In the 250 Words series, one question is posed to the RU Student Life bloggers, who each provide their own perspective.
Question 5: What current even have you been following and what do you think about it?
Jess: Ghomeshi
I’ve been following the Ghomeshi trial.
When Ghomeshi’s accusers started coming forward, I was reminded that just because I liked his radio show didn’t mean he wasn’t guilty. Since then, my admiration for him has been replaced by admiration for his lawyer, Marie Heinein. She’s a smart, fierce and well-respected professional in a world that frowns upon women for being “too aggressive.” She has unabashedly cultivated a reputable reputation for herself in criminal law. She is brilliant, meticulous, and, best of all, a feminist.
But as a feminist myself, I feel conflicted by the trial. Its outcome will no-doubt set the precedent for how future high-profile sexual assault trials that involve the powerful accused are handled. I don’t condemn Heinein for playing the Devil’s Advocate. She has the right to take on any case she wants to and shouldn’t feel the need to pass them up simply because she is a woman, or a feminist. Afterall, she has built her career on defending the hopeless fuck-ups. This case merely demonstrates her versatility.
The way in which she unravelled the credibility of the witnesses gives us a glimpse into the ruthless persona Heinein has constructed. But as someone with a background in psychology, with semesters dedicated to studying memory, I don’t feel like she should be permitted to badger the witness about the inconsistent details of an alleged traumatic event that occurred fourteen years ago. I think the fact that she is doing so is more of a reflection of the justice system and less of Heinein herself. As the trial went on, I was pulled in three different directions: by my admiration for Heinein, by my criticism over what is permitted in a court of law, and by my concern for the challenges that the victims of sexual assault face in accusing their attackers.
Zahra: Trump
I’m really sad to hear about Donald Trump. Nothing happened to him, I’m just sad to hear about him. At first it was funny, almost like “Look mom, the man with the funny troll doll hair is running for president of one of the most powerful countries in the world, LOL”. Then it got to the level of “Yeah, they only have him there to make the other candidates look better, obviously”. And now, I’m at a total loss of trust in large pockets of the Earth for showing him so much support to “Make America great again.”
When was America so politically great in the past anyways? From the land that was built on genocide all the way to slavery, and when it got bored, onto blasting shiny guns and drones far outside its borders.
When a news story takes form, it is sometimes difficult to tell if it will continue to be headlined for a while or not. The Trump possibility for me felt as if he would have been removed as a candidate well in advance for his absurd notions to build walls between countries or bann entire religious groups from entering the country. I thought his story would soon be history, like the Dead Raccoon from 2015, but with worse hair of course; needless to say I was very wrong. Instead of taking a step forward from “the rich white man regulating the so called progressive minded Western society” mentality, we are going backwards.
The most recent development on this horrific political drama showcased the support of Sarah Palin toward Trump. I mean I guess people with crazy hairstyles think alike.
Janine: Postmedia
Recently, I’ve been keeping up with the issue of diversity within workforces, specifically in journalism and the media industry. I was listening to a podcast during my commute one morning about the downfall of the Postmedia Network which talked about how newspapers are dying and as a result, losing profit. Unfortunately, a majority of Postmedia is primarily made up of ‘white’ individuals. In my perspective, a diverse team brings various perspectives whereas a team made up of one specific culture or ethnic background bring in one idea. So with Postmedia’s issue, had they brought in a diverse group of people, they may have found other ways to prevent their downfall because diversity improves innovation and creativity.
This being said, sometimes it is easier to work in a team made up of similar backgrounds; everyone has similar mindsets, work habits, and ways of communicating. But just because it’s easy, doesn’t mean it’s good. If we prevent diversity in the workforce, or turn down people because of their ethnic background, we miss out on ideas, growth, and developing our understanding on how to work in a diverse team where everyone is included and treated equally.
Is there a current news story you’ve been following and have 250 words/thoughts on? Share them with us rustudentlife@gmail.com.
