GEOFF GOODSON
<Staff Writer>
The enthusiasm has waned and the dinner-party has returned home, back to our cozy social circles and comfortable silences. Yet, there is still fruit left on the table, which tends to ripen and rot when left uneaten. I direct my article towards this degradation while, undeniably, admitting my own complicit role in its dissipating rot. For, in a corner, just possibly, Jessica White sits alone in her bedroom, isolated and alienated, thinking about the future as if it were defined by the present. She may be crying. She may be even thinking about how accosting an entire class by hacking into the school email is inappropriate: about her tone, about the sting of regret and about how a single act can lead to such chaos in one’s life. So what does the fact-pattern of her act really suggest? That Jessica is merely a bad, mean-spirited, or ignorant person? To my mind, obviously, it is too easy and yet, is almost natural to assume these conclusions – but, consider that perhaps her behaviour was merely the unfortunate result of a personal situation that has left her bitter and sad; a personal circumstance under which she broke down and broke out against people, in an admitted foolish manner? For my part, I have made many mistakes which have made me cringe, especially when not at my best: after the loss of a loved one; when I have been depressed, drunk, stressed, livid at a random personal event; or when I plainly chose the wrong path or words. Thus, as you might imagine, in sum, “pineapple-gate” has left a lingering and bitter taste in my mouth (pineapples, which are, in fact, crunchy when you eat their prickly skin.) So, let’s peel back that skin and ask ourselves what this situation really means.
More troubling than Jessica’s act, for me, is the enthusiastic mob-justice doled out (no pineapple pun intended) by us law students to target such triviality without thought to the consequences. In this vein, it would be appropriate for us all to take a stroll down to Regent Park at 3am and see if we can generate the same enthusiasm against the serious crimes being committed down there (my email is goodsongeoff@hotmail.com and I am offering to follow through on this endeavour with any student.) I assure you that the individuals in this area will not be so easily cowed. Certainly, Jessica possessed an abnormal capacity for anti-social behaviour in that moment and thus, picking apart her language and posting it online as a source of ridicule may be inevitable and yes, even appropriate in terms of her liberal use of the term “eating disorders” (as has been aptly pointed out). But, should the online circus predictably overshadow a more appropriate and measured response that one would expect from professionals? I believe that our community can do and is better. One can only imagine that Jessica must be devastated, formerly cowering in her anonymity at the sensationalism, concealment which has now been disclosed freely and in a possibly well-intentioned, but reactionary fashion. Her reputation is tarnished, friendships are probably damaged and her self-esteem may be in shambles; all because she made one very regrettable, but relatively harmless, mistake. My fear is that our own response (myself included) reflects the adversarial system at work in our attitudes, but outside of the justice system: sharks eating sharks and in this case, under the painted veil of supposed humour and justice— “jestice,” one might call it; not seeing or caring about the person that may be hurting on the other side.
We all have moments of great weakness, to be jerks, as it were and for one to worry about every apparent personality that we label as such, is to be an extremely busy and uncharitable individual; myopic even. So, Jessica, if you happen to read this article, remember