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Interview Transcript
Naomi Klein: There was a moment where I became involved in politics as a university student, and that was . . . It was a moment that I think Americans won’t remember, but Canadians do, which it’s known as the “Montreal Massacre”. And it was a . . . It was a school shooting, but it was a very political school shooting. It happened . . . It happened at the University of Montreal, and I’m from Montreal so it affected me a lot. And I was in first year university, and it was a shooting at an engineering school by a man named Mark Lepine who had tried to get into this school but he hadn’t gotten in. And he decided it was because there was affirmative action for women, so he went into the engineering department and he separated the men from the women and said, “You’re all a bunch of fucking feminists,” and killed 14 women . . . just gunned them down. So this was an amazing political awakening for a lot of women because the politics were just so clear, and we felt really vulnerable as women in universities at that point. So up until then I had really decided, you know, I didn’t wanna be involved in activism and I didn’t wanna follow in my family’s footsteps. But that was like a wakeup call. Recorded on: 11/29/07
Naomi Klein: The Montreal Massacre
Economist; Author
A critical moment in Canadian history pushed Klein into politics.
January 27, 2008 | In Politics & Policy
Discuss
Jordon Roy Gowans on February 15, 2008, 9:06 AM
Men have been in control of human societies for hundreds of thousands of years, so it's no real surprise to me if women today are better at submissive roles and men today are better at dominant roles. Maybe after a few more generations of feminism, there will be more confident, accomplished, talented and intelligent women. But it will probably take hundreds of years.
Jordon Roy Gowans on February 15, 2008, 9:06 AM
Men have been in control of human societies for hundreds of thousands of years, so it's no real surprise to me if women today are better at submissive roles and men today are better at dominant roles. Maybe after a few more generations of feminism, there will be more confident, accomplished, talented and intelligent women. But it will probably take hundreds of years.
Jordon Roy Gowans on February 15, 2008, 2:06 PM
Men have been in control of human societies for hundreds of thousands of years, so it’s no real surprise to me if women today are better at submissive roles and men today are better at dominant roles. Maybe after a few more generations of feminism, there will be more confident, accomplished, talented and intelligent women. But it will probably take hundreds of years.
Jordon Roy Gowans on February 15, 2008, 2:06 PM
Men have been in control of human societies for hundreds of thousands of years, so it’s no real surprise to me if women today are better at submissive roles and men today are better at dominant roles. Maybe after a few more generations of feminism, there will be more confident, accomplished, talented and intelligent women. But it will probably take hundreds of years.
Jacoline Loewen on March 5, 2008, 1:54 PM
Having graduated from McGill University, Montreal, I remember this shocker too. Perhaps the most amazing thing in my books was that the guys just did as they were told and left the room. (That looks very submissive to me, Jordon.)
I'm no fan of social engineering or war of the sexes. As Henry Kissinger said, "Everyone's too busy sleeping with the enemy." Affirmative action in engineering for women was very public back then and we now know that women self select themselves out of the workplace later on and work part time or in different ways to the traditional male career. Change to the establishment is tough and it is hugely upsetting for many, especially when a group is perceived as favoured. This sounds terribly callow but I did get this killer's rage but certainly did not support such a savage, cruel and destructive response.
Also, wasn't the killer or his family brought up in another country and not used to Canadian AA ways?
Jacoline Loewen on March 5, 2008, 6:54 PM
Having graduated from McGill University, Montreal, I remember this shocker too. Perhaps the most amazing thing in my books was that the guys just did as they were told and left the room. (That looks very submissive to me, Jordon.)
I’m no fan of social engineering or war of the sexes. As Henry Kissinger said, “Everyone’s too busy sleeping with the enemy.” Affirmative action in engineering for women was very public back then and we now know that women self select themselves out of the workplace later on and work part time or in different ways to the traditional male career. Change to the establishment is tough and it is hugely upsetting for many, especially when a group is perceived as favoured. This sounds terribly callow but I did get this killer’s rage but certainly did not support such a savage, cruel and destructive response.
Also, wasn’t the killer or his family brought up in another country and not used to Canadian AA ways?
Jordon Roy Gowans on March 19, 2008, 3:19 PM
Women have less powerful musculature than men, with less ability in abstract thought and mathematics, as a result of the way we evolved. On the other hand, women have more flexible muscles than men, with more ability in social adaptation and language than men. I'm sure if muscular strength, abstract thought and mathematics become less important, and muscular flexibility, social adaptation and language become more important, women will smash the glass ceiling. And yeah, according to basic psychology, most people, men and women, tend to emphasize the risk of death over the benefits of heroism.
Jordon Roy Gowans on March 19, 2008, 7:19 PM
Women have less powerful musculature than men, with less ability in abstract thought and mathematics, as a result of the way we evolved. On the other hand, women have more flexible muscles than men, with more ability in social adaptation and language than men. I’m sure if muscular strength, abstract thought and mathematics become less important, and muscular flexibility, social adaptation and language become more important, women will smash the glass ceiling. And yeah, according to basic psychology, most people, men and women, tend to emphasize the risk of death over the benefits of heroism.
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