Thread by @HeidiPCTV

Province bringing Dr. Carrie Rentschler to the stand as a witness. She is Assiciate Professor of Feminist Media Studies at McGill University. @CTVAtlantic

Dr. Rentschler to be questioned first by Lorne Grabher’s lawyer, Jay Cameron. @CTVAtlantic

She is the author of an earlier report commissioned by govt to analyze the potential impact of the Grabher licence plate. @CTVAtlantic

Cameron asking Rentschler about the ethnic origins of Grabher’s last name - it is of Austrian origin. @CTVAtlantic

Cameron: “You propose in you affadavit that Mr. Grabher’s last name is a ‘speech act’.” Rentschler agrees. @CTVAtlantic

Cameron: “You say that Mr. Grabher’s last name is a speech act...and that the meaning of that speech act is socially determined.” @CTVAtlantic

Cameron: “What is the speech act?” Rentschler replies that one is that it is his name, but can also refer to “Grab her.” Rentschler: “The meaning of Grabher is socially determined.” @CTVAtlantic

Cameron points out that the “h” is silent in Grabher’s pronunciation. @CTVAtlantic

Rentschler: “The notion of a speech act looks at what is said, and the ...context it is said in.” @CTVAtlantic

Rentschler: “I’m thinking that someone would see this as a command, ‘grab her.’ “ @CTVAtlantic

Rentschler: “His statement on a licence plate contributes to...condone, support, and encourage gender violence.” @CTVAtlantic

Rentschler: “I am saying the speech act in itself in public would be experienced as an act of gender violence.” @CTVAtlantic

Rentschler: “It would be highly likely that people would interpret it that way.” @CTVAtlantic

Cameron: “Do you believe it has been an act of gender violence over the past 27 years?” @CTVAtlantic

Rentschler says yes, but adds that the interpretation of the word on the plate would change over time. @CTVAtlantic

Cameron pointing out that Dr. Rentschler is not a psychologist, criminologist, or legal expert. @CTVAtlantic

Rentschler: “I’m not saying he has grabbed women. He’s made a statement that condones the non-consensual grabbing of women.” @CTVAtlantic

Court taking a quick break so some evidence can be added. @CTVAtlantic

We’re back. Dr. Rentschler still giving testimony and being questioned by Jay Cameron, Lorne Grabher’s lawyer. @CTVAtlantic

Rentschler says that the Grabher plate and it’s effects are a social fact, understood though the theory of speech act. @CTVAtlantic

The name J.L Austin keeps coming up. He was a British philosopher considered a central figure in the theory of speech act. Wrote a book called “Doing Things with Words”, considered a key reference text in the field. @CTVAtlantic

For example: “I take this man as my husband” is an example of a speech act cited in Austin’s book. @CTVAtlantic

Rentschler says the context of the speech act is “very important.” @CTVAtlantic

Rentschler: “We always ask, ‘What is the context?’ There is always context, it may be hard to determine that context...Especially in the public context, where we have to read for cues.” @CTVAtlantic

Cameron says Austin intends that in some contexts, there is no speeech act. Rentschler explaining that Austin’s understanding of children text is “fairly limited.” @CTVAtlantic

Rentschler: “Based on my research, and in my report, I’m looking at a speech act that is in one hand very ordinary, and in another, extraordinary.” @CTVAtlantic

Cameron gives Rentschler an image of the Grabher plate. @CTVAtlantic

Cameron: “Could you not say, ‘Grab her’ jacket on the way out the door? Could you not make it mean that?” Rentschler: “Whenit comes to vanity plates, we don’t have access to the meaning behind it....All we have is “Grabher.” Cameron: “That is true.” @CTVAtlantic

Rentschler says the culture in which the expression is made is important and “culturally specific.” @CTVAtlantic

Cameron asks if she’s an expert in Nova Scotia culture. She say no, but she looked at the incidents of gender violence in the city. @CTVAtlantic

Rentschler refers to Donald Trump’s statement being highly published at the time, and says it was part of the context. @CTVAtlantic

Cameron talking about the image on the Bluenose on the plate, says “Grabher” could be interpreted to mean “embrace the Bluenose” in the context of Maritime culture @CTVAtlantic

