DeJONGHE: Scandal categorized as ‘hockey culture’
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There are few times when spitting is appropriate.
No, it’s not acceptable on the golf course, the street or sidewalk, arena, baseball diamond, in the backyard or driving a tractor. Although we often see this – or the results – in all of these areas, it is never OK for anyone in these places to expectorate unless it is into a tissue or hanky.
It is not only acceptable but required to spit at the dentist’s office. After digging, drilling, scraping or whatever, the technician will give you a little cup of water and instruct you to rinse and spit. Perfectly acceptable.
When eating watermelon outside one is expected to spit the seeds and there are even contests which have sprung up during a backyard gathering. Those with manners will spit or slip the seeds into the palm of their hand for disposal but for others spurting them out of the mouth into the air is considered tolerable.
You would think after ordering 48 rolls of paper towels followed by ordering 72 rolls of tin foil (I gave them away for Christmas presents) I would be more careful and read everything before I place an order. But then who thinks when they are buying one of those tiny, dark green, seedless watermelons it would arrive as a huge melon literally crammed with black seeds.
I usually only buy a half-sized melon but when I saw this one in the catalogue I assumed from the photo (I know, I should know better), it to be as I expected small and seedless. I think I was thrown by the Ontario grown comment so just went for it. I will be eating watermelon every day for at least a week and not really enjoying it at all since I have to continuously either pick out the seeds or mannerly spit into a serviette.
We are into the throes of the Hockey Canada scandal. As news comes out it shows more and more how accusations of sexual misconduct, and worse, have been covered up for years. People are shocked and horrified.
It is being categorized as hockey culture. So, by that standard, when it happens in the football leagues is it football culture? When it happens in a church does it become religious culture? How about in the workplace, is it then factory culture or office culture? Does it become military culture when applied to the Armed Forces?
Could it possibly be the culture of superiority, mainly by white men, who see others, especially women as less than, inferior, subservient, subordinate? Are young men still being taught, maybe not intentionally, this mindset, this predatory behaviour, which shows up everywhere but especially in these male, sports-related environments?
It is not a characteristic which is exhibited by female athletes, so it’s not a sports’ culture in that sense but the women involved in sports are often the victims of the male coaches, doctors, staff, etc.
We have come a long way but it’s an attitude of entitlement passed down from generation to generation which can only be defined as a male-dominated cultural issue. Without recognition and awareness, that type of behaviour will not be eradicated or corrected anytime soon.
I, for one, am not shocked.
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