I've been brewing and stewing and thinking and contemplating. I read a blog post that a Facebook friend had shared awhile back. Some of you may have seen it already but here's the link for it.
At first I was all good for you, but the more I read the more unsettled I became and I just couldn't put my finger on it. I also read the comments and that's when I realized what was bothering me. The idea that boys/men are not responsible for how they view girls/women. It's all on the ladies. I am having difficulty expressing my thoughts lately, and I want to respond but I don't think I can do it in a thoughtful way because I truly believe this woman means well for her children. So I found a response that hits the nail on the head so to speak and says what I'd like to. Here's the article.
I guess what I'm struggling with a bit is the whole idea of critical thinking and how our words define who we are. We are our words. It's how we communicate (I know we our actions too but usually those actions line up with what we say.) In social interactions we rely on visual cues and tone of voice to help us interpret the words we hear. It's a package deal. But in the online world we no longer have those visual or auditory cues (unless its a video). We rely strictly on the written word. I was taught in school to think critically. To evaluate an idea or a concept or opinion based on reason. To look beyond the surface. Part of that evaluation is using my own experience and moral compass-my filter if you will - but to always acknowledge that filter. In reading the comments I realized there is not a lot of that critical thinking going on any more. Or realizing that it is a human being behind those words. I freely admit I don't always look beyond the surface.
You will note in Mrs Hall's post she's edited it based on some of the comments. The surface comments. She totally missed the deeper message. I am unsure if some of those more critically thoughtful comments are still there as they don't jive with her view.
There is so much more I could talk about with regards to the posts and critical thinking but my thoughts are scattered this morning and I can't pull them together enough. So I encourage you to read both posts and the comments and to look beyond the surface.
Please feel free to comment however you so choose. Maybe your viewpoint will be the focus I need gather my thoughts and continue exploring this idea.
Something about the original blog post bothered me. When I read the Huffington article, I realized it was the personalized nature of Mrs. Hall's post. I can see how this blog post generated so much attention.
ReplyDeleteMy biggest challenge as a father, is to convey the value of modest dress to my daughter. At 12 she is becoming extremely fashion conscious and beginning to explore her sexuality though her clothing. We've realized we have to be vigilant when she shops for clothes with earned or gifted money but we've spotted a few items in her wardrobe that we've actually bought back from her to take them out of circulation.