Killing is Dumb.

Many people here in Canada know of the Montreal Massacre, where a young man who "hated feminists" stormed in to the Ecole Polytechnique and murdered fourteen women, most of them engineering students.  Recently I read an article that mentioned a book by his mother Monique Lepine and I was curious enough to go and grab it from the library.

It was frustrating to read.  She grew up in a middle class family, was well-educated and yet for some reason still ended up dating and then marrying a horrible man.  He wouldn't let her work, he was unfaithful and he was abusive towards her and their two children.  Monique only finally left when he hit her son (the Montreal Massacre shooter) so badly that the physical marks stayed for weeks.  She ended up being a working single mom, leaving her kids with caregivers while she worked to earn a living (the ex husband stopped sending alimony after two payments).  From her standpoint, she seems to blame herself for not being there for her son.  

In my opinion I think it starts before that.  Why the hell would someone put up with dating someone so abusive and mysoginistic in the first place?  And to top it off, she endured several abortions (which he wasn't even there for) and then married the asshole.  AND THEN REPLICATED HIS PSYCHOTIC GENETIC MATERIAL BY HAVING KIDS WITH HIM.  What did she expect was going to happen?  The kids were abused, they saw their mom getting abused, plus they ended up inheriting unstable personality traits.  The odds were stacked up against them already.  The daughter ended up being horrible to the son (which could've played a part in his hatred of women) and being addicted to drugs, eventually taking her own life via overdose after her brother killed 14 innocent women and took his own life.  

I respect that Monique Lepine has spoken out and given her side of the story, but I can't help getting the sense that she still harbors victim mentality.  Much of the book is about how horrible she felt and how horrible society was to her.  She needs to teach women need to stay away from male idiots.  Or at least not to start families with them!  If you hopelessly (and pathetically) want to try to "change" the moron then fine, subject yourself to his idiocy.  But don't bring poor children into the mix :(  I know that kids won't necessarily be exactly like their psycho parents, but damn, do we have to make it THAT hard for them growing up?  

Ugh I need to read something a little more empowering.

Mind Farts

-The senseless killing of black men can't seem to stop.  RIP Alton Sterling and Philando Castile :(  One good thing about today's world: video evidence  

-I feel sick every time I think of the dog eating festival in China.  At the very least, there is worldwide outrage and I hope it will add to the vegan spark that is growing.  Dogs are smart and lovable beings and so are other animals. 

-I have to say, Edmonton is actually not so shabby in vegan eats.  Even a sketchy part of Chinatown houses a marvelous place called Veggie Garden and their vegetarian lemongrass "chicken" is fantastic.  I enjoyed vegan cupcakes at the 124 St Market and there is a new plant-based cafe that opened on 104 St as well :). Wheeeee!

-Kettlebells and calisthenics are pretty dope.  I was able to hold crow pose for a few seconds for the first time last week!  I'm not gonna lie, I kind of wanted to dance around and squeal a little but I kept it all in.
-Listening to tropical house music makes my hips reminisce about dancing to kizomba and bachata :)