I have to admit that I can be very opinionated about many things. The only two topics I have avoided discussing in life are religion & politics. I figure those two topics are what have caused almost all wars since the beginning of time and there is no reason why I should start a war with someone I respect over something that is merely an opinion. I did try a couple of times, but the steam escaping from my friend's ears caused me to take a step back and just start nodding at their increasingly less logical and more passionate views.
As I get older, however, I am finding myself less able to form opinions on many of today's trending topics. I read the arguments from both sides, and I can see & understand the differing point of views. I find it very difficult to see things as either black or white. There are just too many variables! Perhaps Nietzsche was correct when he said, "There are no facts, only interpretations".
A couple recent examples of where I have been unable to form an opinion are below -
1. The Government of Ontario recently released a new curriculum for "Sex Education" in Ontario schools. There has been a lot of debate over this, and I have read many an argument over the past week both for & against these new standards. My niece, who has two young ones of her own, said to me the other day, "I don't understand why people are getting so upset over these new rules. It doesn't bother me at all. I'm teaching my son to call his penis a penis and not a winkie anyway!" She looked at me for a second, and I'm not sure if she was expecting a response, but I didn't provide one. Perhaps she just thought I hadn't heard of it yet, but I had. It's pretty difficult in today's world not to hear of all the things people find so controversial. My problem is I can't definitively say whether I agree or disagree. Her penis example I have no issue agreeing with. It's only a word, and the correct word at that. I'm sure even all the naysayers out there laughed when the little kid in Kindergarten Cop said to Arnold, "Boys have a penis, girls have a vagina!". However, other parts of the curriculum aren't so black & white for me. On one hand I think it's important that children understand sex & sexual abuse. Way too many people grow up to admit they were sexual abused as a child and did not speak up then because, "Daddy said it's how he shows he loves me!" and they didn't realize it was wrong at the time. On the other hand are we making our children grow up too fast & deal with understandings and issues that children really shouldn't have to? The idea of teaching children from a younger age an understanding of heterosexual, bisexual, gay & transgender relationships is a good idea, and one that should nurture a future filled with more understanding and accepting adults. However, are our children too young to grasp the concept? Children aren't born racist or discriminatory. They are taught to be! I always believed I grew up not being a racist because racism is not something that was ever discussed at home. If it's discussed at school could this backfire? Even beyond the curriculum I don't know if it's OK for our government to dictate what our children should be taught on these topics, considering how multicultural our society is and how different people's values are. Should this not be taught at home, by loving parents based on that family's traditions, religion and values? Maybe, but what about the children whose parents are complete losers and are not parenting to begin with? Also, can we be assured that the teachers who are teaching our children can teach Sex Ed without being biased themselves? I know only too well how teachers can push their own opinions on their class, without fear of any type of retribution since they are protected by their unions. I also know that there are good teachers out there as well who have a great impact on their students who otherwise would not have had a decent role model in their lives if not for them. The one thing I can say for sure is that only time can tell if this new curriculum will be beneficial for or harmful to the masses. And I say "masses" because it won't be the same for everyone.
2. The recent outbreak of measles has also caused a much talked about controversy. Although my opinion on this is a little more concrete, I can fully understand the other point of view. I would not hesitate to give my child a vaccine that has been available and known to be safe since the 1960's. The possible risk of not being administered the vaccine (which is death) far outweighs the drug's very limited side effects. However, I will admit that I'm not too keen on blindly administering some of the newer vaccines and medications that purportedly prevent illnesses. I don't want myself, or my child, or my parent, or anybody I care about to be a human guinea pig for the drug companies. Unfortunately, there have been too many drugs in the past that have been touted as "safe" by drug companies and our doctors which years later we have found not to be so. There have been some drugs that have been on the market for decades which have just recently been proven unsafe. It's very easy, of course, to point fingers and call all the parents who have not allowed their children to be administered vaccines crazy and uninformed, but really? Who are we supposed to blindly trust? I can't blame them for their thinking! Our trust in the "machine" has been broken way too many times and it's only natural when trust is broken that one will look for another option. It's just unfortunate that when we wake up to the realization that one has lied to us, we label them a "LIAR" and then go onto blindly trusting the next viable option who will most likely also be a "LIAR". Of course, calling them liars is probably a bit too harsh. In reality, it is just two separate opinions based on a different set of theories or "interpretations". There are also people out there who are crying for legislation to be passed that will make it illegal for parents not to have the measles vaccine administered to their children. Again, it's difficult for me to form an opinion on this. On one hand, will an epidemic of severe proportions present itself if something isn't legislated? On the other hand, do we really want to give our government the right to tell us what we do & what we don't put in our own bodies? Is this to be looked upon as a moral obligation for the good of society as a whole, or one step closer to a totalitarian state? Some pretty bad shit in history started by the government convincing people what they were doing was for the good of society. Of course, there have also been some pretty deadly outbreaks in history as well that I certainly wouldn't want to see reoccur. Measles may not exactly be one of those that come to mind, but I'd still rather be safe than sorry.
