Senator Paula Simons🇨🇦I have a brilliant young University of Ottawa student, a former member of the Senate page program, who works part time in my office. This morning, she answered the phone, only to face a torrent of abuse from an Albertan who was furious about Bill C-11. He apparently called me a « dumb c-nt » and she was very shaken. And I realized just how blasé I’ve become about just insults. To me, it was business very much as usual. And I felt guilty my lovely 19-year-old staffer had to be exposed to this.
Maybe feminists of my generation have failed our daughters’ generation. I take abuse and threats for granted. They were part of everyday life in my old job, and so I wasn’t shocked or upset when they happened in my new role. I laugh them off. But I can’t expect my young staffers to be as inured as I am. We have normalized this rhetoric towards women in public life, and I don’t see a way back.
Grant 🇺🇦ArmUkraine🇺🇦@Paulatics Could there be a way out of a majority of us make the social consequences so severe that bigots/misogynists start thinking first and selecting the more civilized option? #ConsequenceCulture
Quantum@Paulatics Can we just realistically conclude that emancipation failed miserably? It was good in the 70s, it started to go down in the 80s and after that it spiralled down. I hear now of young women who let themselves be terribly abused by their partner, in a way that is unimaginable to me if emancipation had succeded, like it did in the 70s.
Vincent St. Pierre 🇨🇦@Paulatics I remember being on the receiving end of constituency calls when working in Ottawa.
It was... bad.
Also didn't help that the parliamentary telephone team couldn't block calls then. Hopefully they can block numbers now.
I feel terrible for your team member, Senator. Please let her know that folks are thinking of her on Mastodon and wishing her well.
Inken Paper 🇵🇸@Paulatics you're a politician, your perceived role is to find the way back. the reality is, you'll accept fascism and get comfortable with it because you wouldn't have a job without a manufactured crisis to manage.
Idealistic Pragmatist 
@Paulatics how awful for both of you!
Vicky Veritas@Paulatics It seems like some things will never change, but, yes, it’s still shocking. So sorry for your staffer.
David Mayhood@Paulatics I think we’ve all tolerated far more than enough of this, especially people in government, the public service, the press, & commentators in the general public. Hang up at the first abusive word. You & your staff owe them nothing. These people are using force to browbeat you.
ReallyCanadianFly@dmayhood @Paulatics exactly! This is nothing but bullying. Women are the preferred targets, especially online. It's not accidental.
WanderingHuman 🇨🇦@Paulatics @dmayhood exactly. Managers and supervisors must empower their employees to shut it down. Hang up and don't look back. No guilt, no apologies. Staff need to have the confidence to stand up and say no to abuse, without fearing repercussions from their employer. Maybe even provide a script to follow when calls get abusive.
Kevin Lloyd 
@Paulatics Oh geez...I assume she's allowed to outright hang up on people like that, but I guess he got a few words out? Terrible she was subjected to that!
Disgusting behavior on his part. Can you block the number?
I have thoughts on C-11 as well, but that's not the way to do it. Clearly.
KathyReid@Paulatics that’s awful. I hope she’s ok.
@KathyReid We had a good talk this afternoon, once my plane landed. I hope it helped. She’s smart and tough and she can cope. But she shouldn’t have to.
Gordon D. Bonnar (he/him/il)@Paulatics I am so saddened to hear this. We can disagree and express ourselves politely and respectfully.
Sen. Karen Sorensen@Paulatics Agree, we must not normalize this behaviour. Not only for those who surround us but also for ourselves. It’s not ok. #callitout