Going Guergis on you

Ah what is there to add to the airport rage incident involving our friend Helena Guergis, Minister of State for the Status of Women? That, had it been you or me throwing our footwear around we probably would have been tased?

And so, I'll leave it to my sister and brother bloggers.

Here's a brief round-up:

Best with the dirty details: Kady

Best headline kudos go to Dammit Janet!

Best musical score: Green Assassin Brigade.

Best snark: Big City Lib

Best justification, written without a hint of irony: This guy at the -- where else? -- National Post.

One final note: Guergis appears to have attributed her, um, stress to how she'd been working her booty off for the little people at the airport. She'd been in PEI handing out two big cheques, ya see.

Hmmm ... well maybe she had been working hard. For some 9 days during this very long Parliamentary break.

But as for much of her gone rogued fellow caucus members, just go read Susan Delacourt.

UPPITY WOMAN DATE: The opposition is calling for Guergis' resignation. CBC News is polling viewers on the matter.

Me, I say no. That's because we could do worse, much worse, with potential replacements Cheryl Gallant, Candice ''Kill the Gun Registry'' Hoeppnner or Shelly Glover.

Shot full of holes

So ... late last year, when the Cons, the Minister of State for the Status of Women and their gun lobbyist pals were claiming that the long-gun registry was a useless Liberal boondoggle that did nothing to prevent crime or violence against women, there were rumblings that some relevant -- and contradictory -- RCMP stats were being covered up.

Well, guess what? reports my Star colleague Tonda MacCharles.

OTTAWA–The release of an annual firearms report last fall was delayed by testy officials in  the public safety minister's office who demanded to know, among other things, details about an employee "celebration" of the program's 10th anniversary.

That was just one of a series of questions posed to RCMP officials after the 2008 Commissioner of Firearms Report was delivered to the minister's office for tabling – a full seven weeks before it was released publicly.

Emails obtained by the Star show then-public safety minister Peter Van Loan's office sat on the report for weeks until after a contentious parliamentary vote that saw 12 NDP and eight Liberal MPs succumb to political pressure and support ending the long-gun registry.

Afterwards, Van Loan told reporters he had the report in hand for "several days." He went on to accuse firearms staff of inflating numbers in the report to justify the existence of the gun registry.

In fact, the document trail shows the RCMP – as required by law – submitted the report to the minister's office on Sept. 18. The RCMP anticipated it would be released within the usual 15 sitting days.

But it was held until Nov. 6 while Van Loan's staff pored over the statistics within and tried to parse data that showed the firearms registry's use and popularity is on the rise.

<SNIP>

Unhappy with the contents of the report, ministerial staff asked for further explanations of statistics that showed a rise in police queries to the firearms registry, and greater satisfaction with service provided over the Internet or telephone.

The minister's office demands an explanation for "why the minister has been presented with an inked, bound and printed final draft not long before the document needs to be tabled," and appears to challenge why a report was produced at all, since the minister hadn't issued a direction or instruction on it.

The RCMP says it views the language of the firearms act, which requires a report, to be "permissive, in other words, the minister may or may not decide to give direction."

It says "six (firearms) commissioner's reports have been produced (2003-2008), and have always been initiated by the commissioner without specific direction from the minister with respect to form or content."

It says previous reports were always provided to the minister "in final form."

"It has not been the practice in the past to share a draft copy of the report with the minister's office."

The email trail shows the 2008 firearms report was received on Sept. 18, but "apparently reviewed by the office of the liaison to the minister for some time. The minister's office is now saying that because they did not receive the report until Oct. 9, they have until Nov. 6 to table it."

The 2008 report was a largely positive review of the gun control program, and confirmed growing police use of the gun registry database. The 2009 numbers are even more pronounced.

The Stephen Harper Conservatives. Soft on crime. Loose with truth. Tough on womenfolk.

UPPITY WOMAN DATE: Pogge has more.

Incidentally, for those who may think that Van Lying Loan will be called to account for this when Parliament resumes, think again. Parliamentary protocol is that a minister never has to account for anything that is not under his or her current aegis.

Because Harper shuffled his cabinet last month, that lets Van Loan off the hook.

