Walking away is not an option... dialogue must prevail.

"A good listener tries to understand what the other person is saying. In the end he may disagree sharply, but because he disagrees, he wants to know exactly what it is he is disagreeing with."
- Kenneth A. Wells

"I do not want the peace that passeth understanding. I want the understanding which bringeth peace."
- Helen Keller

Sunday, December 6, 2009

when 20 years feels like the blink of an eye

It happened 20 years ago today...

14 women died at l'École Polytechnique (affiliated to the Université de Montréal), 13 of them were students.

They were killed because they were women.

I remember them... I'll always remember them.


In their memory
Geneviève Bergeron
Mechanical engineering student
Hélène Colgan
Mechanical engineering student
Nathalie Croteau
Mechanical engineering student
Barbara Daigneault
Mechanical engineering student
Anne-Marie Edward
Chemical engineering student
Maud Haviernick
Metallurgical engineering student
Barbara Klucznik-Widajewicz
Nursing student
(Université de Montréal)
Maryse Laganière
Finance department employee
Maryse Leclair
Metallurgical engineering student
Anne-Marie Lemay
Mechanical engineering student
Sonia Pelletier
Mechanical engineering student
Michèle Richard
Metallurgical engineering student
Annie St-Arneault
Mechanical engineering student
Annie Turcotte
Metallurgical engineering student







14 comments:

Bogey said...

This is definitely one event that time cannot heal the wounds from. The senselessness of the whole affair should never be forgotten nor the names of those young women. That short clip brought to quick reality the terror of those final moments. As we head into another Chrismtas Season, I can only imagine the emptiness still felt by their loved ones who remain and still mourn. Thank you Anndi, for making sure we do not forget.

Mimi Lenox said...

That is one of the most chilling scenes I've ever witnessed. Beyond tragic. Just incomprehensible.
Prayers and peace....

Nessa said...

Jeez.


Giant Crickets Invade Norway

Fortune Cookies said...

I'm speechless.
Thank you for sharing this.

Connie said...

So tragic.

Anonymous said...

Thanx for posting this. I have to confess complete and total ignorance concerning this event. Having now read some of the articles online and watched the film clips surrounding the event, the debates and the memorials it makes me sad that this tragedy had to be politicized, but then I guess most events of this type are.
True to form, all the "experts" tried to pinpoint a specific cause (violence against women, gun control, child abuse, immigration) when it appears to be a combination of all of them; none of which, collectively nor indepentently, can been taken lightly.

Anonymous said...

Yikes. I admit that I had never heard of this either. Thank you for bringing such a tragedy to the light.

Charles Gramlich said...

Such horror. Unforgivable.

Anndi said...

To this day, I remember the long ride home in the bus. I was in what amounts to junior college at the time and commuted to the city every day.

I sat in the bus, listening to the news on my walkman (yeah, way back when) in shock. I just wanted to be with my parents. I wanted to go home. This was before cell phones.

My bus let me off at my usual stop and I ran home, crying... finally letting go.My parents were waiting for me in shock as well.

Those women were just barely older than I was. At the age 20, this kind of violence against women really hit home.

The passage of time hasn't lessened the sadness I felt then.

Akelamalu said...

So tragic.

Meribah said...

A fitting tribute, Anndi. Hugs.

Vinny "Bond" Marini said...

Once again...a lovely remembrance of a tragic event

Brian o vretanos said...

I had to look this up on Wikipedia. What a sad, needless event. Next time I'm in Ottawa, I'll make a point of visiting the memorial there.

Michelle said...

I have never heard about this event before. :-( I had to go wander around Google. What a terrible tragedy.

Sadly... there are far too many tragedies in the world and the world becomes numb. We need reminding.

This year my cousin's wife was shot dead sitting in her car. She's the third family member we've lost in violence in Africa. We've lost about eight friends over the decades. Guns and other means. You never really get over it, but you do bury it - hide from it - avoid it. Because otherwise you reach a stage where you become frozen.

For today I will remeber and grieve... not only my losses, but all the lives cut short, ended too soon.