For anyone who doesn’t know what this days means to women in Canada.

Today, I just read the list of the women who were killed at École Polytechnique on this day in 1989. Rather than their ages, this list was of their birth years.

They were my contemporaries. I don’t know why I never realized this until today. They would be in their 40s today.

My age.

In 1989 I was studying for my undergraduate degree at York University. I was in school part time and working full time.

I’d like to share a story of something that happened to me while studying and commuting to York once or twice a week.

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I seem to have a theme going on these days.

First, the bad news.

From Jezebel.com: Can You Tell the Difference Between a Men’s Magazine and a Rapist?

According to a new study, people can’t tell the difference between quotes from British “lad mags” and interviews with convicted rapists. And given the choice, men are actually more likely to agree with the rapists.

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Dear Renata,

I don’t know anything about you, but I do know some things about abusers, the cycle of abuse, and feeling trapped in a life with an abuser.

After the “This Hour Has 22 Minutes” debacle on Monday October 24, those of us who are against your husband’s draconian right-wing policies had a good laugh for a few days. Once again, your husband made a public fool of himself, proving to us once again that he isn’t fit to run for dog-catcher, never mind be the mayor of the largest city in Canada.

But I remember.

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This is What Revolution Looks Like by Chris Hedges

Occupy the NYSE: Huge Crowd Overwhelms Financial District to Kick Off OWS Day of Action by Sarah Jaffe

On state violence, white male privilege and “Occupy” by Nancy A. Heitzeg

Stephen Colbert celebrates the demise of Occupy Wall Street (video)

An open letter to the 1 per cent: You cannot evict an idea whose time has come by Derrick O’Keefe

Racial Fractures and the Occupy Movement by Bridget Todd

A good friend of mine has a blog at blackcoffeepoet.com.

Today he posted a piece called Stepping Out From Behind the Wall: Acknowledging Male Privilege & its connection to violence against women

I’m going to post a few exerpts here, but please go to his blog to read the entire article. And bookmark his blog too!

Privilege is unearned power which gives certain groups economic, social and political advantages.  In our society white males benefit from this the most but all males benefit from this just by being born.

Stoh:lo feminist, activist, and acclaimed writer Lee Maracle defines male privilege as, “A head start, a larger entitlement in the social, economic, and personal arena.”

He lists a “male privilege checklist” that is worth a look, and something I’ll be using in workshops and trainings.

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