You should have stopped at the Kate Spades

I read with interest the slanging match in cyberspace. Something has spawned thousands of posts and discussions on social media after news broke about a young woman seeking political office. Actually, it’s more of amusement than interest. Only on this island do we get such big mountains made from the puniest molehills.

On one hand, the adage about how this age of social media will expose anyone and anything about them is proven true again. As convenient some of these sites are in sharing photos, comments and thoughts, there wouldn’t be much surprise when HR people will require skills in sussing out the juiciest bits about a potential candidate.

Now, we have one stellar example of a smear campaign gaining momentum and whatever bits and pieces of that young women’s private life will not be spared in this massive “witch-hunt”. Men, made of sterner stuff, would have wilted under such intense (and arguably unwarranted) spotlight.

While I can sympathise with her unenviable situation, it will be an interesting exercise in analysing how all of these came about? What are the causes of this “witch-hunt”?

In my opinion, it is a reaction and the extent of it suggests it is a huge and overdue reaction to something or some events in the past, which were neither addressed nor put in any perspective.

While it is only right to condemn this witch-hunt, we must think about our reactions (or the lack thereof) to events of the past (which I shall not specify) where some terrible (perceived or otherwise) acts of injustice were inflicted on people who had no chance of getting themselves heard or getting someone else to speak on their behalf (much less condemn these acts openly).

Only weeks ago, a slight was committed on one segment of our community and while they have largely gone about with their lives, I could understand if they were quietly upset about it. The people who should speak up for them (as opposed to defend them) probably didn’t do enough. Obviously, they (the people who should speak up) felt they might not have done enough the first time and started to want to have the last say on the matter just when the dust is about to settle. An apology came but it could have been easily deemed as contrived.

This is but one small blip in the history of our country. There are bigger blips but either the reactions were muted or swept under the carpet. It will be an attempt in vain to compare the magnitude of this and other blips. While undeniably it was wrong to expose someone’s private life in public (including someone who will be running for political office) and this must be condemned, will we do the same (if not more) if and when such events or acts of (perceived) injustice happen again in the heat of the moment (which will be upon us very soon)?

As far as I know, we haven’t in the past. And gauging the level of political maturity from this “witch-hunt” and the subsequent (“I’m so self-righteous about it”) reactions to it, I won’t be holding my breath.