Vic Toews, the former Treasury Minister who announced the redirection of funding for UNRWA last month while in Israel, now has the Public Safety post -- which means he need not explain the UNRWA thing.

Cool how that works, eh?

Women on the edge

Back in Montreal. Dunno for how long.

Until I can return to regular blogging, please follow the fantastic posts put up by my sister Fringers on our Proud to be a Member of that Left Wing Fringe Group called Women Facebook page.

Don't let the Harper government get away with this latest outrage.

OTTAWA -- Missing and murdered women in Canada will be remembered Sunday in memorial marches across the country.

But the occasion may become a memorial for a government-funded research project that put a spotlight on the hundreds of aboriginal women who have gone missing or been murdered in this country.
Federal funding for the Sisters in Spirit initiative of the Native Women's Association of Canada runs out March 31, and the federal government will not give the group any indication whether it will extend its mandate.

"We haven't heard anything," said Sisters in Spirit director Kate Rexe. "The government is silent on the issue."

With a grant of $5 million, Sisters in Spirit spent the last five years compiling a database of more than 520 women who have disappeared or been killed over the last 40 years. The group prepared tool kits for families and police to use when a woman goes missing and developed policies and programs to help stop the cycle of violence.

Rexe said the Sisters group is prepared to begin implementing policies and community programs aimed at three specific areas -- the justice system, child welfare and poverty. But that's been on hold for months because Ottawa won't say if it plans to keep funding the work.

"It's unbelievably frustrating," Rexe said. "We have all the knowledge, the momentum. We can actually start to implement change, but we don't even know if we can keep planning."

A year ago, Status of Women Minister Helena Guergis said she was working on extending the project. "I want you to know, I've already engaged in the process of what Sisters in Spirit Two would look like," Guergis said at the Status of Women committee meeting Feb. 12, 2009.

But a spokeswoman for Guergis would not say Friday whether funding for Sisters in Spirit is forthcoming, and said in an email Ottawa has asked NWAC to share its database with police

More here.

There's an action plan on the Fringers page.

Don't just hold the fort. Take (back) the hill.

UPPITY WOMAN DATE: This letter was sent to the Star's Public Editor Kathy English, about the image accompanying this post. I reprint it here, unedited:

Good afternoon,

 The following link came to my attention today, which takes an article published in Saturday’s Winnipeg Free Press regarding the fate of funding related to the research, education and policy initiative of the Native Women’s Association of Canada called Sisters In Spirit, and attaches an extremely offensive photo of two topless Aboriginal women.

 http://thestar.blogs.com/broadsides/2010/02/women-on-the-edge.html

This photo is not only offensive, it is a colonizer’s portrait of Aboriginal women which is sexualized and arguably trying to create the image of the “savage” woman, denying dignity and respect for the true place of Aboriginal women, who are historically the givers of life, central to communities as nurturers, caregivers, educators and leaders. To connect this photo to a story about Native women’s leadership on the issue of missing and murdered Aboriginal women and girls is disrespectful and only goes to further devalue the lives of Aboriginal women and stigmatize their place in Canadian society.

 The response from one of my staff I think says it best:

 “Honestly though, I would like to see a newspaper article that talks about missing and murdered Aboriginal women with a photo of happy (or just normal) young, Aboriginal girls accompanying it. THESE are the women we’re talking about who are at risk of violence!!! And this photo proves a point we’re making in the research paper that Aboriginal women have been dehumanized through colonization. And Canada thinks it’s progressed?”

 I’m looking forward to the day when the media begin to treat Aboriginal women in the same way we do the stories of Tori Stafford and Jessica Lloyd – innocent victims of violence who are honoured for their lives, and not marginalized, dehumanized, or sensationalized for social stigmas or the circumstances surrounding their death. Sadly, this day will be a long time coming when supposedly “progressive” media outlets like The Toronto Star are posting photos of Canada’s shameful history as an image of Aboriginal women today. 

I ask you to please take this image down immediately.

Thank you,

Kate

 Kate Rexe, B.A. (Hons), M.A.

Director, Sisters in Spirit

Native Women's Association of Canada

You know, I actually don't disagree. Which is why I chose the image. Perhaps i should have been clearer about my intentions. It is precisely because Aboriginal women have been treated as disposable objects, ever since European men set foot in the Americas, that we have arrived at this place in modern history where our government not only does not care, but actively turns its back on the problem of missing and murdered Aboriginal women.

