page 15
opinions
Casting the first pineapple
GEOFF GOODSON
Staff Writer
The enthusiasm has waned and the dinnerparty 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 (whomever that may be)
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 admittedly 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 [email protected] 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 personali ty 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 that
we all make mistakes and that many people
understand that your sense of what is respectful is atypically demanding, that you merely
felt disrespected yourself and that, whatever
may be happening in your life is going to be
okay in the end. Just stick through the melee
and focus on your studies. All of this will
pass. You are cared for as a human being.
Jurisfoodence
» continued from page 11
which is saying something because those corn
fritters were unreal - was the kindly cashier
telling me to “insert it gently” (in reference
to my debit card), and that “it’s always kind of
fun to say that to people.” I almost died. This
place became a certified gold pick as soon as
my ears were graced with that gem. Considering the level of service I expected walking
into a gas station, this place went above and
beyond.
Luke: Overall, I maintain that the Pumps is
a gem. The prices are great and the food is
exceptional. It’s certainly not a place to take
your parents after you’re called to the Bar, but
it’s worth a trip to the neighbourhood. I’d also
recommend it for people at the start of a road
trip who want great sandwiches and Toronto’s
cheapest gas (they claim) before they go.
Score: Leslieville Pumps
Dan
Food: 3/5
Service: 4/5
Atmosphere: 3/5
Luke
Food: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Atmosphere: 4/5
Overall: 3.5 sossbosses out of
5, not bad for a gas station!
#fillerupwithsoss
the obiter dicta
tuesday - october 15 - 2013