The Cultural Divide

 

 

The CBC’s critics are right that it’s out of touch with the public and young people if the CBC thinks it can hush this all up, transfer one person and claim that it has successfully rooted out the culture of celebrity impunity it helped foster. We need real accountability, and real introspection. If not, more monsters will be created, and more people will be hurt.

 

- Kathryn Borel

 

Obviously there are complex and pervasive reasons for this. But the fact remains: even where it is the easiest for women to run, they are simply choosing not to do so.

 

Women are the only ones who can change this, by stepping up and placing their names on a ballot. And the excuses they use for not doing so aren’t good enough.

 

- Scott Gilmore

 

The problem, according to one: we have a permissive culture that enables successful people who do bad things, so long as they don't get caught in a way that can't be buried.  The people in positions of power need to be open, accountable, introspective and empathetic.

 

The problem, according to the other: the people who aren't being represented by the institution are part of the problem, because they aren't stepping up.  It's all on them to mount whatever obstacles in front of them ('cause hey, we all have 'em) and get ahead in the same way as those who are successful do.  Accountability?  That's called results.  The only focus you should have is success.  Empathy is too much like trying to have it all.

 

I'm intentionally not positioning this as a female vs male thing, though that's an easy generalization to make.  You could use this same frame for any marginalized community.

 

I also don't want this to be seen as a left vs right thing, because that doesn't cover it either.  Politics is a blood sport and the way success is achieved, regardless of party, is through the same practices.

 

It all leads to the same place. 

 

Our society is fractured, because we deny it exists.  Our relationships are frayed, because we tell ourselves they don't matter.  Our future is at risk, because we're focused on the now.  None of it is sustainable.