Monday 27 October 2014

The State Has No Place

A well-loved drama teacher was fired from her school board because she had acted in some erotic videos OVER 40 YEARS AGO.  She described them as having nothing to do with the kind of things one sees in most "adult" films today, and they have no bearing on her ability to do her job.

The whole "GamerGate" debacle started because someone published the sordid tale of his breakup and falsely accused his ex of sleeping with a journalist in order to garner favourable reviews for her work.

Now a prominent radio journalist has been fired from his job because of allegations from his ex-girlfriend of sexual misconduct in their bedroom.  He issued a statement that it was consensual but she became upset when he broke up with her and she had started a campaign to smear him.

Here we go again.

The late Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau once said that "there's no place for the state in the bedrooms of the nation".  What goes on in private between consenting adults provided it doesn't hurt anyone should not be used against them.  Also, in this country people are supposed to be innocent until proven guilty.

Many of us have plenty of reasons to smear an ex when a relationship ends badly.  But do we really think about what our actions will do to them in the future?  I admit I'm guilty of saying bad things about certain exes, but I never mention names and I'm careful of what I say because I know I shouldn't sabotage them no matter how much I might want to.

Unfortunately due to the Internet and social media, allegations and falsehoods get shared around the world in minutes.  Misinformation spreads, jobs are lost, and reputations are ruined just because someone chooses to publish their beliefs on a whim or they want to "get even" during a fit of pique.

We need to think more instead of having knee-jerk reactions.  And stay out of people's bedrooms.

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