we have to learn and teach the proper way to handle the individuals who are filled with the need to be violent with others. While teaching them there are better ways we also have to give them hope and love and the knowledge that they are loved. They need to find self-esteem and know that it can bring great happiness and comfort. Stop the negativity with each other and be nice and respectful. No one person in the world knows what another has lived through. Be the cure not the cause. It takes a lot more energy to be violent than it takes to be kind, respectful and loving to all man-kind. And the benefits are beautiful.
Great article on a tough subject. I think that deep inner rage and self hatred are at the root causes of mass shootings (which, as we know, are sadly carried out overwhelmingly by men.. have their been any woman mass shootings?).
Women are still in the echoes of being the weaker sex.. when did we get the vote in various countries, all less than a 100 years ago? And in some countries, just getting the right to drive, and to show our faces.. still recent examples of things like getting shot by a jealous boyfriend, in front of a crowd and no one says anything. Tons of small slights.. like any for long-term oppressed category, things are a bit messy in the getting more power phase. So, it is not surprising that men who are angry take that anger out on women, because it is still a rather safe place to deposit that anger, because they have less power and because the societal responses to curtail those actions and the threat of those actions need further development.
How can we help to show that this violence (toward anyone) is not okay? By taking it seriously when it is reported. GW was very very cruel and taunting to male and female neighbours. He was especially so to women.
So, gender aside, lets all take this kind of cries for help through cruelty that GW was neon sign flagging seriously in future.. so that we may “nip in the bud” signs of a person who is hurting others and hopefully, avoid mass shootings. Early warning signs for mass killing are are not always gendered, they are also things like hurting animals, hurting romantic partners (of any gender, but yes the stats show over-over-whelmingly still men towards women).
Also I want to note that anyone who saw GW’s behaviour and didn’t report it was totally valid for not.. because part of the danger was getting on his radar and he was extremely threatening towards several sets of neighbours who then had to move away in order to get their lives back.
Its a horrible time we will spend our lives digesting it all I feel. Please be gentle with everyone as we discuss these topics! Much love to all <3