If you’re having problem with non-PC Halloween dresses, I feel bad for you son, we have 99+ problems and you really think this is one?
When I was 7yo, I read a book about Indians. Sorry, Native Americans. It changed my life, I was fascinated. Like…seriously. My bike was named like a horse. My father made me a wooden tomahawk and knife, I even had a nice headdress, with feathers and beads. I got stuck on choosing the name I would respond to, but it didn’t stop me from deciding I will learn native languages. Those were the days when – kids, this is your moment to freak out – we didn’t have internet everywhere and sadly my library – difficult world, it’s like a place where you can rent a book or even 2 (or 10 if you were like me), you should try it out – didn’t have much on that subject. That was disappointing. But what I could find, I would read few times. Some kids wanted to be a princess or prince when they grow up, I wanted to be an Apache or Cree. Go figure.
After a while I discovered chivalric military orders and I decided, that because I can’t be an Apache, I can become a Templar. I read everything I could get about and believe it or not, I was this close to joining an order. But this is not a point of this post.
My love for Native Americans and Military Orders resulted in a deep respect and love for history. I’ll take a visit in a museum over a beer festival at any time. I’m fascinated by history, period. Was my “I’m an Indian” period politically correct? No. But instead of bitching about me “offending Natives”, everyone I knew would get me books about history of Native Americans. Or military orders in my later stage. Respect is earned, not taught. You can’t get kids to respect something just because you tell them they should. Luckily I was surrounded by wise people who would fuel my fascination, sneaking knowledge to the fun I had and teaching me the respect for the culture that fascinated me so much. You should try this, it doesn’t hurt.
So for all those who are offended by “non PC” dresses for Halloween I have this message: get that stick out of your ass and instead of complaining, teach people. They dressed as Winnetou? “Oh nice dress, this was a fascinating but tragic period of history, did you hear a story about…” will work better than “OMG I AM SO OFFENDED!” Someone dons a blackface? Tell them a story that will hook them up on the background, fascinate them instead of alienating, else you do more damage than good. They will not understand why you are offended if you alienate them.
Now, I get it, there are dresses that may be offensive for you. Or they are bad taste. It’s perfectly fine to explain why the choice of dress may not be the best idea. But for Cthulhu’s sake, be relevant. If someone wearing a Hindu, Native American or black face is a reason for you to be offended, you are part of the problem, not part of the solution – you scare them away from understanding the real issues behind their choice of dress. PC is ok, but extremes are not.
What’s next? Children forced to apologize for dressing like Batman? Spider Liberation Front? Iron man being bad because he alienates Mercury or Copper? Get. A. Grip.
Speaking of, I was 7 i think when I asked my parents why there are Indians in US and Indians in India. You know what I got? Full bio on Columbus and a huge geographic atlas. I’d spend hours “travelling” around the world with my finger. Maybe this is why I know today that Austria and Australia are not the same thing.
E-du-cate instead of bitching, people!
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