Sexualizing children

In North America, the concern of “the correct dress code” has always been an issue that brings about an outrage upon many. We often see stories go viral for a school taking these rules too far and, as a 15-year-old female student, I can assure you that the stories you see are 100 percent plausible.

May I remind you that these people you are sending home are, in fact, children? It seems the main justification that administrators use to uphold their rulings against these (mainly) female students is the fact that it “may be distracting to boys.” Well, my argument to this unfair statement is, if they are too young to be wearing that, then they are too young to be sexualized.

This sort of thinking is what makes men think it is okay to sexually harass women and sexualize them when it is unwanted. If we see this is a problem in young men, then why don’t we teach them that this way of Neanderthal thinking is not okay? There is a firm line between inappropriate and distracting, and many times the “distracting” item should not be blamed on the person wearing it, but instead on the person viewing it as such.

Clothes are a form of expression and appreciation of confidence for many young teenage girls. It is simply not fair to take away our right to feel beautiful because some disrespectful young men can’t keep their eyes to themselves. We are no longer the problem; society’s misconceptions are. CORA ELIZABETH PERRY Bryant would be severe restrictions on females owning firearms.

Men who are Second Amendment defenders (I’m one) wouldn’t care so much in that case. JOHN CASEY Fort Smith