The photo, however, is not unlike other photos I have run with other blogposts about women being violated both here and abroad. Whether I am talking about the murder of Jasmine Fiore, whose highly-sexualized photos filled the media, or the acid attacks on Afghan girls, or the rapes of women in the Congo, none of the pictures are pretty.

And aren't all of these women colonized, not quite in the same way of course. But colonized none the less.

Coming up short

The welfare of women continues to dominate the political agenda through the suspension of Parliament.

And so, a few items of note.

Over at Rabble.ca, Murray Dobbin nicely sums up how the Harper government has run "roughshod'' over women.

Nothing new there as regular Broadsides readers know. If I had the time, I would add in a lot more starting with the threats to our reproductive choices and the pending elimination of the long-gun registry.

By coincidence, Regina Mom today documented the dollar value of some of the cuts to programs that helped women achieve equal rights and economic parity.

Finally, NDP leader Jack Layton took advantage of the current political climate to issue a news release challenging party leaders to put Canadian women and children first.

Mr. Layton invited Mr. Harper, as well as Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff and Bloc leader Gilles Duceppe, to cooperate in 2010 to improve the lives of Canadian women and children. He outlined a series of concrete New Democrat proposals that, if embraced by the other parties, would mean real progress for women and children. Those proposals include:

• Employment Insurance rules that deny eligibility to six in ten women;
• adopting key recommendations of the 2004 Pay Equity Task Force;
• increasing support for women’s groups working to prevent violence;
• launching an inquiry into 520 missing or murdered Aboriginal women;
• launching a federal initiative to ensure every child has daily access to healthy food;
• boosting the Guaranteed Income Supplement to end poverty among seniors (overwhelmingly women).

It's stunning to me that, in this country, in this century, kids and seniors go hungry.

Who was it who said that, if you want to know the true measure of a man, watch how he treats old people, children and animals?

UPPITY WOMAN DATE: Layton had an op-ed in today's National Post.

Canada is among the wealthiest nations in the world, yet 70% of Inuit preschool-age children live in homes where there is not always enough food. There are many mothers in Canada who live in unsafe places, who are going without food, electricity or heat because of persistent, deep poverty. These deprivations have a devastating effect on Canada's very youngest, evidenced by the fact that infant mortality rates in low-income neighbourhoods are almost double those in richer ones.

Mr. Harper acknowledges that the solutions to maternal and child health problems are "not intrinsically expensive." This holds true for Canadian women and children as well: Providing safe drinking water on reserves, addressing the affordable housing crisis, and funding organizations that support women and children are all relatively inexpensive compared to the health and social costs of poverty in Canada, which are estimated at more than $20-billion per year.

<SNIP>

To put the full consequences of (Harper's) indifference into perspective, imagine a city the size of Winnipeg full of children: That is the number of our kids who live in poverty in Canada today.

As a country, we have the ability to take decisive action to end this cycle of marginalization, and Mr. Harper has shown that he knows that investing in women and children will get the job done in the developing world. It will be pure hypocrisy if he refuses to make similar investments here at home.

Helena get your gun

Well, ask and it shall be answered.

As Broadsides inquired yesterday, what has that champion of women's causes, Helena Guergis, Minister of State for the Status of Women, been up to during Prime Minister Stephen Harper's detention of Parliament? Aside, that is, from handing out federal money to her constituents.

Mitch Raphael of Maclean's has the answer! (Linkage is mine.)

Prorogation means all government bills on the Order Paper die. But private members’ bills stay active. This is good news for Helena Guergis, minister of state for the status of women. She is happy her colleague Candice Hoeppner’s private member’s bill to end Canada’s long-gun registry is still going ahead. Guergis grew up with guns; when she was young, her father, Karam Guergis, would take her hunting for deer and caribou. Guergis was recently at the Barrie Gun Club, where she was treated like a hero by gun owners.

Never mind that doctors and police chiefs think that scrapping the long-gun registry is going to result in a lot of dead women.

Nothing like having a Status of Women minister a hero to gin gun* owners, while she's AWOL on women's issues.

