Monday, October 24, 2011

Let's Talk What's Appropriate.


This is the title of an article I recently read in The Daily Collegian. 

As I read the article, it became evident that all the author is trying to communicate is how much she likes sex and how much we should like it too.

Under the First Amendment, we have the right to free speech and the freedom of press so this author is well within her legal rights to publish the article. However, I believe she is exercising poor judgement and bad taste in not only her choice of topic but also how she presents what she wants to say. The article is poorly written and shows nothing of value to her character or skills as a writer. Personally, I would not have published the article. 

The right to free speech allows us to express our opinions on all aspects of our society and in this case, on proper decorum and behavior. Instead of lowering ourselves to the least common denominator, we should be continuously seeking to develop and create a higher standard for ourselves through our ability to debate and discuss the issues of today. 

The article is not only a poor example of a college newspaper in terms of writing ability but also a direct indictment of our society and our constant focus on sensual issues and images. Just because we have the right to say anything we please does not mean that we should lower ourselves and our speech to such a level that all we say does nothing more than titillate pubescent boys. 

Discretion is paramount when deciding what to say and when to say it. Everyone has opinions and the forum to voice them. But we need to cultivate a sense of social awareness around cultural norms to know what is appropriate and when. It's like my parents always tell me, "Just because you can say something stupid, doesn't mean you should". 




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