A devestating reality.
“Since 1980 in B.C., there have been 40 unsolved murders of women who either worked in the sex trade or were vulnerable to predators because they used drugs, lived on the street, hitched rides with strangers, or earned their living as exotic dancers.” These women have been killed or have suspiciously disappeared along a section of highway from Prince Rupert to Prince George, a span on 720kms. titled The Highway of Tears.
The question of this blog assignment is “to critically analyze why this story has yet to receive the media attention that many stories of missing girl(s) receives,” however, I have differing views with the premise of this blog. In the Robert Picton case, for example, his infamous “butcher shop” was brought to the police’s scrutiny in February of 2002. Since 1971, at least 40 women were reported missing from the Downtown East-Side portion of Vancouver; for the most part, the women Picton preyed on were drug users, prostitutes, sex trade workers deemed “degenerates” of society. It is interesting to analyze to amount of media recognition that the Robert Picton case received, even though his victims were not considered of “importance” to society (in the similar sense that the victims of Highway of Tears were looked down upon). The point being made is that these cases did receive a great deal of attention from the media, even though the victims were stereotyped as being “low-live drug addicts.”
Other than the Picton case, can you, off the top of your head, name another female that’s gone missing within the past decade (without referring to the internet/newspapers)? The blog’s question implies that other missing female’s stories have been publicized to a greater effect than the Highway of Tears, but I don’t think that’s necessarily the case. I’m simply making the point that even though you haven’t heard about the Highway of Tears, it doesn’t mean that it hasn’t been publicized. The fact that you haven’t heard about this tragedy could be because of your lack of knowledge of current events, and not necessarily because of the inequality present in Canada (although I’m not denying the fact that discrimination is present almost everywhere in this day and age). Personally, I’m not up to date with current events as much as I’d like to be; in my own little world, I often miss the bigger picture, and it’s unfortunate that such ignorance still exists in my life. Perhaps “if we readers cared more about the victims of Highway of Tears, the media would undoubtedly put more necessary attention on this case, because the media sells us what we buy.” I’m in no way deterring from the fact that 40 innocent lives have gone missing. Extremely disturbing, it’s horrific that such events are occurring in Canada in this day and age. It’s such a shame that these cataclysms are happening close to home and no one should ever have to go through such horrific experiences.
WOW. Agree times one thousand! You brought up an extremely well thought- out point here Bianca. Now that I have read what you have to say about the whole issue, I understand completely why you would feel this way. I feel the exact same way. People ARE to ignorant in this world and it isn’t necessarily the lack of publicity that is the issue here. It is indefinitely the lack of understanding and care that we as citizens have towards women who go missing that is the real issue we need to address and it is sickening that this is reality. I myself am just as guilty as anyone else as I could not answer your question “Name another female that has gone missing in the past decade,” but after reading and researching about two gruesome murder cases such as these, I can only hope that I will open my eyes and get involved with what is happening around the world today towards women.
Interesting. May I add some food for thought? In Canada and other first world countries death is a huge deal. Witness the front page of provincial papers like the Province, the Globe and Mail: nearly every single day a death has occured. Maybe it’s just one death of say, a boy named Sam. Sam will get the front page as well as a huge news piece dedicated to him. Flip several pages later to the “international news” section. A tiny column will state:300,000 dead in Afghanistan. 3,000 injured and 2,000 missing in Burma. Interesting our reaction to both pieces of news. Sam will tug at your heart strings, you may even worry about your own health/safety then a more blase “oh 300,000 death.”.Little reaction. We are so far removed from the genocide and horroe that to many, we don’t even register this instead we save our tears for Sam.
Right or wrong:in first world countries we bemoan the death of one person in a nation of 36 million while thousands of people die everyday in developing countries.
I also agree with your post here Bianca, and along with Krista, could not come up with another female that has gone missing in the past decade (although it could be because i am definitely not involved with worldly happenings). I do agree with your fact stating “even though you haven’t heard about the Highway of Tears, it doesn’t mean that it hasn’t been publicized”, but even if this is the case, i would think people would know about it and talk about it more, which makes me believe it wasn’t brought to the medias attention as much as it should or could have been. You may or may not agree but it does seem to make a little bit of sense!
thanks for the comments guys! I do agree with the fact that perhaps this isssue needs to be publisized more, but I wanted to look at it from a different perspective of addressing our own ignorance. I totally agree with all of the above
40 women in the DTES over the past 20 years before people began to ask questions… thats not just. Especially, when you think about missing persons cases and how some people will be all over the news.