Today is the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. 20 years ago today, Marc Lépine killed 14 women (and injured 10 more women and 4 men) at the École Polytechnique in Montréal before turning the gun on himself and taking his own life. He blamed feminism for ruining his life and his suicide note contained names of 19 Québecoises whom we considered feminists working in non-traditional jobs.
Even though these events will forever be marred in controversy, the point is that we should not forget what happened that day, and not necessarily because they were women, but because they were human beings. Whether you agree or disagree with the politics, 14 innocent lives were lost that day and whichever way it's cut, that's hard to swallow.
I remember when I was younger, in elementary and even high school, that every December 6th an announcement was made in commemoration of the events that took place. As we stood there in silence, not all of us understanding what feminism even was (at least in elementary school), I know that not a single one of us would have liked a person carrying a gun to come into our school.
Although I don't have the P.A. system reminding me of the tragic events, that's no reason to forget.
For more info on the Montéal Massacre, see here
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