As a Canadian, it’s hard not to watch events unfold in the United States without feeling at least a bit smug. After all, Canada has socialized health care and a Prime Minister who identifies as a feminist. Compared to the current situation in the states, it almost seems like a paradise. We are home to appointed, not elected judges and a political system that includes more than two parties. Canada boasts some of the most creative political thinkers and has given the world amazing things like insulin and Superman. We are pretty great. However, we are far from perfect. In fact, we also have a series of systemic problems facing Canadian women. Our Prime Minister may have once dropped the mic by asserting “it’s 2015” in response appointing the first gender balanced cabinet in Canadian history, but we still have a far way to go.
In fact, Canada’s stumbles are notable and, quite frankly, embarrassing. There is simply no excuse for any of these incidents to happen in today’s society. The fact that they do, and that there are those who see nothing wrong with them, speaks volumes about how far we need to go. There is an obvious need for change in the States, but it is important for us Canadians to remember that we aren’t perfect either.
Halifax Judge Gregory Lenehan Says ‘A Drunk Can Consent’
If you were thinking that 2014 was years ago, and clearly society has made a few strides in that time, Halifax judge Gregory Lenehan is here to tell you that you are wrong. He is also here to tell you that a drunk individual can consent to just about anything. While the satirist in me wants to ask about mugging wealthy individuals who have had a few too many, the female in me is fucking terrified. The facts of this case are terrifying: a woman was found unconscious and naked from the waist down, with her breasts exposed, in a cab by the police. The victim clearly had enjoyed one drink too many, and tried to get herself safely home by taking a cab. Unfortunately, she passed out and had no recollection of what happened next. Justice Lenehan told the court that this fact did not really matter, because “a lack of memory does not equate to a lack of consent.” And just in case he didn’t get his point across the first time, he later asserted that “clearly, a drunk can consent.”
The scariest part about this ruling is the precedent it sets. The next time there is a sexual assault case involving an unconscious woman (regardless of the reason why she is unconscious) a defense attorney could use these comments as a defense for his or her client’s actions. In essence, this judge declared open season on unconscious women in Canada. Read more.
via The Sirens Rise