Social media has become a modern day pillory. To name and shame the Dalhousie 13 on the same platform that claimed the lives of so many victims of bullying, sexual harassment, and homophobia would be poetic justice. As a former victim of bullying, however, I have been on the receiving end of a mob mentality. I was an innocent kid, but the experience has made me feel the same sense of foreboding when I see it happen to guilty adults. Am I still a feminist if I prefer my justice to be restorative first and poetic as a last resort? I feel like this sense of unease is a betrayal of the victims, but I just cannot shake it.

I have seen cruel young people grow into compassionate adults, and I do not believe that there is an age cut-off when it comes to personal growth. In the brief time that I considered law school, I saw judges carefully craft sentences that allowed violent offenders to rebuild their lives, address the root causes of their abhorrent behaviours, receive appropriate psychological support, repay their debt to society through community service, and eventually contribute to the workforce after a lengthy and strict rehabilitation process. This system, when intelligently implemented, gave me an amazing sense of hope.

I find this difficult to say because I am truly disgusted by the actions of those students, but misogyny is not plagiarism. Plagiarism is not systemic. It is not subtly condoned by the very people who are supposed to help students become young professionals. It is not imperative to society as a whole that the perpetrators are reformed. This cannot be said for such horrific displays of sexism, even if rehabilitation presents genuine risks. I do not know which solution is best for the victims, and I do not know if all (or any) of the perpetrators should be given a chance to return to their profession. I have just been watching this unfold with extreme unease, and I feel like I should say something.