* Okay so I wrote gin. So sue me. I was celebrating my birthday last night.

What's With Status of Women?

The following is a guest post by my Facebook friend Elizabeth Pickett. I just lifted it off her profile, with her permission. I have added some linkage to hers.

What's With the Status of Women?

Well thanks for asking!

Helena Guergis has been MIA on the Status of Women's website since December 3, 2009 - despite the fact that "women's issues" have been much in the news recently, what with her esteemed leader's opportunistic offers to save mothers in "developing" countries - he didn't mention any money of course and didn't say exactly what he'd do. But Bev Oda is working on it. There's every possibility we'll wish she didn't.

But what about Guergis? Not a murmur from her - not even after Michael Ignatieff announced his support for a national childcare programme. And not since she objected to the way Antonia Zerbisias and others challenged the good faith of her Memorial for those killed in the Montreal Massacre because she's been unwilling to do anything about the Aboriginal women killed on the Highway of Tears. Or anything at all for women in general really.

Now International Women's Day is a mere month away - it's the 100th anniversary of that particular celebration on March 8th.

Since the take-over of our government by HarperCON it hasn't been a particular priority in Canada. In 2008, Status of Women designated the theme - "Strong Women, Strong World". That's suitably vague. Who knows what it means? So who could disagree? The Minister found the theme compelling though and wasn't able to come up with a different one for 2009. She added a few words, dusted it off and rolled it out again and we got "Strong Leadership. Strong Women, Strong World: Equality". Did she think we wouldn't notice?

But all that is water under the bridge. What I want to know now is, has our government decided to forgo International Women's Day altogether? I don't mind if they have - it would be more honest. I just want us to notice.

By the way, The UN theme for IWD 2010 is Equal rights, equal opportunities: Progress for all

Yeah, well, I guess the Harper government would have a problem with that one.

Anyway, I checked Guergis' website and she seems to be very busy indeed -- handing out federal funding around her riding.

No wonder that, as she told the local media, her constituents are ''pleased'' with the prorogation.

You go Girl.

Thanks Elizabeth!

Report card

Why, Stephen Lewis said this exact same stuff to me just the other day. 

Still, I think it bears repeating:

Despite being a major part of Prime Minister Stephen Harper's speech to the World Economic Forum last week, the government's plan to champion action on maternal and child health is still a work in progress, CIDA Minister Bev Oda said Monday.

No kidding. She might consider starting right here at home. As former Minister of State for the Status of Women, she did nothing either.

Meanwhile, former UN special envoy for HIV/AIDS Stephen Lewis has described Mr. Harper's speech as "a piece of crass, political opportunism" amid accusations the government is late to the issue, and sees women as mothers and little else.

Last Thursday, Mr. Harper outlined his goals and priorities for Canada's presidency of the G8 in a speech to state and business leaders in Davos, Switzerland. He noted that in developing countries, more than 500,000 women die each year in pregnancy and 9 million children die before the age of five.

"As president of the G8, Canada will champion a major initiative to improve the health of women and children in the world's most vulnerable regions," he said. "It is therefore time to mobilize our friends and partners to do something for those who can do little for themselves, to replace grand good intentions with substantive acts of human good will."

Reducing the number of children who die before the age of five is the fourth Millennium Development Goal, while doing the same for mothers during pregnancy or childbirth is the fifth goal. They are the two MDGs that are furthest from being achieved by 2015.

Ms. Oda said the government has had its eye on these targets for some time, and argued that they fit neatly into CIDA's priority focus on children and youth, though nutrition for infants and mothers also relates to food security.

Ah. Might this explain its total withdrawal from anything to do with Palestinian human rights?

Ms. Oda said the plan now is to hold more consultations with an expanded list of stakeholders, particularly obstetricians and pediatricians in Canada who have worked internationally, as well as multilateral organizations, developing countries and G8 partners "to see what they had been supporting in the past and how and where they might chose to support the general initiative." She also plans to review projects currently supported by CIDA "to find out which ones are most effective, which ones are really making a difference."

So Harper takes all the international credit while Oda has all the 'splaining to do now and later, when nothing happens?

