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www.insideHALTON.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday, November 30, 2012 · 6 Opinion & Letters 467 Speers Rd., Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5566 Classified Advertising: 632-4440 Circulation: 905-631-6095 -- 5300 Harvester Rd., Burlington Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. The Oakville Beaver THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: Canadian Circulation Audit Board Member THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: Recognized for Excellence by Ontario Community Newspapers Association Suburban Newspapers of America Canadian Community Newspapers Association ATHENA Award Neil Oliver Vice ­ President and Group Publisher of Metroland West The OakvilleBeaver is a division of David Harvey Regional General Manager JILL DAVIS Editor in Chief- Halton Region Daniel Baird Advertising Director ANGELA BLACKBURN Managing Editor Riziero Vertolli Photography Director Sandy Pare Business Manager MARK DILLS Director of Production Manuel garcia Production Manager CHARLENE HALL Director of Distribution KIM MOSSMAN Circulation Manager Be vigilant always While candlelight vigils have become a tradition in memory of the tragic killing of 14 young women in Montreal on Dec. 6, 1989, vigilance about violence against women is needed every day. It was that date when a gunman confronted 60 engineeringstudentsduringtheirclassatl'ÉcolePolytechnique in Montreal on the last day of the term. He separated the men and women and told the men to leave while brandishing a .22-calibre rifle. The crazed individual then began a 45-minute shooting rampage that spread across three floors and several classrooms. Before opening fire in the engineering class, he called the women a gang of feminists and said he hated them. One person pleaded they were students taking engineering, but the gunman shot and killed 14 women, injured 13 and then killed himself. Almost immediately, the Montreal Massacre became a galvanizing moment in which mourning turned into outrage about all violence against women. Memorials are held every year in cities across the country to mark the anniversary of the killings. As that moment in time approaches, it should serve as a reminder that while progress has been made, much still needs to be done. Witness the letter to the editor on this page in which an Oakville resident relays an experience of hearing: "I had a student tell me the incident was not worth discussing because they were only women." Shocking at the very least. Yet, in Oakville, a respected community that is not necessarily ripe with issues of large-scale poverty, Halton police operate a domestic violence unit. This year began with the violent death of an Oakville woman and the police shooting of her estranged husband. Domestic violence is a crime present everywhere -- from the poorest of homes to the richest, in every walk of life. It is also often a hidden crime that thrives in a culture of isolation brought on by -- wrongly created and propagated -- feelings of embarrassment, social and financial need, and unrealistic beliefs systems. It is gratifying to know many young girls today know of no reason why they can't be whatever they want to be in life, should go to school, should vote, can own property, choose religion, spouses and parenthood and conduct their life as they see fit. We must all be vigilant and step forward when needed because the reality of many young girls today could be shattered by the reality of many young girls of yesteryear. The Oakville Beaver is a member of the Ontario Press Council. The council is located at 80 Gould St., Suite 206, Toronto, Ont., M5B 2M7. Phone 416-340-1981. Advertising is accepted on the condition that, in the event of a typographical error, that portion of advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged for, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. The publisher reserves the right to categorize advertisements or decline. Letter to the editor Letters to the editor The Oakville Beaver welcomes letters from its readers. Letters will be edited for clarity, length, legal considerations and grammar. In order to be published all letters must contain the name, address and phone number of the author. Letters should be addressed to The Editor, Oakville Beaver, 467 Speers Rd., Oakville, ON, L6K 3S4, or via e-mail to editor@oakvillebeaver.com. The Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish a letter. Project Maddie needs support Oakville-based Project Maddie assists pet owners in need by providing pet food, which prevents pet owners from having to surrender a beloved companion to an animal shelter or pet rescue. However, 2012 has been a challenging year because the requests for assistance have quadrupled from the previous year, and more are received each week as the holidays approach. The organization will not be able to meet these requests without the community's support, and fears it may become necessary to stop taking new requests altogether, effectively shutting down its services at a time when most needed by Halton's seniors and disabled persons. For information, contact 905-749-0063 or visit www.projectmaddie.com. Kimberley Ford, Project Maddie founder, Oakville Thanks for our successful penny drive Clanmore Montessori School collected approximately 60,000 pennies at the Tiny Tots on Parade. We are very grateful to The Oakville Beaver for helping us in this endeavour. We also want to thank the community for helping us reach our goal. Thank you. Renee Osterback, Clanmore Montessori Oakville Editor's Note: Clanmore Montessori students will be at the Royal Bank downtown today at 11 a.m. showing off the collected pennies. Dec. 6 is the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. Established in 1991 by the Parliament of Canada, this day marks the anniversary of the murders in 1989 of 14 young women at l'École Polytechnique de Montréal. The young women were shot because they were women. The hateful, insecure gunman shot the women because they were studying in a traditional man's world while he, a young man, was denied access to the engineering program. That horrific day is etched in my mind. I had a student tell me the incident was not worth discussing because they were only women. Women have made significant gains -- there is still a lot to do. Women are respected leaders in many professions and trades. Also, homicide of women by firearm shrank with gun control -- ironic as the gun registry is destroyed. Yet, many women are left behind. Since 1980, there are at least 582 missing and murdered Aboriginal women. Domestic violence is a reality for many. What can we do? · Speak out against bullying, harassment, homophobia, discrimination, gender-based insults · Help to raise strong, confident, compassionate children · Encourage people who commit violence to seek counselling and support · Promote women's equality, economic stability and accessible child care · Support women's groups in countries that do not have equality Step forward and do what you can, when you can to end violence. Anne Douglas, Advancement of Women Halton Editor's Note: Advancement of Women Halton is a coalition of Halton women's groups promoting advancement of women through social, political, cultural and economic strategies to achieve gender equality municipally, regionally, provincially, nationally and internationally. Remembering Dec. 6 deaths