Watershed Moments Do Happen
By now, everyone in Canada has heard about the Jian Ghomeshi abuse story. A recent Globe and Mail article , by Denise Balkissoon, argues that the fall-out from Ghomeshi's story is leading to a false watershed moment, that in the end, victims of assault and abuse will continue to face the "I don't believe you." Here's why I disagree with the author. Watershed moments DO happen. There is a reason why life today is radically different today from, say, the 1900s, or even the 1990s. Incremental change is the norm, but once in a while, something big happens that changes public perception. Take gay marriage, or the legalization of pot. It takes one trigger event, and the bandwagons follow en masse. Secondly, she asks why hasn't this happened with the Pickton murders, or the murdered and missing Aboriginal women. Why is it supposedly a watershed moment only now, with Ghomeshi - which makes the author debate the legitimacy of this social epiphany. Here'