Dec.6

I just came back from delivering my yearly Christmas Stocking to the Legislature. In each sock I put in a little reminder of who the elected MLAs are suppose to represent. I know that on every Dec.6 that they are attending a memorial service to honor the fifteen engineering women who were murdered in Montreal.
I started delivering the socks when these women were killed because I wanted government officials to remember the real reasons behind the atrocities of their deaths. I at the time was struggling with the thoughts of what to do about our governments who were at the time targetting all poor people by eliminating some of the most basic needs for suvival.
Sometimes I wonder if I am the only one who see the connections and who is prepared to to take action. I wonder what has happened to all the women who proclaim to be willing to fight and defend all the rights that our ancestors have fought for. Am I the only one who remembers the stories of the trek to Ottawa, the stories of the women's liberation whose liberators still walk amoungst us telling us their stories such as the hiring policies that our govenrments had implented during ww1 and 2 designated for women only.I have inclosed an example of the rules that was used to hire women in the 1940s.

1943 guide to hiring women 1943 issue of the Transportation Magazine
Guide for male supervisors of women in the work force during WW II

1) Pick young married women. They usually have more of a sense of responsibility than their unmarried sisters. They are less likely to be flirtatious. They need the work, or they would not be doing it. They still have the pep and interest to work hard.
2) When you have to use older women, try to get ones who have worked outside the home at some time in their lives. Older women who have never contacted the public are inclined to be cantankerous and fussy.
3) General experience indicates that "husky" girls-those who are just a little on the heavy side-are more even-tempered and efficient than their underweight sisters.
4) Retain a physician to give each woman you hire a special physical examination-one covering female conditions. This step not only protects our property, but reveals any female weaknesses which would make her mentally or physically unfit for the job.
5) Give the female employees a definite day-long schedule of duties so that they will keep busy without bothering the management for instructions every few minutes. Women make excellent workers, but they lack initiative in finding work themselves.
6) Give every girl an adequate number of rest periods during the day, to make allowances for feminine psychology. A girl has more confidence if she can keep her hair tidied, apply fresh lipstick and wash her hands several times a day.
7) Be tactful when issuing instructions or in making criticisms. Women are often sensitive, they cannot shrug off harsh works of ridicule the way men can.
8) Be reasonably considerate about using strong language around women.Even through a girl's husband or father may swear vociferously, she will grow to dislike a place of business where she hears too much of this.
9) Get enough size variety in operator's uniforms so that each girl can have a proper fit. This point cannot be stressed too much in keeping women happy.

HOW FAR HAVE WE COME AND HOW FAR BACK ARE WE WILLING TO GO? Are we willing to go back this far without a fight. Are we willing to forgot about the fight our mothers fought for here on the home front. Sure we didn't go and killed other mothers' sons, daughters and destroy their homes personally. We haven't personally drawn blood willing on our kitchen floors. For most of us we know that we stand a good chance that we will see our loved ones at least one more time just like we know that there is a good chance that we will eat at least once today.Did we stop caring about our sisters from the another mother, another race, another era. If we did when did we stop caring?

University held their ceromonies on Friday Dec3/04 three day in advance because the students weren't going to be able to take the time out to remember their follow students because they were going to be be to busy writing examines. No time to Remember.
Monday Dec.6 a few churches hold candle lights cermonies in heir own parishes which could comfortable seat five hundred people but only a handfull of concerned citizens attended. No Time to Remember.
At the Legislature all MLAs take a few minutes of their busy schedule to remember only the women who were killed in this horrendous act of violence. They only remember the dead. They do not mentioned the social, economic contributing facts that lead to both the killer's and women demise. They do not remember the thirteen women who survived the Montreal attack.
Who will the remember the 500 missing and murdered pre-kanadian women who have died because of their race, gender and class. These women stories have yet to be told of how they have gone missing or were murdered; some for as long as twenty years. Will there be candle light vigils for them? Will there a day of mourning for them too? Why were their names not included in the list of women names to remember?

To bring this story back to why I deliver Christmas sock I lay these sock at the hands of the people whom I see a partial responsible for eliminating some of the most services need for all women to sustain their life. These people are our elected leaders who are suppose to have our best interest in mind at all times. I think they have forgotten the values that all women have contributed. I think women have forgotten about our mothers battles. We have forgotten.