I will always remember my mentor @gowlingwlg_ca , Patrick LeSage, saying - the law judges behaviour not people. I thought (and think) that remains good advice for life. 1/4

(Aside - how “the law” decides which behaviours are worthy of judgment and the unequal weight borne by some people as a result is of course itself problematic but not the point of this thread.) 1a/4

The idea of cancel culture, for me, incorporates the opposite principle - that subjectively understood bad behaviour (incl words) justifies judging the person (and anyone associated w them) as irredeemable. This of course has a chilling effect on discourse and relationship. 2/4

I am grateful to have colleagues with whom I can disagree. With whom I can have difficult and uncomfortable conversations. From whom I can learn and who might also learn from me. Who recognize the importance of listening, trying to understand, and making space for discomfort. 3/4

Even though they often don’t engage w me directly on social media, I thought a shout out in this moment was warranted. 4/4