Reasonable people can look at the same set of facts and come up with entirely different conclusions. I get that. I also fully embrace the notion that one should not judge a woman until you’ve walked a mile in her shoes. But, I’ll confess, two events have surfaced this past week that have me scratching my head.
(1) What the heck were Arizona officials THINKING?!?!?
Arizona Gov. Jan Brown signed a law banning the state’s elementary and secondary schools from teaching classes “designed primarily for pupils of a particular ethnic group” and that advocate “the overthrow of the United States government” or “resentment toward a race or class of people.” The law’s passage represents the culmination of a two-year campaign by school superintendent Tom Horne to rid Tucson public schools of their “subversive” Chicano studies program.
Gov. Brown, Superintendent Horne and a majority of Arizona state legislators bought into the warped logic that, by teaching ethnic/cultural groups about their heritage and the injustices experienced by their ancestors, schools are planting the seeds for a political uprising. Actually, my sense is that resentment is fueled when people – of any ethnic background – are ignored, disrespected, and minimized. Is there cultural bias in some of the textbooks used in Arizona? No doubt. But, the way to address those concerns is with a scalpel, not a sledgehammer that obliterates a cultural past.
(BTW, in this melting pot country of ours, do Arizona officials remember that in 20 years, Hispanics will constitute the majority of our population? Those same Hispanic children in school today will be tomorrow’s legislators, the legislators who will be making policy decisions that impact the retirees of tomorrow. Something to think about, aging Arizona officials … )
(2) What the heck were the parents of those tiny dancers THINKING?!?!?
The next head-scratcher was the YouTube video of a scantily-clad dance team of 7-year old dancers doing a provocative dance routine to Beyonce’s “All the Single Ladies.” According to a column in The Washington Post, the dancers performed at a dance competition in April. Now, their performance is not just the talk of the town, it’s the rant of the country.
I saw the video, and my heart hurts for those girls who were thrust (literally and figuratively) into the bright glare of public scrutiny. I also feel badly for their clueless parents. No parent – not even the most exploitative “stage mother” – would want this type of publicity for their young daughter. Those parents just weren’t thinking.
So, Wise Women, what the heck are you thinking about these two, high-profile events?
5-18-2010 08:46:11
I love this sentence of yours, at the top:
“Reasonable people can look at the same set of facts and come up with entirely different conclusions.” It applies to so many key situations.
But as for item #2: I don’t think there were any “reasonable people” among the stage parents who put the girls up for that tasteless routine AND posted the atrocity on YouTube! OMG. Our country has a real problem with celebrity and fame. People here will do anything — anything — to get media attention. We have too many “celebrities” here who have zero talent but ride the top because they have tons of gall, no pride, and a near-pathological need for attention. Not to mention $$$. (Jon and Kate come to mind immediately.) But it keeps happening because we all keep watching.
As a related aside, I’ve always wondered about parents who put kids into any kind of show business when the kids are too young to make their own decisions — and to understand what it’s really all about. IMHO, if you’re going to put your kid in show biz, you may as well hire a therapist along with the talent agent.
5-18-2010 10:01:22
Wow, I couldn’t stand to finish watching that video. My heart is so sad that it aches to see those little girls dancing so inappropriately for their age. What’s even sadder is that responsible adults didn’t or couldn’t overrule the irresponsible ones who allowed those girls to dance that way.