She is a victim of hate, not her gender
By Colleen Vantol, Contributor
I find it interesting that the same week that a Canadian woman is identified as being behind an attempted poisoning of the President of the United States, our own Dr. Bonnie shared that she has been receiving abusive letters and death threats over managing the Province’s health and safety during the current COVID-19 pandemic.
I see parallels between the two professionals, as they both occupy positions of power and authority, and it’s no secret that almost all people who occupy some form of notoriety in any capacity will become targets of hate and harassment (as well as praise and appreciation) at some point. There is a long history of this within humanity—this is not new.
I note that President Trump did not address this event citing that he was a victim as a result of his gender. I likewise note that Dr. Henry appears to think that her gender is a relevant factor in her victimization.
It’s no secret that almost all people who occupy some form of notoriety in any capacity will become targets of hate and harassment (as well as praise and appreciation) at some point.
Notwithstanding her intelligence and talent in the medical profession, I find it disappointing that she is perpetuating a culture of victimization, namely, she is perpetuating the idea that she is a victim of her gender.
The larger issue at hand here is that people are being deluged in a victim culture; you are a victim of your social class, you are a victim of your race, you are a victim of your gender. None of these attributes are chosen, you are simply given them by way of birthright, and propagating a victim culture is feeding an unhealthy psychology within society.
Since Dr. Henry’s disclosure the dialogue has moved towards other women in power stepping up and disclosing similar events. Adrian Dicks, who fits the criteria for true white male privilege, also went onto the record to state that he has not received death threats.
The issue at hand here is not gender, it is hate and harassment. Sitting around and interpreting events as being the result of gender inequalities does nothing for moving forward an intelligent solution focused dialogue about how to deal with the intense psychological trauma that comes from living in a perpetual state of fear.
When you cultivate a victim culture you create a disharmony within society. Last month, Conservative commentator Candace Owens spoke on Adam Carolla’s podcast and reflected on her experience of being targeted with a hate crime in her senior year in high school. She reflected that she was “diecast as a victim […] I felt like I had a narrative created for me, and I was horrified that people saw me as a victim.” She notes later that this event and how it was managed via the media “shaped all my ideas about the media and race issues,” she said.
Arguably, Dr. Henry’s statement that she is victimized as a result of her gender further fosters division and polarization between genders, class, and race. The impact is palpable, and I find it deeply disappointing that people we look to for guidance at this time, use their power, their gender, and their role to further a victim culture and narrative.