"You don't just throw in the phrase 'maternal and child health,'" Mr. Lewis said. "You actually spend some time setting out what you intend to do and putting a dollar figure beside it. And because there was none that, it's not that I can't take it seriously, it's just that it has to be taken cynically."

He also noted that other countries have been extremely active on the issue over the past three years, and his perception is the Conservative government "stumbled on it and finds it politically advantageous to pursue it at the G8."

"My objection is that you make an announcement without any dollar sign," he said, "without any appreciable planning, without any sense for how long Canada's commitment lasts, and what research and work has gone into laying the groundwork for it. And you pretend that somehow you're leading the world.

Can somebody please look yo the meaning of empty promise?

Equally troubling to Mr. Lewis is that the stated focus avoids many of the root causes of maternal and child deaths, particularly gender equality—which is actually another Millennium Development Goal.

"To deal with maternal health is also easy for Canada because it avoids all of the issues with which women are engaged beyond being mothers," he said.

"I don't think you'll ever overcome maternal mortality and you'll have a great deal of difficulty with child health until equality or something approaching equality is achieved. And women don't lead lives simply as child bearers. They lead whole lives where discrimination and hardship are felt in a whole world of other ways."

As if the Con men care.

According to sources, CIDA's efforts over the past decade to improve gender equality were reviewed a few years ago and an internal evaluation was released internally in April 2008. However, while the agency has been developing a plan to improve those activities, nothing has emerged.

No. Really?

Ms. Oda said the gender equality plan has not has been delivered to her office yet, but that Canada has been recognized for its leadership on work on "gender issues," which remain a cross-cutting theme for CIDA's work.

That's a pretty good punchline in and of itself.

But I just have to ask: Why hasn't Canada reported, as it was supposed to have done last November, to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) which asked to hear how we are improving our sorry record on women's poverty and violence to aboriginal women?

Even though it's winter, I can still hear those crickets chirping.

Illustration: William Blake, Europe Supported By Africa and America, 1796. Engraving.

Reproductive Rights Round-Up Redux

So while I was away, I missed lots of anti-choice choice bits. Here's a quick summary:

Two more men have turned in their Order of Canada medals in protest of the over pro-choice activist and hero Dr. Henry Morgentaler getting the award in 2008.

I can't imagine what too them so long.

From the back of the turnip truck, the latest from one of our favourite punching bags, the one, the only Conservative member for Saskatoon-Wanuskewin Maurice Vellacott. Turns out that the delight of the forced-birther brigade managed to dig up one credible source for his medically-dismissed claim that having an abortion gives a woman breast cancer.

Except that, when you trace the source back to its source, it all falls apart.

The relationship between induced and spontaneous abortion and breast cancer risk has been the subject of extensive research beginning in the late 1950s. Until the mid-1990s, the evidence was inconsistent. Findings from some studies suggested there was no increase in risk of breast cancer among women who had had an abortion, while findings from other studies suggested there was an increased risk. Most of these studies, however, were flawed in a number of ways that can lead to unreliable results. Only a small number of women were included in many of these studies, and for most, the data were collected only after breast cancer had been diagnosed, and women’s histories of miscarriage and abortion were based on their “self-report” rather than on their medical records. Since then, better-designed studies have been conducted. These newer studies examined large numbers of women, collected data before breast cancer was found, and gathered medical history information from medical records rather than simply from self-reports, thereby generating more reliable findings. The newer studies consistently showed no association between induced and spontaneous abortions and breast cancer risk.

Now I would love to just have another laugh at Mr. Vellacott's expense but what really galls me is how quickly right-wingers, feigning concern over women's health, jump on the turnip truck to scare and score points against us. You'd think that, if they cared so much about women's lives, they'd ensure we have access to safe and legal abortion.

That's one reason why I agree with this statement, issued two weeks ago:

Prime Minister Stephen Harper must disavow Conservative MP Maurice Vellacott’s false and misleading statements about abortion, Liberal Status of Women Critic Anita Neville said today.

“Mr. Vellacott persists in spreading propaganda about abortion that is not based in any scientific fact – adding to his history of denigrating women and their rights and freedoms,” said Ms. Neville. “This misinformation is highly damaging to women – yet the prime minister continues to be silent on the matter.”

Silent but deadly.

