Shame unfortunately piled on young women

Dem seh yuh fi see and blind, hear and deaf, but if we all turn a deaf ear to injustice and a blind eye to prejudice, then if those things are ever meted out to us, no one will aid us in our defence.

By now, you would have heard about the debate about the pictures, depicting dancehall culture, of members of the Mona Law Society. The photos, of students in skimpy clothing, were posted on Instagram.

Let me hasten to say that I have never allowed those with a myopic, biased and classist way of thinking to impede my growth, success and development because I specialise in disappointing my enemies. There are people in our society who are ‘closet classists’, and they do not think that certain positions, or even professions, are good enough for some people. Cuh pon dem to!

They see themselves as the gatekeepers to upholding a Eurocentric ideology, while many of them do not live up to the same standards in a dem real life! The hypocrisy and double standards in this culture and society are palpable and continue to limit people and their potential. If one is going to hold him or herself up as a paragon of virtue, they should ensure that their conduct, when put under the microscope, is always impeccable and unblemished!

FALLEN SHORT OF GRACE

God is the only infallible person I know because as human beings, no matter the hue of your skin, texture of your hair, or straightness of your nose, we have all fallen short of the grace of God and made mistakes. And if God were to publicly condemn and expose, like man, nuff people would have to run to the hills.

The furore that has been created over the young ladies’ outfits is a stark reminder that the more things change, the more they remain the same. I have not seen pictures of the male contestants, who also depicted the theme, being plastered all over social media. The focus and embarrassment is on the ladies only. Sexism and the patriarchal agenda are still alive and well. This was a moment for the ‘elders’ to teach the youngsters about what is professionally acceptable and what is not. Guide them as to implications of posting risqué pictures on social media as aspiring lawyers. Use it as a moment to educate and guide, not publicly chastise and humiliate. It must be admitted that the pictures, when looked at without the proper context, and even in the proper context, could be regarded as risqué and not reflecting the intended message.

The students could have been reprimanded privately instead of condemned publicly as this has implications for the same profession that is being ‘guarded’.

The shame that was heaped on these young women in the name of preserving the ‘nobility’ of the legal profession is unfortunate. They should not be discouraged or harbour any self-doubt or self-hatred, and I hope that their self-esteem is not eroded as a result. This ‘punishment’ was manifestly excessive and may be deemed as an abuse of power. I hope the young women know and understand that they can and will rise above this unfortunate turn events. Let this be your drive to propel you to get good grades, to be successful, and to be the best version of yourself.