Allan McKeown
Chair: Sarnia-Lambton White Ribbon Campaign
(published in the Sarnia Observer, November 1998)
"Non-violence is the law of our species as violence is the law of the brute. The spirit lies dormant in the brute and he knows no law but that of physical might. The dignity of man requires obedience to a higher law - to the strength of the spirit".
Gandhi.
One of the paradoxes of our time is that we possess an ever increasing amount of knowledge that would have been considered inconceivable a century ago and yet there are some who choose to live in ignorance or denial. There are people, for example, who still believe that the earth is flat, or that the HIV virus does not lead to AIDS and there are those who believe in ludicrous conspiracy theories based on irrational fears.
A prominent member of our community, Roger Galloway MP, has publicly declared his disbelief of facts gathered by law enforcement, social service, health and other professionals in Canada, the U.S., Australia, U.K. and other countries which clearly demonstrate an alarming level of violence against women.
When I spoke recently to Mr. Galloway he would not admit to believing in the seriousness of this problem but he did tell me that he believed that there was a large number of women who lie about abuse, a situation he described as "epidemic". Furthermore, he declared that women accounted for as much violence against men as vice versa.
Mr. Galloway is a classic case of a man in denial. He need only look at the murder rate for the last 20 years in his own city to see the absurdity of his opinions.
During that period 15 women have been murdered by men but no men have been murdered by women. Most of those women were murdered by men known to them.
The White Ribbon Campaign was formed in 1991 to break men’s silence on violence against women. Formed in response to the Montreal Massacre of 14 young women by a lone gunman, the WRC has attracted men to form local chapters across Canada and in an ever increasing number of other countries around the world.
During White Ribbon Week (November 27 - December 5) men and women are encouraged to wear a ribbon (available from Shoppers’ Drug Marts) as a symbol of
commitment to speak out against violence and to work for a safer society.
The White Ribbon Campaign believes that most men are not violent, that violence is not, as Gandhi believed, a part of man’s nature, but is in fact a social influence. We encourage men not to deny this truth but to take responsibility to work for change; men must become part of the solution.
We live in a dysfunctional society where violence is accepted and admired, e.g. in some sports (especially our national sport of ice hockey), movies, video games etc. Men hold the key to change these attitudes.
We live in a society where many boys will grow up physically strong but emotionally weak; in pursuit of material success at the expense of spiritual bankruptcy, and believing that exercising power and control over women is acceptable. Is it any surprise when some men become violent or leave their partners and children? Should we be surprised when men turn to pornography for sexual gratification, because they fear real love and intimacy? Hard-core pornography further degrades women and children in the minds of its adherents. These are some of the negative influences which prevent men from realizing their full humanity and destroy their chances of fulfilling relationships with women.
The White Ribbon Campaign believes in a vision of a peaceful, harmonious and spiritual society where men and women are created equal; where men and women can build rewarding relationships which support our children to become vital and well-balanced human beings.
Our TV ad campaign this year points out that men have 2 choices: to support our vision of a renewed society or to remain silent about violence against women. If we want a better world for our children then silence is no longer an option.
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