David Screech felt compelled to further explain himself this week, after his comments about B次元官网网址渞ape cultureB次元官网网址� drew the ire of fellow delegates at the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention last week in Vancouver.
The View Royal mayor told the Gazette that his comments, part of a discussion on a motion calling for the UBCM to support the creation of an intergovernmental task force to identify how to erase the rape culture in schools, universities, workplaces and elsewhere in Canada, B次元官网网址渨ere taken a bit out of contextB次元官网网址� and that he is B次元官网网址渁nything but insensitive to the issue.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淚 prefaced that at the beginning,B次元官网网址� he said of his comments, adding it was the wording of the motion that gave him pause, not the content. B次元官网网址淚 said I supported and was sympathetic and empathetic to the motion.B次元官网网址�
Screech was quoted as contesting the claim that the problem is B次元官网网址減ervasiveB次元官网网址� and therefore rampant.
B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 believe thatB次元官网网址檚 true,B次元官网网址� he said at the meeting.
Cariboo Regional District director Margo Warner, one of the sponsors of the proposal, had previously told delegates she was raped 43 years ago, but didnB次元官网网址檛 report it because of the culture of the day.
After ScreechB次元官网网址檚 comments, more women stepped forward to reveal themselves as sexual assault victims, while other men and women told the Island politician he was wrong.
After overwhelmingly approving the first motion, delegates also voted to ask the task force to look at ways of improving reporting, arrest and conviction rates across the country.
Screech said he voted in favour of the original motion, but admitted he did have difficulty with the notion that we live in a rape culture.
B次元官网网址淢aybe what I should have been focusing on is the culture in schools and universities; I can understand that, rather than society as a whole,B次元官网网址� he said.
Last Friday the mayor re-posted to his own Facebook page a lengthy explanation of his position that he had written on someone elseB次元官网网址檚 page.
B次元官网网址淲hat I had (and still have) difficulty with was the wording of the B次元官网网址楾herefore be it resolvedB次元官网网址� clause,B次元官网网址� he wrote. B次元官网网址淚 do not believe that these clauses should contain emotional B次元官网网址榟ot buttonB次元官网网址� words. They are supposed to be a clear and concise call for action B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淚s rape a serious issue in our society? Yes, absolutely. Do I support the concept of a task force? Yes, absolutely. Do I believe we live in a B次元官网网址榬ape cultureB次元官网网址� where rape is extensive, rampant, universal, and pervasive? No, I am sorry but I donB次元官网网址檛.B次元官网网址�
That post prompted a number of responses, many of which pointed to figures and research on the topic of the pervasiveness of rape and sexualization of women, primarily, in society.
Screech admitted that in retrospect he would have contributed differently to the sensitive discussion.
At the same time, the UBCM convention veteran said if the body wants its recommendations to be taken seriously by the provincial government, it needs to craft more specific policy suggestions.
B次元官网网址淚n general it would be fair to say at UBCM, rather than having well thought-out policy decisions that go from the municipalities to the (province), we endorse motions sometimes in a rather hurried way before theyB次元官网网址檝e been refined or amended.B次元官网网址�
editor@goldstreamgazette.com
