- Feb 8, 2001
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Anyone feel society is taking a downfall when it comes to double standards in our culture? I don't just mean for color... although it is apparent that is happening. I also mean when it comes to age.
To begin with, its become acceptable... at least in comedy, for racist slurs to be made regarding white people. I don't have a problem with this, I believe it is a step in the right direction to overcoming the need to even think about someone's color when you look at them. The problem is the same is not acceptable for a white comedian to be said regarding any other race. Its easy for a black comedian to talk about 'crackers' but if a white comedian used any similar term in regards to black people, I hate to think what people would think about him. This also filters down through society, not so much in adults but in teenagers etc. I know when i was in high school it was not uncommon to hear the term 'cracker' when walking down the hall. Not that it was targeted towards me, or any particular person, but from one black student to another if they were talking about a white person. If I was talking to one of my friends and used the N word, which I would have no reason to use... have never used and no reason to because I have many black friends and do not consider race a detriment to any relationship, but regardless, if I had most likely I would have ended up in a fight with someone. I don't mean a verbal fight either. Teachers walking in the halls would hear these terms being thrown about, but it didn't even phase them. Any person, that was not black using the slang version of N, would have been suspended. I never saw it come to this though, because no one said it. This, at least to me, seems like it is grounds for future problems in society.
On to age, more and more it seems responsibility is being put on younger and younger people. They are expected to act like adults at younger and younger ages. This is good, at least I think so. Examples of this are higher %s of teenagers with jobs and cars. More are preparing for higher level educations then ever before. At the same time, they are treated more and more like young children. Its as if today's teachers and people in authority of teenagers get off on a power trip. I am no longer in high school, but it was not uncommon for me and my friends to want to leave for lunch. This was an acceptable policy for students when my parents went to school but now its ground for suspension for leaving school grounds. If I am an active member of society, paying taxes, contributing to the economy with purchases, I own a car... but I can't be allowed to decide if I should go out for lunch why should I bother stepping up and acting like the adult you want me to be? Take the responsibility but not he priviladges? Is that what is expected now?
Another example involves me somewhat, when it comes to drinking. Back ground info: I am a college student, I live on campus and I am not 21 yet. It is common knowledge people have parties on campus, at almost every college/university in the country. Yet, there are patrols and searches looking for nothing but alcohol. Is it just me or are they out to destroy these students lives for no real important reason? I live on campus, so I'm not driving anywhere... especially if I've been drinking. I am, in my opinion, at the beginning of my adult life. All college students are. Obviously if they are in college they care about their future, many of them have jobs, and the same stresses or perhaps even more then an older adult. Hell I have friends from high school who are in the military and have been called up recently. They particularly have every responsibility someone over 21 would have. Yet, someone needs to tell us whether we are allowed to drink or not? Isn't that a decision I should be able to make, if I'm going to be given the responsibilities of an adult, why not the freedoms? If I commit a crime, I will be convicted as an adult. You don't even need to be 18 to be convicted as an adult now, but you are treated like a child? This is a horrible double standard and it infuriates me. If someone on campus under 21 is caught on campus, it could potentially ruin their life. If they are thrown out of the college, or arrested... what are they going to do now? What if they are in the top 5% of their class, have an overwhelmingly bright future but now they're out of college, can't seem to get accepted because of their record, and are forced to a subpar job for their potential abilities? They were not hurting anyone. They were not a threat to society. They were an adult, an active member of society, and had a bright future ruined because there is a double standard placed to have them treated like a child.
How about a gender specific double standard, such as weight? Its obvious that it is much more acceptable for a male to be overweight compared to a female of the same weight, assuming they are of similar height etc. Its not impossible for a big boned friend of mine to get a date, but for an overweight female to get one seems to be overwhelmingly difficult. I'm a female or overweight though so I can't comment too much, just what I've seen.
Another one for gender. Women have made leaps and bounds when it comes to playing sports and being allowed to do the same things that were previously restricted to men. In high school there was even a female on my football team, and she was generally accepted and was not harassed at all. Do you know what kind of verbal punishment a boy trying to join the volleyball team or the field hockey team would have received? Females are getting the benefits without the responsibilities. I don't think I will ever see females being brought into the draft in my lifetime, and I don't see a problem with this but does that make it right? Not all military positions require physical activities, yet only the lives of men are put at risk. When I brought this up on another forum I was called a sexist. That boggles my mind, it seems some women want the benefits of being equal, and only the responsibilities that come with it unless of course its convenient for them. I am not sexist, I am all for freedoms for anyone, just not them getting the easy way out with the benefits without the downside of them (this is not all women by far of course). If there is a stay at home husband/father, and a working mother... why can't their be a stay at home husband/father and a drafted mother? The reason is we are not equal in everyway, and never will be. There are slight exceptions, some women are as strong as men, but for the majority there is a drastic difference. Why must we try to force the idea that we are all equal, and just accept that each gender is different, and brings a different skill set to the table? Then we could embrace these differences and take advantage of them. Then of course there is that absurd law about having equal numbers of female/male athletes in college sports..... I don't even want to think about that anymore.
These double standards exist, and are not going away any time soon, because as a society we have slipped into a gutter and there is nothing a single person, or even a sizable group of people can do about it to change things.
I'm interested in hearing your experiences and opinions. These of course are not the only double standards that exist, just ones that I've experienced so far in my life. I'd like to hear which ones bother you and why. Or if you'd just like to comment on what I've said because you agree/disagree then I'd love to read it also.