So there are two examples, although I can think of so many more. Most issues and/or controversies have valid points on either side, and as I learn more about myself, humanity, and life in general it just seems like I have fewer and fewer answers, and fewer and fewer opinions.
It's like choosing the better of two evils.
For some reason I'd rather not choose.
But I still have that right, right?
A couple recent examples of where I have been unable to form an opinion are below -
1. The Government of Ontario recently released a new curriculum for "Sex Education" in Ontario schools. There has been a lot of debate over this, and I have read many an argument over the past week both for & against these new standards. My niece, who has two young ones of her own, said to me the other day, "I don't understand why people are getting so upset over these new rules. It doesn't bother me at all. I'm teaching my son to call his penis a penis and not a winkie anyway!" She looked at me for a second, and I'm not sure if she was expecting a response, but I didn't provide one. Perhaps she just thought I hadn't heard of it yet, but I had. It's pretty difficult in today's world not to hear of all the things people find so controversial. My problem is I can't definitively say whether I agree or disagree. Her penis example I have no issue agreeing with. It's only a word, and the correct word at that. I'm sure even all the naysayers out there laughed when the little kid in Kindergarten Cop said to Arnold, "Boys have a penis, girls have a vagina!". However, other parts of the curriculum aren't so black & white for me. On one hand I think it's important that children understand sex & sexual abuse. Way too many people grow up to admit they were sexual abused as a child and did not speak up then because, "Daddy said it's how he shows he loves me!" and they didn't realize it was wrong at the time. On the other hand are we making our children grow up too fast & deal with understandings and issues that children really shouldn't have to? The idea of teaching children from a younger age an understanding of heterosexual, bisexual, gay & transgender relationships is a good idea, and one that should nurture a future filled with more understanding and accepting adults. However, are our children too young to grasp the concept? Children aren't born racist or discriminatory. They are taught to be! I always believed I grew up not being a racist because racism is not something that was ever discussed at home. If it's discussed at school could this backfire? Even beyond the curriculum I don't know if it's OK for our government to dictate what our children should be taught on these topics, considering how multicultural our society is and how different people's values are. Should this not be taught at home, by loving parents based on that family's traditions, religion and values? Maybe, but what about the children whose parents are complete losers and are not parenting to begin with? Also, can we be assured that the teachers who are teaching our children can teach Sex Ed without being biased themselves? I know only too well how teachers can push their own opinions on their class, without fear of any type of retribution since they are protected by their unions. I also know that there are good teachers out there as well who have a great impact on their students who otherwise would not have had a decent role model in their lives if not for them. The one thing I can say for sure is that only time can tell if this new curriculum will be beneficial for or harmful to the masses. And I say "masses" because it won't be the same for everyone.
2. The recent outbreak of measles has also caused a much talked about controversy. Although my opinion on this is a little more concrete, I can fully understand the other point of view. I would not hesitate to give my child a vaccine that has been available and known to be safe since the 1960's. The possible risk of not being administered the vaccine (which is death) far outweighs the drug's very limited side effects. However, I will admit that I'm not too keen on blindly administering some of the newer vaccines and medications that purportedly prevent illnesses. I don't want myself, or my child, or my parent, or anybody I care about to be a human guinea pig for the drug companies. Unfortunately, there have been too many drugs in the past that have been touted as "safe" by drug companies and our doctors which years later we have found not to be so. There have been some drugs that have been on the market for decades which have just recently been proven unsafe. It's very easy, of course, to point fingers and call all the parents who have not allowed their children to be administered vaccines crazy and uninformed, but really? Who are we supposed to blindly trust? I can't blame them for their thinking! Our trust in the "machine" has been broken way too many times and it's only natural when trust is broken that one will look for another option. It's just unfortunate that when we wake up to the realization that one has lied to us, we label them a "LIAR" and then go onto blindly trusting the next viable option who will most likely also be a "LIAR". Of course, calling them liars is probably a bit too harsh. In reality, it is just two separate opinions based on a different set of theories or "interpretations". There are also people out there who are crying for legislation to be passed that will make it illegal for parents not to have the measles vaccine administered to their children. Again, it's difficult for me to form an opinion on this. On one hand, will an epidemic of severe proportions present itself if something isn't legislated? On the other hand, do we really want to give our government the right to tell us what we do & what we don't put in our own bodies? Is this to be looked upon as a moral obligation for the good of society as a whole, or one step closer to a totalitarian state? Some pretty bad shit in history started by the government convincing people what they were doing was for the good of society. Of course, there have also been some pretty deadly outbreaks in history as well that I certainly wouldn't want to see reoccur. Measles may not exactly be one of those that come to mind, but I'd still rather be safe than sorry.
So there are two examples, although I can think of so many more. Most issues and/or controversies have valid points on either side, and as I learn more about myself, humanity, and life in general it just seems like I have fewer and fewer answers, and fewer and fewer opinions.
It's like choosing the better of two evils.
For some reason I'd rather not choose.
But I still have that right, right?