Like many other Canadians, I have been riveted to ongoing media coverage of the murders of Marie France Comeau and Jessica Lloyd, the sexual assaults of two other women in Eastern Ontario and the charges laid against Russell Williams.
Perhaps because my political activism also includes work to end the Canadian military presence in Afghanistan, the fact of Williams’ high rank in the Canadian Air Force makes the story all the more compelling.
I am deeply disturbed by the way in which these women and, more generally, the issue of violence against women, which should be at the centre of media attention, have all but disappeared.
Television, radio and print media are providing detailed reports about the impact this arrest has had on the morale of Canada’s soldiers. We have read, heard and watched General Walter Natynczyk, Chief of the Defence Staff, tell the troops to “stand proud” despite the allegations facing Williams. We have heard allegations that one soldier may have been spit upon and that others may have received a less than warm welcome in the Trenton community. We have been told that Natynczyk ventured into a Tim Horton’s coffee shop wearing his uniform and was treated with respect by other customers.
We have, as we always do in cases of femicide, heard stories from Williams’ colleagues about what a wonderful man and soldier he is and how shocked they are to hear of his arrest.
We have even heard about Williams’ kindness to frogs, which he apparently always carefully removes from his lawn before mowing the grass – the lawn of his home near Tweed, which appears to be a repository for at least some of the evidence that may link him to the crimes with which he has been charged.
We have heard endless chatter from an array of experts, including professional serial killer profilers with the FBI, as they speculate about how a man of such stature could possibly commit these horrendous crimes.
But we have not heard about violence against women. We have not heard from those experts. And yet, once the momentary thrill of Williams’ elevated position within the military fades, as it will do, that is what this story is really about.
The real story is not about Williams’ military rank. In this country, men rape women every day. More than one woman a week is murdered by a man. What these men do for a living is not relevant. The fact that Canadian culture, values and laws allow men to rape, beat and kill women is relevant.
The war being waged on women here at home every day, year in and year out is what is relevant.
In my wildest dreams, I could not even imagine the issue of violence against women receiving the number of column inches or radio or television minutes that have been devoted to the sensationalized aspects of this story.
Today is Jessica Lloyd’s funeral. There is nothing that can make her death anything less than a terrible tragedy.
Perhaps, though, the media might take the opportunity to stop talking about Williams and the military and instead talk about her murder, the murder of Marie France Comeau and the rapes of the two other women in a way that just might mean one day women in this country will be able to live free from the threat and reality of male violence.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
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Thank you for writing and posting this!
ReplyDeletePamela,
ReplyDeleteThis is exactly what I've been thinking. I kept returning to the globe and mail waiting for coverage of the victims, but the stories detailed the dismay of the armed forces.
Yes, it is this type of media coverage that continues the permissive climate for woman abuse and murder. Women who are raped, hurt or killed are kept as invisible...it's not too far a leap then to ...they don't really count...
ReplyDeleteThere should be a court challenge to this systemic bias against women in the media.
Another missing woman but at least one who is still alive is Barb, the ex-wife of Fred Preston, the man suspected of killing Constable Vu Pham. In the Globe's lengthy story about Fred's apparent normal-ness, the fact that he had showed up at his ex-wife's home with a rifle is skimmed over in the rush to get to exciting shoot out that ended Pham's life. I doubt this story would have gotten much mileage if it concluded with a dead woman rather than a dead police officer.
ReplyDeleteHi there,
ReplyDeleteI'm late to the conversation, but here I am. Tu as une belle plume, as we would say in French, which is to see eloquence in your writing.
Your point about the media focus being on the perpetrator of the crime, even seemingly trying to excuse him for it, is well made. It may be appropriate to give more room to the women in this story. But I am not sure it would be welcome by the victims' families, or do justice to the victims themselves. If this were to happen to someone you love, would you want the media poking around asking what kind of person they were, and why they may have been murdered? I'm not suggesting there may be something inauspicious about these women; only that media attention is not always welcome and can make a difficult situation worse. Nevertheless, it should be part of the media reports that this man allegedly targeted women specifically and repeatedly, and that violence against women is a problem in Canada.
I do take issue though with your statement that “Canadian culture, values and laws allow men to rape, beat and kill women”. There are laws against these crimes, there may be debate about how they are and should be applied, but it is not fair to say that they condone this kind of behaviour. I would also say that it is not accurate to suggest that Canadian culture and values allow men to commit these horrible acts. Granted the issue of violence against women may not receive the attention or resources it deserves, but I don’t believe it is fair to suggest there is a general consensus that abusing women is okay.
That said I appreciate that you are trying to bring attention to this important issue and shed light on a bias in the media and in those who consume it.
Best regards