People Unclear On The Concept: Mother’s Day Edition

Barbara Kay of the National Post admits she has not read The Handmaid’s Tale, nor has she watched the new television show.

“Pious Christians are the last people on earth to dream up a system in which the state has control over everyone’s sexual and reproductive lives…”

http://news.nationalpost.com/full-comment/barbara-kay-the-problem-with-handmaids-tale-is-that-its-not-a-believable-dystopia-its-sci-fi

It’s pretty clear she doesn’t know the story.  In Margaret Atwood’s book, there is a plot reveal halfway or maybe two-thirds of the way into the story that made me foot stomping mad.  Because… of course!  The men in charge of Gilead are certainly not pious, they are hypocritical oligarchs.

Women’s March in Montreal: What ARE we marching for?

Place des Arts – Hundreds of people walked this corridor on their way from the metro to the demonstration.

Next to the crowds, an aboriginal woman and her 2 puppies were basically living in this little alcove. (She has a black & white striped jacket on.)
People just walked on by her on their way to and from the march.
I spoke with her, gave her some money, and asked her to Prends Soins (take care of herself).

Women’s March in Montreal: More observations

The crowd was diverse.  The mood was cheerful.  Lots of dogs, babies, and grannies. Bicycle cops lounging at the perimeter.

Montreal’s Raging Grannies arrive

Women’s March in Montreal: Signs of Our Times

Today’s march in Montreal was more a gathering around Place des Arts.  I saw as many men as women.  I saw lots of pussy hats.  Mainly I saw a huge number of clever signs.

A Woman’s Place Is In The Resistance

What You’ll Find Here

Some fiction, lots of opinion of the world today and how it got this way, some photo essays of Montreal.  A lot of art throughout.  

Constructive feedback on my art and writing appreciated.  I’d love to hear from you.

Scientists afraid of their mothers

©2001 Marion Pennell

Some scientists decided it was worth researching why women (ie female humans) stay alive so long after menopause, or was it, why do women have menopause instead of giving birth until the day they die?

PRLS [post-reproductive lifespan] is of short duration in most mammals, leading to the proposal that PRLS is a consequence of mismatch in somatic versus reproductive senescence.

http://rsbl.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/12/2/20150992

I can’t believe any women needed to study this.  There is an implication that women might as well die once they lose fertility, because they are no longer useful to the species.  (Wink Wink! Nudge Nudge! I traded in my 40 year old wife for two 20 year olds! Rimshot!)

The best year of my life

June 7th is my Liberation Day.  One year ago I shed the burden of anxiety, depression, and PTSD – when I learned my abuser – my teenage boyfriend – was not only merely dead, he was really most sincerely dead.

©2006 Marion Pennell

Music abounded: Let It Go, Brave, Everything is Beautiful, I am Woman, I’m Free… The soundtrack in my head flipped to joyous.

Power

Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

I am not sure how old I was when I learned that quote, and understood it.  Early high school I think.  (In my neighbourhood, elementary was grade 1-6, and high school was 7-11.)

The ruling class, the privileged, the citizens of the Capitol if you like (Hunger Games) ride on the coat-tails of the power – and if they so choose – exploit and judge the underclass with freedom from social responsibility or consequence.

In Animal Farm the egalitarian animal dream breaks down and the pigs co-opt the puppies to raise them into a bloodthirsty obedient policing force. Once insulated from retaliation (the side with the teeth/guns wins), those who hold the leash choose the target.

International Women’s Day

Canadian Burqa
©2015 Marion Pennell

Around the world women’s lives are circumscribed by the culture into which they are born. I am lucky to be born in Canada to a mother who held feminist values long before the term was popularized.

I remember

©2005 Marion Pennell

I went to the funeral back in December 1989.  Not inside the basilica, we stood outside in the cold.  There were speakers to broadcast the service.  It was in French, but I couldn’t understand most of it because of the outdoor acoustics, not the language.  It didn’t matter.  We all knew what was being said.  Eleven of the fourteen shared a funeral.  Eleven hearses.  It was very cold, but nobody complained.  There were a lot of men too, that helped.