It's been a while since I wrote a "Notes from the North" diary but I thought it might provide a distraction from post election blues. These diaries are a glimpse into what is happening up here in "The Great White North".
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"It's like raaaain on your wedding day". Actually, Alanis, rain on your wedding day is not ironic. Just really, really unfortunate.
It was revealed today that two female members of Canada's parliament have filed sexual harassment charges against two male MP's. One of the men is the Liberal Party's ethics critic. Now see, Alanis, that's ironic.
From the CBC News website:
"Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau has suspended ethics critic Scott Andrews and Quebec MP Massimo Pacetti from the party's caucus after two New Democrat MPs alleged they were harassed.
Both MPs deny the allegations, but have been suspended pending resolution.The letter refers to the allegations being about 'personal misconduct'."
I can't help but wonder if these women felt more comfortable in speaking out due to recent events surrounding CBC radio personality, Jian Ghomeshi.
Ghomeshi is, or rather was, host of the radio show Q and has done many interviews with famous movers and shakers here in Canada and around the world. He was the media darling, well regarded as an excellent interviewer. Charming, charismatic and cute, he seemed to have it all. Until his personal life became exposed. CBC recently fired him and he went to Facebook to make his case.
His side of the story was that he liked to engage in "rough" sex but that it was always consensual and therefore, no one else's business. He said that a disgruntled former girlfriend was spreading lies about him. At first he got a lot of sympathy until the details began coming out.
Eventually, nine brave women came forward to tell their stories of abuse inflicted on them during dates with him. The abuse included punching, slapping, choking, and beating with a belt and was definitely not consensual. There has been an incredible outpouring of support for these women from every corner of the country.
Now women who worked with him are also coming forward with stories of harassment in the workplace.
From CBC news website:
"One woman said she was afraid to speak out, while the other said she raised her concerns with a supervisor, but that the conversation went nowhere."
They were told that he was never going to change and that they should do what they could to make the situation "less toxic". Apparently everyone knew what he was like but no one would say anything because ratings for Q were through the roof and he was their star.
This all happened at the CBC, our national broadcaster, considered to be the face of Canada and a shining example of all that is good in broadcasting.
Isn't it ironic?
My admiration and respect for all these women has no bounds. It took a lot of courage to confront such powerful men, and I thank them for their willingness to face this issue.
One more thought on that "black fly in your Chardonnay" from an article in the New York Times:
if Morissette purposely wrote a song called “Ironic” that contained no irony at all, is that ironic?
