Have you ever heard of Slutwalk? I hadn't until recently. It's women getting together and walking in protest to victim blaming. It started as a protest to Toronto Police Constable Michael Sanguinetti's comments that women should "avoid dressing like sluts" if they don't want to be attacked. The walk is gaining momentum in Europe, Australia and North America.
I agree that Constable Sanguinetti was definitely out of line with that comment and I also agree that sometimes people blame the victim, perhaps even subconsciously, for putting themselves in harm's way. However, I have also noticed that some women think they have the right to wear whatever they want, no matter how revealing, and they shouldn't be getting any unwanted attention. Hello!!! Let's be realistic here, girls. If you put it out there, you are going to get attention, especially the unwanted kind.
Now I'm a modern woman and I believe in equality for all human beings. However, I also believe in human nature. SlutWalk is telling our young girls that they "should" be able to be as free as they want. I fear that message may give them a false sense of security and encourage them to be more daring.
Unfortunately, just because something "should" be the way you want it to be, doesn't mean that it is.
No comments:
Post a Comment