Just or Unjust?

There comes a point and time when enough is enough. No matter how big or small the situation may escalate to be, none of us are capable of handling vast amounts of hate and not seeing an effect on our well-being. For Caster Semenya, there became a point in time where she could not handle the disbelief, hatred, and doubt others constantly gave her, leading to her having to eliminate herself from the situation outright. Caster was constantly questioned on her gender, as most people did not believe that she was a woman, simply because she was outperforming her counterparts day in and day out. Do her competitors have a just reason as to why they don’t think she is a woman? Does Caster Semenya deserve to be questioned and examined, in order to make it fair for her opponents? 

“Either/Or: Sports, Sex, and the Case of Caster Semenya” by Ariel Levy, a well known journalist, seems to be about intersexcuality and sports, but could also be about just, and unjust actions. Throughout this composer, many critics of Caster Semenya were noted, including people like Elisa Cusma, a female middle-distance runner who said the following words about Semenya, “These kinds of people don’t run with us. For me, she is not a woman.” Let's take a step back. Caster Semenya is also a middle-distance runner, not just any middle-distance runner though. Many assumptions about Caster triggered an investigation to see if she was truly a woman due to the fact that she had improved incredibly in her performance amongst other competitors, as well as the fact that South African sports web sites had alleged that Semanya was a hermaphrodite athlete. She had to undergo a series of tests in order to come to a conclusion about her gender. Semenya was treated unjustly during these tests, as her mother said, “They didn’t even consult us as parents. Theft acted like thieves. They did whatever they wanted to do with our child without informing us.” Did medical professionals have the right to question her gender? In this case, the argument was made that Semenya’s appearance of her head, the timbre of her voice, the non-development of her breasts, and the absence of such things like a uterus or ovaries seemed apparent. On the other hand, there was an argument made that, “the face was feminine, the throat was decidedly that of a woman.” Through all of this, Caster Semenya struggles as people oppose her gender simply because she is outperforming her counterparts. Unjust actions were taken, but professionals did what was just in order to make it fair for others. 

Caster Semenya got to the point where enough was enough. She avoided media conversations in an effort to remain level headed.When reporters would ask to interview her, a common response was, “I can’t talk to you. I can’t talk to anyone. I can’t say to anyone how I feel or what’s in my mind.” This would not have happened if Semenya hadn’t been treated unjustly, unlike a human being.  When people criticize others, they tend to not put themselves in that person's shoes. They don’t understand other people's perspectives. After all, who is a bigger Caster Semenya expert than Caster Semenya herself?