To begin with, its become acceptable... at least in comedy, for racist slurs to be made regarding white people. I don't have a problem with this, I believe it is a step in the right direction to overcoming the need to even think about someone's color when you look at them. The problem is the same is not acceptable for a white comedian to be said regarding any other race. Its easy for a black comedian to talk about 'crackers' but if a white comedian used any similar term in regards to black people, I hate to think what people would think about him. This also filters down through society, not so much in adults but in teenagers etc. I know when i was in high school it was not uncommon to hear the term 'cracker' when walking down the hall. Not that it was targeted towards me, or any particular person, but from one black student to another if they were talking about a white person. If I was talking to one of my friends and used the N word, which I would have no reason to use... have never used and no reason to because I have many black friends and do not consider race a detriment to any relationship, but regardless, if I had most likely I would have ended up in a fight with someone. I don't mean a verbal fight either. Teachers walking in the halls would hear these terms being thrown about, but it didn't even phase them. Any person, that was not black using the slang version of N, would have been suspended. I never saw it come to this though, because no one said it. This, at least to me, seems like it is grounds for future problems in society.
On to age, more and more it seems responsibility is being put on younger and younger people. They are expected to act like adults at younger and younger ages. This is good, at least I think so. Examples of this are higher %s of teenagers with jobs and cars. More are preparing for higher level educations then ever before. At the same time, they are treated more and more like young children. Its as if today's teachers and people in authority of teenagers get off on a power trip. I am no longer in high school, but it was not uncommon for me and my friends to want to leave for lunch. This was an acceptable policy for students when my parents went to school but now its ground for suspension for leaving school grounds. If I am an active member of society, paying taxes, contributing to the economy with purchases, I own a car... but I can't be allowed to decide if I should go out for lunch why should I bother stepping up and acting like the adult you want me to be? Take the responsibility but not he priviladges? Is that what is expected now?
Another example involves me somewhat, when it comes to drinking. Back ground info: I am a college student, I live on campus and I am not 21 yet. It is common knowledge people have parties on campus, at almost every college/university in the country. Yet, there are patrols and searches looking for nothing but alcohol. Is it just me or are they out to destroy these students lives for no real important reason? I live on campus, so I'm not driving anywhere... especially if I've been drinking. I am, in my opinion, at the beginning of my adult life. All college students are. Obviously if they are in college they care about their future, many of them have jobs, and the same stresses or perhaps even more then an older adult. Hell I have friends from high school who are in the military and have been called up recently. They particularly have every responsibility someone over 21 would have. Yet, someone needs to tell us whether we are allowed to drink or not? Isn't that a decision I should be able to make, if I'm going to be given the responsibilities of an adult, why not the freedoms? If I commit a crime, I will be convicted as an adult. You don't even need to be 18 to be convicted as an adult now, but you are treated like a child? This is a horrible double standard and it infuriates me. If someone on campus under 21 is caught on campus, it could potentially ruin their life. If they are thrown out of the college, or arrested... what are they going to do now? What if they are in the top 5% of their class, have an overwhelmingly bright future but now they're out of college, can't seem to get accepted because of their record, and are forced to a subpar job for their potential abilities? They were not hurting anyone. They were not a threat to society. They were an adult, an active member of society, and had a bright future ruined because there is a double standard placed to have them treated like a child.
How about a gender specific double standard, such as weight? Its obvious that it is much more acceptable for a male to be overweight compared to a female of the same weight, assuming they are of similar height etc. Its not impossible for a big boned friend of mine to get a date, but for an overweight female to get one seems to be overwhelmingly difficult. I'm a female or overweight though so I can't comment too much, just what I've seen.
Another one for gender. Women have made leaps and bounds when it comes to playing sports and being allowed to do the same things that were previously restricted to men. In high school there was even a female on my football team, and she was generally accepted and was not harassed at all. Do you know what kind of verbal punishment a boy trying to join the volleyball team or the field hockey team would have received? Females are getting the benefits without the responsibilities. I don't think I will ever see females being brought into the draft in my lifetime, and I don't see a problem with this but does that make it right? Not all military positions require physical activities, yet only the lives of men are put at risk. When I brought this up on another forum I was called a sexist. That boggles my mind, it seems some women want the benefits of being equal, and only the responsibilities that come with it unless of course its convenient for them. I am not sexist, I am all for freedoms for anyone, just not them getting the easy way out with the benefits without the downside of them (this is not all women by far of course). If there is a stay at home husband/father, and a working mother... why can't their be a stay at home husband/father and a drafted mother? The reason is we are not equal in everyway, and never will be. There are slight exceptions, some women are as strong as men, but for the majority there is a drastic difference. Why must we try to force the idea that we are all equal, and just accept that each gender is different, and brings a different skill set to the table? Then we could embrace these differences and take advantage of them. Then of course there is that absurd law about having equal numbers of female/male athletes in college sports..... I don't even want to think about that anymore.
These double standards exist, and are not going away any time soon, because as a society we have slipped into a gutter and there is nothing a single person, or even a sizable group of people can do about it to change things.
I'm interested in hearing your experiences and opinions. These of course are not the only double standards that exist, just ones that I've experienced so far in my life. I'd like to hear which ones bother you and why. Or if you'd just like to comment on what I've said because you agree/disagree then I'd love to read it also.
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