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October 17, 2008
The Scarlet Letter, from A to P
This story about the 7th grade girl being called a "racist" for wearing a Sarah Palin t-shirt is so predictable that initially I thought it hardly merited a blog post: VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35, Orlando) -- She's only 12 years old but Ashleigh Jones is feeling the heat of this election year.That hardly surprises me. (Naturally an Obama t-shirt would have been just fine.) Students are fed such a steady diet of identity politics-based PC Newspeak that wearing a t-shirt supporting Sarah Palin almost invites "Scarlet Letter" style ostracism. Actually, I think it was in the 7th grade when that book was assigned as reading material; remarkably, I see that it still is. For all I know today's students are probably taught that it's about sex and the evolution of women's "reproductive rights" or something. Or intolerance by religious conservatives, as this reviewer claims: The one thing in Scarlet Letter's favor is that it is politically correct. It's satisfying that the intolerant religious fanatics are the bad guys.I wonder how many kids are taught that intolerance means intolerance, that it is a profoundly human condition, and that not only is there no religious requirement, but that irreligious people can be just as intolerant as (and of) religious people. Such intolerance can even extend to extramarital pregnancy (an ostensible theme of the Scarlet Letter.) In fact, the way some of the irreligious people treat the pregnancy of Bristol Palin can hardly be called tolerant. True, they're not labeling her an adulteress or fornicator, but I think the pregnancy carries a stigma nonetheless. A new and very ironic stigma, as if there's a new post-shame shame associated with pregnancy -- especially when that pregnancy can somehow be associated with the right wing. (Almost reminds me of the way conservatives are not allowed to be gay, and gays are not allowed to be conservative.) Even though the "baby bump" is considered totally acceptable in Hollywood circles, Bristol Palin should be ashamed of her "baby bump" -- not so much for being a pregnant teen, but for being a teen who is "pregnant while Republican." Nice girls, "normal" girls (meaning affluent girls, especially affluent Democratic girls, i.e. "civilized" girls) are supposed to do the right thing, and have abortions. At least, that's the "subtext" as I see it -- especially considering that there's actually a web site named "Saving Bristol" for the express purpose of raising "money and support for Bristol Palin to have an abortion and move out of her abusive household." They're asking for donations to Planned Parenthood and the "Lilith Fund" (whatever that is) in Bristol's name. Moral lesson? Some teen pregnancies are tolerated. But the teens in the wrong category should be stigmatized for not having abortions, and they might as well be wearing the letter "P." Hardly what I would call tolerance. (I admire the 7th grader for her courage.) posted by Eric on 10.17.08 at 10:58 AM
Comments
I really enjoyed your blog, it was well written. Thanks for sharing that. Michelle · October 17, 2008 01:35 PM Sigh. not mutually exclusive... Assistant Village Idiot · October 18, 2008 12:50 AM My feeling is that Bristol Palin's pregnancy being stigmatized is yet another class issue. Something I posted somewhere else a couple of weeks ago: In the working class it's pretty much the opposite. Abortion would be a shameful thing because it's running away from your problems. Marrying and starting a family is seen as acting responsibly. Very, very different approach and one I think the talking heads of the press (being almost all upper-middle) have no clue about. jaed · October 20, 2008 10:12 PM Post a comment
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The racism accusations are calculated, not stupid. Professional politicians and consultants know that they can make it filter down to others by repeating it often enough.
Those politicians might also be stupid and oversensitive - those are mutually exclusive categories - but the political effect is the centerpiece.