Rentschler: “There is no reason why someone would think that ‘Grabher’ has something to do with the ship on the plate....Because it’s ubiquitous.” @CTVAtlantic

Rentschler argues there are two expressions on the plate. “You would have no idea this is someone’s name, you would interpret it as ‘Grab her.’” @CTVAtlantic

Rentschler: “I’ve accounted for the ways people interpret licence plates, particularly vanity licence plates.” @CTVAtlantic

Cameron arguing that part of the context of the plate must be that we live in a multicultural society. @CTVAtlantic

Rentschler “It would be nearly impossible to interpret this plate as saying ‘Grab her,’ based on incidents that happened in Nova Scotia at the time (mentions incidents at universities, and Rehtaeh Parsons). @CTVAtlantic

Cameron: “Aren’t you making an assumption of how they (Nova Scotians) will interpret the plate?” @CTVAtlantic

Rentschler: “What I can study are the available modes of interpretation. People interpret things based on messages they hear.” @CTVAtlantic

Cameron: “You have no evidence at all that Mr.Grabher has committed an act of gender violence.” @CTVAtlantic

Rentschler: “I do not have access to that information...My argument is not a cause/effect argument. My argument is that..the plate itself is contributing to those conditions.” @CTVAtlantic

Rentschler speaking of how the plate could contribute to the context of fears around public spaces and fears of sexual assault. @CTVAtlantic

I feel like I’m back in university - now there’s discussion of logical positivism and speech act theory. Anyone out there who has studied this? @CTVAtlantic

Cameron now delving into “ordinary language philosophy.” @CTVAtlantic

Now discussing whether there is evidence that people have interpreted it to be harmful. Rentschler says this is a research question. @CTVAtlantic

Cameron: “Is it an act of gendered violence when Mrs.Grabher drives the vehicle down the street?”Rentschler: “I’m not associated it with a person. For me the communication is the message on the plate. Who the speaker of that is is a question.” @CTVAtlantic

Cameron: “How many incidents of gender violence occur in Mr. Grabher’s neighbourhood if he goes on vacation and leaves his car in the driveway for six months.” Rentschler: “They could feel endangered.” @CTVAtlantic

Cameron asks if people can’t see the plate, is the community safer? Rentschler: “Is say the lack of circulation would increase the conditions that people would feel safer.” @CTVAtlantic

Cameron asks if it’s possible she could be misinterpreting the way people would interpret the plate, based on one complaint in 27 years? @CTVAtlantic

Rentschler asking about the complaint and why it was made. Says it demonstrates the ways in which at least one person interpreted it. @CTVAtlantic

Rentschler says she doesn’t know the exact text of the complaint, but understood it to be linked to concerns about gender violence based on media coverage. @CTVAtlantic

She notes that she saw the news report that alluded to this after she authored her report - “Perhaps last month.” @CTVAtlantic

Cameron: Would it surprise you to learn that we don’t know if the complaint was lodged by a man or a woman? Rentschler says her understanding is that it was anonymous. @CTVAtlantic

Yesterday, Cameron told reporters there are no exhibits or evidence in this case that offer any more information on the original complaint, who made it, how it was made, or what it’s nature was. @CTVAtlantic

Cameron: “Isn’t what you’re doing (attributing words to the plate) something that J.L. Austin warned against?” Rentschler: “‘Grabher’ in and of itself is a message, and the message is on the plate.” @CTVAtlantic

Talking now about whether the plate could be understood to infer the words uttered by Donald Trump, which made headlines around the same time. Rentschler says the meaning of the words ‘Grab her’ could be interpreted in the same way as the Trump statement. @CTVAtlantic

Rentschler wrote two reports on this, the second one is much longer than the first. @CTVAtlantic

Cameron: We know for a fact that the licence plate does not say “by the p***y”. Rentschler: It does not. @CTVAtlantic

Cameron’s pointing out that her first report said the plate “ DID”infer the meaning. Her second says “COULD LIKELY”. @CTVAtlantic

Rentschler: The second report deal with specific questions. @CTVAtlantic

Rentschler says the statement in the first report was probably a bit strong, as compared to the second report. @CTVAtlantic

Cameron says she has softened some of the language in the second report. Rentschler says the emphasis is different because she was specifically asked to directly comment on processes of interpretation. @CTVAtlantic

Correction: she said “impossible NOT to”