Public Display of Affection
PDA - Public Displays of Affection. We sometimes see them in our daily lives. A elderly couple walking through the Prince Kūhio Plaza holding hands, a young couple kissing at a high school football stadium, some friends giving hugs when departing ways. Innocuous, right? You wouldn't think twice about it, right?
The Politically Correctness Police don't think so. Here's just a sample of PDA idiocy run rampant. As always, click on the links to read the whole story.
Lesson: Hugs are Bad.
Lesson: Punishment is swift and harsh.
Lesson: Modesty In, Hand Holding Out
Beginning to sound a little absurd? Charges of sexual harassment and bullying prompted a Zero Tolerance policy which included, Public Displays of Affection. However, the Zero Tolerance policy seems to be out of control. When there is real harassment or bullying, there seems to be a lack of common sense as to how to fairly apply the policy and differentiate between sexual harassment from acts of human kindness. Adults should know the difference. There is also a fear that the school district would be sued if they didn't do anything.
So the school district, fearing a lawsuit over anything that might be perceived as sexual harassment, puts in place a policy of making children behave as emotionless drones when on school grounds.
But does the punishment fit the crime? Is there really a crime?
Rules of social conduct can be benign and expressive in some places in the world. In this country, most of our culture is based from Judaeo-Christian values. A blend of religious conservative and liberal social values. Sometimes those values get pushed to the edges of what good taste and good judgment is, but there has always been a broad acceptance of extreme sociable behaviour in this country. Particularly when children are learning from the experiences around them, it will help guide how they will conduct themselves and reflect how they behave in society.
There are societies in this world where intolerance is the normal social behaviour and punishment can be extremely harsh. In particular, public displays of affection. Do we really want to be like those societies?
Envy or Contempt?
What's for Dinner?
Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry
