In a free society, standards are made by people collectively, not by decree by some authority. They are obviously contestable, hence these arguments.
Bluke is just trying to get a reaction. I’m afraid you might actually be serious. What would you think about someone who doesn’t know you making ridiculous and extreme accusations about how you raise your children?
I would argue that we shouldn’t legislate or otherwise control or try to suppress people for being different when those differences are benign and when they aren’t trying to hurt people. I think the confederate flag is gross and sends a really bad message to kids but I wouldn’t try to legislate the confederate flag away. so I appreciate that you think trans people are gross- but they aren’t doing anything to anyone and we should leave them the eff alone. If trans people bother you don’t go where they are. As a parent you don’t have to go in that store. Disney has 20 others. Or just say “ear muffs” and tell your kid to close their eyes as they walk by lol.
Have I called for this guy to be jailed? You're putting words in my mouth. I won't. I'm just exercising my First Amendment rights advocating for Disney to go back to the days where it prioritized the innocence of kids over the validation of their employees and public schools leave MY kids alone. A disgruntled, vocal, and active minority is how the culture shifted to this point in the first place. The other side being disgruntled, active, and vocal is how we shift the culture back.
You answered your own question. But you make the mistake in thinking that "the collective" isn't "some authority." If "the collective" makes the standards, then it is inherently an authority.
Back means more repression though, which sort of contradicts your thing about not advocating jailing. Maybe you just think you can persuade people to be less gay with logic, I dunno. But all the places that suppress gay stuff do it with coercion/violence/state power.
My off-the-cusp response to this is my life’s experience that the more adults try mandate a certain code of “normalized” conduct on teenagers and young adults, the more the kids gravitate to the precluded conduct. Long hair and hippie attire in the 70s, guys piercing their ears in the 80s, punk in the 90’s, then tattoos everywhere. The more you tell ‘em not to do something, the more they want to do rebel and do it. I think the far right thinks the more they scream and shout about the evils of trans and cross-dressing, the faster there will be conformance to their desired “norms.” Yet, I think the product of their screams is rebellion by the youth.
I would be upset. But if my statements are "ridiculous and extreme accusations," I am open to hearing exactly how I am wrong.
My son is 4 years old so these questions are most likely in my near future. I'm gonna be honest. I dread explaining homosexuality, cross-dressing, and even gender dysphoria way less than I dread explaining to him why children keep getting shot in this country but the adults in charge do f***ing nothing about it.
So the real question is, did all these right leaning posters say as kids "I'll never be like my parents when I get old?"
I didnt say "the collective" I said collectively. How did people decide anything culturally? There wasn't a vote on thinking bell bottoms or big hair weren't cool anymore. Do you view those changes on the same level as some kind of "authority" making them?
Conservative screams against civil rights, rock 'n roll, long hair, gay rights ... sure brought all those to a quick halt, didn't they?
Ok, they’re not shitty parents. But they make some questionable decisions. Also, I’ve been to those birthday parties. My children aren’t comfortable around head to toe tats and weirdos making out in front of children during the party. My kids have good sense and awareness. It’s okay to be selective who you associate with.
Same thing. The group as a whole decides the standards, and that is an authority. You can call that whatever you want.
I only think one of those things is actually going to be confusing or psychologically damaging to kids. Seeing a guy in a dress costume at Disney is not in the same stratosphere of mentally scarring as learning about Sandy Hook, in my not so humble opinion.
