As you can tell by the title of this post we are going to be discussing the school dress code. At this point you may be wondering why being as though I am not in school and have no children, so here is exhibit A:
I was scrolling on facebook and came across the above post. There was not a caption attached, just a hashtag ‘cancelshsdresscode’. This post was reposted by someone I am friends with on facebook with the caption below, exhibit B:
In the comments of this repost many people agreed with what they said, all but two, and some even went as far as to say “you said nothing wrong.” I viewed the original post and read some of those comments. I found that there were mixed opinions. Some people claimed the school dress code to be discriminatory against girls while some believed the girl to be “hoochies”, “sluts”, and “fast” for wanting the dress code to be changed. Many people on the anti cancel school dress code side presented one argument over and over; school is a place of learning…you can’t wear whatever you want to a job.
The Argument.
The school dress code should most definitely be canceled as it is in fact sexist and oppressive.
Look around at the women of today, so many of them have either gotten surgery or are uncomfortable with their bodies. Very few, if any, actually love their bodies and are one hundred percent comfortable in them. Could it be a result of the school dress code? While not solely responsible, the school dress code does play a vital role in not only dismantling the confidence of young girls and women alike but also placing them in grave danger mentally, emotionally, and sometimes physically.
At an early age we are teaching young girls that something is wrong with their bodies. That it is in their best interest to cover up who they are. To be afraid. To self blame. To carry the weight of society’s problems. You may say that I’m “reaching” but why must young girls/women cover up their bodies because they pose a distraction to boys/men? Why enforce a dress code that does not address the root of the problem; the lack of self control that boys/men have? Isn’t teaching boys what appropriate behavior and self control is a better solution than teaching girls that there is something wrong with the bodies they were born into?
“Well I get what they are saying but those clothes are not appropriate for school.”
If these children can wear these clothes outside of school, why not inside of a structured and monitored classroom where young boys can be corrected and taught how to behave appropriately around young girls regardless of their attire? Where young boys are in an environment that will not only force them to learn self control but also expose them to the reality that a woman’s body (young girls included) is just a body and is not a sexual object.
“They need to dress their age.” ”They are “hoochies”, “sluts”, and “hoes”. They “want somebody to come up to them.”
Clothes are a form of self expression. Regardless of how a woman or young girl is dressed, that does not give any man or young boy the right to do anything to her that she does not consent to. Wearing clothes that reveal more than your knees and shoulders does not make you “hoochie” or a “hoe.” It does not mean that you want someone to come up to you or that you are “seeking attention” from an older male. Also, for those who are not aware, women and young girls are also molested and raped when dressed in sweats and a hoodie. Maybe they just want to wear what they feel comfortable in, what makes them feel pretty, what they like…maybe they just want the option to choose.
Of course I only argued one side. That’s what we do in The Devil’s Advocate, it is up to you to chime in and continue the conversation. Argue the other side if you believe it to be true or if you just want to have a healthy debate.
Do you agree or disagree with today’s post? What are your thoughts? I want to know.
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