It is time for the Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper To Open An Inquiry into the cases of missing & murdered Aboriginal Canadian women.
The Winter Olympics, in Vancouver British Columbia, has received positive media attention from around the world. The Winter Olympics is supposed to illustrate to the world that Canada is a great multicultural nation. Meanwhile, beneath the surface of the Winter Olympics is the fact Canada is still very racially stratified.
However, yesterday, there was a quiet, dignified, protest in downtown Vancouver. The focus of the protest is to raise awareness about the missing, murdered, Aboriginal Canadian women across Canada.
The statistics are shocking, over five hundred Aboriginal women have disappeared or have been killed across Canada. The eerie silence of the Harper government to these tragedies is not surprising but still disturbing.
Some of the Aboriginal women missing and murdered were sex workers & drug addicts. Why does it matter to Canadians that some of these First Nations women were prostitutes? The topic of prostitution is an incendiary issue because some people confuse prostitution with morality. Sex workers are professionals, their job is to provide a service for their customers. Prostitution is the world’s oldest profession for a reason. The heterosexual men demand the services of female prostitutes.
Don’t sex workers and drug users deserve the same human rights as other Canadians?
It appears in Canada, there is an elitist essentialism that prostitutes and drug addicts do not deserve Canada’s respect or support.
The sex workers in British Columbia and across Canada are providing a service to the middle and upper class Canadian men that buy their services. The clients of the prostitutes are Canadian men from across the class and social spectrum. For example, clients of the prostitutes are doctors, garbage men, teachers, bus drivers, politicians, judges, police men, parents, brothers, fathers, grandfathers, uncles.
The question remains, why hasn’t Prime Minister Stephen Harper opened an inquiry into the violence against First Nations women? Canadians must become informed about the fact First Nations women are devalued in Canada. The Canadian government must have a more proactive approach to assisting Aboriginal women to have more agency over their own lives.
Aboriginal women encounter multiple forms of oppression in Canada in relation to their race, sex, gender, sexual orientation, class, and employment status.
Since Aboriginal women are marginalized, they are viewed as inferior by the hegemonic, Canadian system, that values the “Mythical Norm” over women of colour.
Alexandre Bilodeau Wins Canada’s First Gold Medal On Canadian Soil, Can His Win Bring The Country Together?
Twenty two-year old Alexandre Bilodeau of Canada won the men’s moguls at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver British Columbia yesterday. I am so happy! The win is signifigant, because it is the first time a Canadian athlete won a gold medal on home soil.
I am also proud of Jennifer Heil of Canada, she won a silver medal in the women’s mogul event on Saturday night. Heil deserves Canada’s respect she tried her best!
Bilodeau upset the former Olympic champion Dale-Begg Smith of Australia to win the men’s event. Begg-Smith is actually a Canadian citizen, but he is now competes for Australia. I thought the judges were going to cheat for Begg-Smith because I thought his performance wasn’t that great.
I believe Begg-Smith did not deserve a silver medal, he should be in fourth place.
I am thrilled that the judges rewarded Bilodeau for his incredible performance! Bilodeau is from Quebec,at the back of my mind I wonder “can this victory bring the country together?” I am serious, there has been so much division between French and English speaking Canada. I just think Bilodeau’s performance is wonderful for Canada!
I watched the men’s moguls and it was an exciting competition! The speed, strength, power, these mogul skiers have is incredible! The flips are just amazing!
Gayblackcanada 