Say NO to verbal rape

Say NO to verbal rape by Celine Leduc edited by Norman Simon   August 28, 2015

CJAD in Montreal, reported a very disturbing incident that involved Valerie Assouline the Conservative candidate in federal riding of Pierrefonds/Dollard des Ormeaux that was not only sexist but sexual harassment and sexually explicit. I could say that it was a verbal pornography that encourages sexual abuse and condones rape of women, all women.  She took action and called the media and CJAD responded with an article.  Highlighting these problems matters as she condemns all attacks be they verbal, graphic - such as graffiti, or defacing posters of the candidate. This time the vandals and hooligans went one step further: they used sexist and sexual explicit messages.

This is very disturbing and needs to be talked about. Women from all parties should get together and talk about this important topic.

Vandalism: Political campaigns and posters are targeted by graffiti artists. You see mustaches on candidates, glasses are added, the vandals use a marker, a paint brush or a spray-paint can.  At times you can see a swastika. Or political comment on the leader regardless of his/her party.  I have seen words like communist or leftist spray painted on posters of the NDP or the Green Party.

Racism: Nazi or the swastika spray-painted on posters of Jewish candidates. Even some said “Jews go home”  First Nation candidates had words like “savage”.  Muslim women had words like “terrorist” or Muslim preceded by a religious slur spray painted.

Sexism: First Nation women candidates saw words like “savage” or “Fat Cow” spray painted.   Black women could read: “Whore” on their posters. Derogatory words I saw targeting women of all parties included: Whore, Lesbian, and the "F" word used a prefix…

This graffiti destroys private property, on one hand, and is sexist and racist on the other.  Women have been sexually discriminated against for years.  It is time for it to STOP.  ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!  STOP raping women physically and with words.

These racist and sexist vandals, hooligans MUST be exposed as such.  In an ideal world, they would be held responsible for their choice of words and would be prosecuted and labelled as racist, sexist,  misogynist jerks.  Too many men have swept it under the proverbial carpet. Time to lift the carpet because it is hiding a hill that can become a mountain. 

Some may think that the vandals are teenagers while it has often been proved that some older men in the 50s and 60s were the criminals. These men need training; first in gender equality, second in respect of women, all women, regardless of their political affiliation, nationality, ethnicity, religion, or sexuality. We share one thing in common that makes us daughters, sisters, mothers: We are WOMEN. 

Women, both individually and collectively, are waking up. They are taking charge of their lives and are entering  politics.  Each woman who is a candidate has a cause that matters to her.  Let us listen to their message, discuss the issue, think and respect. Let us use words to offer a rebuttal or to offer an alternative solution. Let us use our pens and the power of words to expose those misogynist hooligans who rape women verbally, who spray paint sexually explicit words, be they on the sign of any woman candidate of any party. It is easy to dismiss it and say, “Oh well, she is (add the party)”. The reality is that it affects all women.

The “old boys” Clubs had signs saying, "No girls allowed."  Yet, there is a New Boys’ club where men include WOMEN. I think: WOMEN as a group, must be stick together and develop a gender inclusive girls/women's club or sisterhood.