Comments on: The Kids Are Alright

By: DirtyLaundry

DirtyLaundry — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:29:33 +0000

@BeckySharper: I hope it doesn’t sound like I’m attacking the little boy and what he is doing because I’m not. However, over the past few months I have become very disgruntled about civil rights especially women’s rights. And the whole Polanski thing was the tipping point. You hear people say they are for women’s rights and then slut shame a 13-year-old girl and say it wasn’t “rape-rape”. I hear people fight passionately for gay rights and then say if Rhianna goes back to Chris Brown she deserves what she gets. For some silly reason I just thought that those who take gay rights seriously would automatically take women’s issues seriously, but I’m finding that is not the case at all. It might be just me and my view of the of things, but those who do take women’s issues seriously seem to be in the minority not the majority.
Maybe it is simple because gay rights is pretty straight forward, but for many [celebs] rape, domestic violence, and abortion tend to be complicated and controversial issues (although it shouldn’t be), so they don’t speak up about it.

By: PhDork

PhDork — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:48:46 +0000

rodriguez: “granfalloon” is my new favorite word. How did I get so far without ever learning it? Seriously, as a concept, it’s brilliant. I’m totally going to use it in my dissertation (which is about, among other things, American nationalism).

By: BeckySharper

BeckySharper — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:12:36 +0000

@DirtyLaundry: If you lined up every celebrity and actress who’s participated in, say, Eve Ensler’s V-Day or Take Back the Night marches or pro-choice rallies, that would be WAY more than the ones who have protested Prop 8.

Is there a particular reason this article makes you so damn cynical about people’s good intentions? I don’t get it.

By: DirtyLaundry

DirtyLaundry — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 06:42:41 +0000

“We all choose our battles. Maybe some other kid will be inspired by Will to choose ours.”
Don’t count on it. When it comes to picking and choosing battles, women’s issues are always last on the list. Think of it this way: you can probably name 10 celebs who have spoken out against Prop 8, but you can probably only name 2 or 3 who have spoken out against rape, domestic violence, or for abortion rights. It’s not necessarily that they don’t care, it’s just not a battle they care to fight for.

By: mischiefmanager

mischiefmanager — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:48:49 +0000

S.O.A.L.G. said: ” it feels like one of those compulsory shows of patriotism (like pressure for politicians to wear flag pins), as well as the fact that “Under God” is tacked onto the end.”

It feels like that because that’s precisely what it is. According to Wikipedia, ” The Pledge of Allegiance was written in 1892 by Francis Bellamy (1855-1931), a Baptist minister, a Christian socialist…Harris’ original “Pledge of Allegiance” was published in the September 8th issue of the popular children’s magazine The Youth’s Companion as part of the National Public-School Celebration of Columbus Day, a celebration of the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s discovery of America. The event was conceived by James B. Upham, a marketer for the magazine, in a campaign to sell American flags and American nationalism to public schools.” The pledge was instituted in schools in 1892.

So in other words, it was invented for a racist holiday to make money for a magazine. Kind of takes the glow off, doesn’t it?

Not to pile on, DL, but I have to admire a kid that age who’s willing to take on his peers. That’s a tough act for any of us at any age, and he’s really handling it. I don’t have a problem at all with the idea that he was inspired by knowing gay people who have suffered discrimination-that’s how change happens, one person at a time. We all choose our battles. Maybe some other kid will be inspired by Will to choose ours.

By: rodriguez

rodriguez — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:56:53 +0000

I had to stand around with downcast eyes this Sat. at a social/charity event during the pledge, a prayer, and singing “God Bless America”. I’m anti-pledge: it’s all about creating a granfalloon.

By: BeckySharper

BeckySharper — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:13:28 +0000

I would say that I’m anti-pledge both with regard to the American one AND pledges in general. I’m not a fan of jingoism in any form.

That said, when it comes oaths of allegiance, I’m not going to tell people in other countries that they should give up their customs just because I believe those customs are antithetical to my own society’s values.

By: baraqiel

baraqiel — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:12:49 +0000

Maaaaaan, I refused to say the pledge all the time and a substitute teacher almost sent me to the principal’s office for it. Did I get on CNN? Nope. Bah. Kids these days.

Well, good for him, anyway. I hope he perseveres even when doing the right thing doesn’t get him a ton of attention.

By: Pilgrim Soul

Pilgrim Soul — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:49:49 +0000

I am happy to declare myself anti-pledge. It’s claptrap.

By: DirtyLaundry

DirtyLaundry — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:45:14 +0000

I should have said most countries have a pledge not every.

“…it’s specifically talking about American schoolchildren and the American Pledge of Allegiance. I think that’s pretty clear from the post.”
Yeah I go that, but my point was that if one is so anti-American pledge shouldn’t one also be anti-pledge for every country. They all pretty much serve the same purpose for the most part. I don’t see how one can say the American pledge is stupid because one does not show their patriotism by standing in front a flag and reciting words, but not have a problem with the pledges of other countries.