Carey Price is the exceptional goaltender for the Montreal Canadiens whose extended injuries may mean the end of his career at the age of 35. He is in the news for reasons other than hockey these days, the eye of a storm of controversy which has resulted in his back-tracking and a "sincere apology" from the Canadiens organization.
Price made a social media post on Saturday, just days ahead of the anniversary of the Decenber 6 1989 massacre of 14 bright young women who were engineering students at the Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal. In it, Price shared his support for a lobby group, the Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights (CCFR), following amendments to the federal government's gun control legislation, Bill C-21, last week. This group has used a promo code POLY for merchandise purchases, apparently a reference to the terrible event 33 years ago. Why would anyone or any group do this, given that it was an entirely unprovoked attack on women? Price said in the post:
I love my family, I love my country and I care for my neighbour. I am not a criminal or a threat to society. What [Prime Minister Justin Trudeau] is trying to do is unjust. I support the [CCFR] to keep my hunting tools.
Even though Price has lived and worked in the province of Quebec for 15 years he claims that he had no knowledge of the Polytechnique attack and therefore the code. Given that it is commemorated every year this strikes me as stunning ignorance and that he should issue a full mea culpa. He may need to expand his perspective on caring for his neighbour.
This is a reminder of how quickly we can forget about infamous events which alter the lives of so many. And that while there have been significant steps forward in terms of addressing misogyny in our society it still exists and is even celebrated. It's only been four years since a young man deliberately drove a rented van through crowds of people walking on Yonge St in Toronto , killing 10 and injuring many more. This perpetrator harboured hatred toward women as part of the so-called INCEL movement.
Every day we hear about violence against women by partners, often fatal. Last week a serial killer of Indigenous women was arrested.
When the Ecole Polytechnique murders occurred our daughters were four and two -- the younger is the same age as Price -- and I was certainly shaken by what had transpired. We were living in Sudbury at the time and I took part in a hastily organized vigil with other United Church colleagues. I have never forgotten the solemnity and sorrow of that gathering.
Price's post came a day after one of the survivors of the Polytechnique mass shooting, Nathalie Provost, denounced the CCFR for creating that POLY promotional code. She was shot four times by the gunman who killed 14 female students and injured 13 others that day.
Provost, who is also a spokesperson for the gun-control group PolySeSouvient, created by survivors of the massacre, called the code "incredibly disrespectful."
We can all "souvient" --remember -- and be prayerful on this National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, not only on behalf of the women who died and were injured 33 years ago, but for all women who live under threat today or have been victims of violence.
Canadian swallows may be "snow birds" in Central & South America but they've found a home in my Groundling Advent blog today groundlingearthyheavenly.blogspot.com/2022/12/swallo
What on earth was Price thinking? Maybe he took a few too many slapshots to the head. And I simply don't believe he was not aware of the horrible event of 33 years ago, especially given where he'd been working for so many years!
ReplyDeleteMisogyny and violence against women and children continue to be rampant. What we, as males, take for granted(such as taking the subway, walking to our car at night, etc), certainly is cause for females to be constantly on guard. We don't have to have that constant attention to who is near us or watching us.
I agree with and appreciate everything you say here. Thank God you didn't go on to make wild claims about the prospects for success by either the Habs or the Steelers. Price has now apologized, although he is saying that is well aware of the Polytechnique massacre, so why didn't clue in? You're slapshots theory may hold up.
ReplyDeleteWhile I would admit that neither the Steelers nor the Habs will accomplish much this year, I can still seek sports satisfaction by continuing to cheer against the Leafs, Bruins and Cowboys. They are my most despised teams in sports - in that order. I remember the Leafs playing Moscow Dynamo about 35 years ago, and cheering for the latter!
ReplyDeleteIt's heart-warming to know that you have an international spirit...what a guy! I'm an agnostic on the Canadiens but I share your feelings about the Bruins. It's a bitter pill that they're so good.
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