You can't win - The Daily Princetonian

Over the past few months, the opinion section has been filled with articles from students of all walks of life commenting on the hook-up culture, feminism and sexism ? or even all three things at once. A lot of these articles have triggered vitriolic spew in the comments section and scoffs and spirited, heated debates in the classroom. Frankly, I?m tired of it all.

I?ve realized that, just as when discussing other controversial topics like politics, religion and sometimes even money, you just cannot win. Someone manages to get offended each and every time no matter how carefully a writer shapes his or her words. I sat in a religion class where the professor presented us with an article written by an Anscombe Society member. Immediately, I could hear scoffs around the room. Why? Just because the writer?s ideas were different than those of my classmates, it doesn?t mean that they should have immediately disregarded the article. ?

If we continue to warp someone?s perspective and view that person as shoving his or her views down our throats, then we are antagonizing each other. This sort of antagonism may instill fear in us so that we become afraid to say something because it may not be the most popular opinion. I don?t want any of my classmates to feel silenced before they even open their mouths or place their fingers onto a keyboard to write. I think we owe it to each other to understand that everyone?s views on a given topic will be different. Our ideas are shaped by our backgrounds, and one opinion does not stand for all.

A person?s personal opinion does not necessarily equate to personal judgment. Just because someone writes an opinion article about how hooking up is wrong does not necessarily mean that that person is actually reaching through the computer screen as you?re reading the article, pointing his or her cursed finger at you and condemning you for your personal choices. Of course the writer has a biased opinion! All of our perspectives are biased because when we talk about certain topics that are extremely personal, such as love and sex, we can only speak for ourselves. Many people criticized columnist Dave Kurz for having an opinion that is confined to the heterosexual experience and may not speak for those in the LGBT community, for example. But he?s a heterosexual male. I?d rather him stick to what he knows from his own experiences than to speak for others of a different sexual orientation because that would be inconsiderate and downright careless. It is always good to consider all sides, but then someone will heckle you for not standing your ground. So what can one do? You?re damned if you do and damned if you don?t.

The ?What Princeton women want? article by Margaret Fortney opened up a can of worms. Fortney was accused of not understanding what feminism is all about and enhancing the stigma of women who want to work outside the home. All she was doing was magnifying a concern that she had while having an intimate conversation with a friend about career options. She wasn?t attempting to steer all Princeton women into what she personally believes to be the right choice in regards to career decisions. She never claimed to be an expert, but she did want to expose another, perhaps less popular view of a career choice. Every opinion article that we read is filled with nuances that sometimes 750 to 800 words cannot entirely represent.

Each situation in life, be it hook-ups or women?s rights issues, should be handled with sensitivity since we all come from different backgrounds. Intellectual diversity is paramount to a college campus. Even if we do not always agree with one another, the opportunity should still be available for someone to speak his or her mind and not be stigmatized for possessing either a traditional or unorthodox view on a certain subject.

Morgan Jerkins is a comparative literature major from Williamstown, N. J. She can be reached at mjerkins@princeton.edu.

Source: http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/2013/02/12/32696/

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