Think back to when you were a child. Boys, did you ever have your sisters paint your finger nails or borrow your mother's jewelry? Girls, did ever wear your brother's old soccer shorts or sport your father's Brewers cap? During the good old days, this would just be harmless fun. But today, in this excessively politically correct and sensitive culture, it seems that kids cannot have fun being kids.
Ridiculous news always seems to come from the school district of Reedsburg, Wis. From school bus tire slashings to a teacher leaving a child behind on a field trip, Reedsburg has never been shown in a positive light. But the latest incident has to be the most infuriating story to come about in quite a while from this small town.
At a local elementary school, a yearly event, Wacky Week, was held. During the week, the students, all under 12 years of age, came to school in costumes, played games and had a good time.
One day of Wacky Week students were allowed to dress either as a senior citizen or as a member of the opposite gender, both suggestions that were originally proposed by children of the school. Outraged by such a suggestion, a parent phoned a Christian radio station in Milwaukee to complain. The radio station immediately suspended their scheduled broadcast to reprimand the school for promoting transgenderism"" and ""alternative lifestyles.""
It is heartbreaking that our country has reached such a low level. Childhood used to be a time of exploration and make-believe. Young kids should not have such harsh social pressures applied to them. They should be able to be cowboys, cosmonauts or whatever else they please. There are enough rules and limits in life. Let children pretend and believe in what they wish before they are corrupted by the real world. After all, they mean no harm.
Further, there is nothing wrong with transgender people or so-called ""alternative lifestyles."" People come in many varieties, and that is what makes the world such a wonderful place.
Everyone has a right to live as they so choose, within legal boundaries of course. Moreover, students should learn to respect and understand all types of people and ways of life. Public school should be safe and free of judgment, where students can experience and discuss different cultures and lifestyles from around their own country and the world.
There is also the role of the individual parents in the matter. If parents feel an optional activity, such as a dress-up day, is extremely inappropriate for their belief system and their child, then they should not let their own child participate.
While their children are in elementary school, parents still retain much control over what their child wears. But those angry parents should not deny every single other child the opportunity to do something unique and different.
If a parent is truly concerned about the child's morals and religious upbringing, she or he should send the child to a private religious school or home school. Public schools are for everyone, regardless of beliefs.
In response to the negative publicity that reached to California and beyond, the school district quickly caved, creating a policy that would never allow a ""Dress as the Opposite Gender"" day to occur again. This was a cowardly act.
The school district should have defended the imaginations of its creative students and encouraged more Wacky Week ideas. Since when does one angry parent control the entire school system? Public school should be a place to learn, not condemn. All parties, except for the fun-loving kids, should be ashamed of themselves and their actions. Such ludicrous acts will continue in the world unless someone speaks out about them and their consequences.
Emily Houtler is a sophomore majoring in environmental studies and math. Please send responses to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