That's because, as Emily deftly outlines in various posts, which you can find in her links here, Harper's government has repeatedly proposed legislation or enforced policies that have threatened not only women's abortion rights but all their rights. This post in particular is most revealing of the Cons ultra-conservative roots, and their attitudes towards women. Read this one too.

If these guys get a majority, we might turn into the Republic of Gilead.

Which brings us to what's happening in the US, where women's abortion and contraception rights are being eroded.

(Today, NARAL Pro-Choice America released its annual report, complete with an interactive map showing each state's record and stance on aboerion.)

Looks like Florida has joined the joined the list of states that has declared Walking Incubator Units as subject to government oversight, giving new meaning to the term ''confinement.''

Last March, Florida resident Samantha Burton was in week 25 of her pregnancy when she paid a visit to her doctor. Burton was showing signs of potential miscarriage, so her physician ordered bed rest. Burton explained that, as a working mother of two toddlers, bed rest simply wasn't a viable option and then proceeded to ask for a second medical opinion. Seems reasonable, right?

Her doctor, however, was having none of that. Rather than refer Burton for the desired second opinion, he instead felt it necessary to contact state authorities, who then proceeded to force Burton to be admitted to Tallahassee Memorial Hospital against her will and undergo any procedure the doctor felt like prescribing. When Burton had the audacity to request a change in the hospital in which she was being treated, the court denied her request. Three days into her forced hospitalization, Burton miscarried.

Never mind that there is actually no scientific research to support the claim that bed rest helps prevent preterm birth and that even the American College of of Obstetricians and Gynecologists does not believe it should be routinely recommended. Never mind Burton's very real concern for the care of her two small children. Never mind the psychological, physical, and financial toll this takes on her family. The only thing that mattered to the doctor and the government was that they got their (ultimately ineffectual) way.

Oh, and did I mention this case gets worse? Burton (with help from her pro bono lawyer and the ACLU) sued the State of Florida claiming it -- duh -- violated her constitutional rights. The court ruled against her, claiming that that State was merely maintaining "status quo" in the situation.

Incidentally, the woman was a smoker, which compounded the problem.

Over to JJ.

The idea of “fetal rights”, a relatively recent weapon in the arsenal against abortion rights, is offensive on a few levels — primarily because — hello?? — *my* pregnancy is none of *your* business, and vice-versa.  But it’s also an unworkable concept because it compromises the pregnant woman’s rights.   If a fetus has the same rights as the woman carrying it — to the point where the state considers it a “child” they can intervene to protect — the pregnant woman has significantly less personal liberty than her non-pregnant sister, who can’t be ordered by the state to quit smoking and take to her sickbed.

Moving along, Dammit Janet! has more news from the uterine nationalization wars.

New Law Requires Women to Name baby, Paint Nursery before getting Abortion.

Which is obviously -- or maybe not -- a joke.

For now.

Open season

Here's a great catch by Liberal Catnip (I added some links):

From Monday's Question Period:

Mr. Serge Ménard (Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, BQ):  Mr. Speaker, Suzanne  Laplante-Edward, mother of Anne-Marie Edward, who was killed when just 21 years old in the École Polytechnique massacre, deplores the fact that the Conservative government is perversely dismantling the firearms registry. By relaxing firearms controls, the Conservatives are attacking, and I quote, “the monument erected in memory of our young women.”

When will this government acknowledge that the firearms registry helps prevent violence against women?

Hon. Helena Guergis (Minister of State Status of Women, CPC):  Mr. Speaker, any suggestion that any member in this House would not want to see an end to violence against women is not only wrong, it is hateful. The ineffective Liberal gun registry has done absolutely nothing to protect Canadians and it has done nothing to make Canadian women safer. The hon. member will know this if he looks deep inside himself.

Far be it from me to speculate whether M. Menard will go all zen and contemplate his innards, not to mention his hate-filled ways. But dang, that Guergis has a penchant for hyperbole, no?

In fact, commenter Hysperia captured that aspect of the minister very nicely over here. Don't miss it.

I guess Madame Laplante-Edward ought to know better than express concern over the scrapping of  ''the ineffective Liberal gun registry.''

If it is so ineffective, then why do doctors, as well as police chiefs, support it?

The Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians (CAEP) is greatly concerned about the recent endorsement by the House of Commons of Bill C-391, which, if passed, would repeal the Long Gun Registry. As emergency physicians, we see the true horror of firearm injury and death and can attest to the fact that the long gun registry saves lives.

According to Statistics Canada, there were 818 firearm deaths in Canada in 2005.  72.5% (593) of these firearm deaths were suicides. This amounts to one person every 15 hours. Over 80% of these suicide deaths were due to long guns. Gun control saves lives. Since the gun control registry was introduced in 1995, firearm suicides have decreased by 35%.

Those opposed to long gun registration claim that there is a lack of criminal activity involving long guns. This is not true. Of firearm-related homicides in 2008 in Canada, 34% were by rifles or shotguns, 61% by handguns and 17% by prohibited firearms.  Long guns were used in 72% of firearm-related spousal homicides. Between 1995 and 2004, there was a 36% decrease in the use of firearms in spousal homicides.

For many these may just be statistics. For emergency physicians these are real people whose demise by long gun bring tragedy to our emergency departments as we frantically try to save their lives. Families' lives are shattered in a moment, and despite doing this regularly, we can never get used to witnessing their anguish. Dr. Carolyn Snider, a CAEP member and lead author of the peer reviewed and published "CAEP Position Statement on Gun Control" says "We recognize that the great majority of gun owners in Canada are responsible citizens. The long gun registry is not about treating them as criminals; it is about protecting the vulnerable among us. The recent vote is appalling. We will witness the tragic consequences of this bill."

So who hates whom here?

Memo to Gun Nuts: There is no right to bear arms in Canada.

For a smoking takedown of the gun lobby propaganda, I cede this post to Jennifer. Brilliant.

P.S. I found the image here. Oh teh irony. It burnz.

Return fire

Today the Star's editorial pages published a letter from Helena Guergis, Minister of State for the Status of  Women. Typically, it was edited for length.

As regular readers know, Guergis has figured heavily in my posts and columns about the anniversary of the Ecole Polytechnique Massacre, mostly because she voted to abolish the long-gun registry which law enforcement and medical groups supported.

I thought it only fair that I reprint her complete letter, unedited here.

In keeping with the Star's policy on allowing readers to have their say, I will post this without added commentary. I've said my piece on this subject. But you may feel free to weigh in.

Here's the letter:

As Canadians observe the 20th Anniversary of the Montreal Massacre, I would like to believe that some things are above partisan politics.   Not everyone shares my view.  Antonia Zerbisias’ recent piece, “Tory ‘girlfriends’ hew to party line on femicide” was appalling.

 We are not “girlfriends,” we are all strong members of Caucus who represent our constituents’ views on legislation, bring in new and effective programs and work alongside our colleagues in parliament.

We will not let our critics stop us from holding important ceremonies.
We will not allow their attacks to deter us from being strong members of Parliament and passing our tough-on-crime agenda.

Our Conservative Government has made many positive policy changes as well, like providing funding directly to grassroots programs that serve hundreds of thousands of women and girls in the communities in which they live.  For more than 40 percent of these groups, this is the first time they have received funding and support from the federal government.

Just last week, I announced that our Government is contributing $1 million to support the establishment of Uniting to End Violence against Women, a project that will help to end violence against women and children by bringing together shelter organizations from across Canada.
In addition to the targeted action within my portfolio at the Status of Women, we are taking concrete steps to protect women across government. Our Government has passed The Tackling Violent Crimes Act that provides better protection for young girls against sexual predators. We are also working to end conditional sentencing for serious crimes such as rape, and recently released a new citizen’s guide which explicitly states Canada will not tolerate barbaric cultural practices that debase and demean women and their role in society. These are only a few of the measures we are taking to deliver safer streets for women and for all Canadians.
While there may be different ways to address an issue, a difference of opinion on policy neither changes our personal commitment to ending violence against women, nor our Government’s commitment to do the same.

Signed,

The Honourable Helena Guergis, P.C., M.P.

Minister of State (Status of Women)

Note: I changed the photo to the haunting image captured by staffer Carlos yesterday.

UPPITY WOMAN DATE: Pale gets in there.