Oct. 30: Ghomeshi
I sort of met Jian Ghomeshi in 1993 when he and Moxy Fruvous did a
concert at Mount Royal College, where I was a theatre student. One of my
colleagues later got to interview the band for a school project, but I
digress.
For my non-Canadian readers, Jian Ghomeshi is a former Canadian pop musician who later became a CBC radio personality. He was fired recently after details of his sex life were exposed. He wrote a long defense of himself on Facebook. He certainly didn't claim to be a perfect angel. He admitted that his sexual proclivities are a tad unusual but also suggested that the reason he'd come under fire was he'd sparked the ire of a jilted lover who was out for revenge.
You know, at first I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.
I've never been a serial dater. I count the number of serious relationships I've had on one hand. Like all breakups, mine came with hurt feelings on both sides. Most of the women I was involved with have moved on and didn't go out to "carve me a new one."
I said most, not all.
There was a woman who called my boss and attempted to have me fired. That was a long time ago. Her efforts were in vain and my boss told her to seek counseling.
That was a long time ago. But I still remembered it and that's why I was willing to give Ghomeshi the benefit of the doubt. I wanted to see if his complainant had a legitimate beef with him or if she was just out for revenge.
But now that more victims have come forward, I find myself less willing to give Ghomeshi the benefit of the doubt. I've read a few of the interviews and they're pretty damning stuff. This dude sounds like he's a sexual predator and it's highly unlikely he'll be able to find any sort of public employment in Canada ever again.
Legally, he is innocent until proven guilty. This must be the way it is in the court of law. I shudder to think what society would be like if the opposite were true.
But the court of public opinion is something else altogether.
For my non-Canadian readers, Jian Ghomeshi is a former Canadian pop musician who later became a CBC radio personality. He was fired recently after details of his sex life were exposed. He wrote a long defense of himself on Facebook. He certainly didn't claim to be a perfect angel. He admitted that his sexual proclivities are a tad unusual but also suggested that the reason he'd come under fire was he'd sparked the ire of a jilted lover who was out for revenge.
You know, at first I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.
I've never been a serial dater. I count the number of serious relationships I've had on one hand. Like all breakups, mine came with hurt feelings on both sides. Most of the women I was involved with have moved on and didn't go out to "carve me a new one."
I said most, not all.
There was a woman who called my boss and attempted to have me fired. That was a long time ago. Her efforts were in vain and my boss told her to seek counseling.
That was a long time ago. But I still remembered it and that's why I was willing to give Ghomeshi the benefit of the doubt. I wanted to see if his complainant had a legitimate beef with him or if she was just out for revenge.
But now that more victims have come forward, I find myself less willing to give Ghomeshi the benefit of the doubt. I've read a few of the interviews and they're pretty damning stuff. This dude sounds like he's a sexual predator and it's highly unlikely he'll be able to find any sort of public employment in Canada ever again.
Legally, he is innocent until proven guilty. This must be the way it is in the court of law. I shudder to think what society would be like if the opposite were true.
But the court of public opinion is something else altogether.
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