IWD is DOA with NPA

Last year, the Vancouver Parks Board commemorated International Women's Day by naming a park after longtime social activist and MLA Rosemary Brown. This year the right-wing 'Non Partisan' Association majority on the Board felt it was vitally important to do absolutely nothing to recognize the struggles of women for social and economic justice throughout the world. Call it irony, call it a lapse in awareness on the part of this page, but the NPA's lack of action actually has me thinking much more about IWD than naming the park did last year.

Parks Board Chair Heather Holden and the other NPA commissioners cited the usual financial constraints, which are always the case at City Hall unless it involves the 2010 Olympics or f**king over poor people. The actual motion, which came from Coalition Of Progressive Electors Commissioner Heather Woodcock, called on the board to examine ways in which they could work with City Council to recognize IWD. Talk is cheap, but apparently not cheap enough for the NPA.

The other reason the NPA commissioners wouldn't recognize IWD, despite the fact that many of them are women, is because they're the kind of antifeminists who read the likes of Margaret Wente, and believe that 'women's issues' are fabricated by the left. NPA Commissioner Korina Houghton remarked during Monday's debate that the Parks Board should not be in the business of recognizing 'special interest groups', and equated the Board recognizing IWD to being forced into supporting 'International Dog's Day'. Seriously, who's the real bitch here?

This page considers women to be very special, but a special interest group? How can they be a special interest group? They're everywhere! I'm surrounded by women at work, in the supermarket, on the bus, there's even one living in my house! In fact, back in the late 60's, I think I lived inside of one for about nine months! Women and their contributions to life on this planet are obvious to the point that one would have be struck pretty hard by misogyny or serious denial to refuse a special day for women.

The NPA's refusal to support IWD ranks in stupidity with the Alberta government's rednecked refusal to ratify the UN Declaration of the Rights of the Child because they thought it would take away the rights of parents to abuse...er...discipline their kids. Hang you heads in shame, ladies of the NPA.