I listened to an interesting conversation on the radio this morning while driving home from visiting my son. The interviewer was talking with a high school senior regarding an essay he had written for his AP English class that was ultimately published in a local newspaper

The young man posited that the teenage mind is no longer open due to the advance of the cancel culture. During a class discussion, the students discussed the subject with seemingly ‘closed’ minds as the remarks were to ensure the responses were what they assumed the educator wanted to hear.

After class, while walking to the next class, a small group of students opened up and discussed the matter more openly. When questioned why this was not said in class, the majority responded that they did not want to be canceled for having a differing view or a lower grade for that different view.

Further into the radio interview, the young man told of a recent conversation with a group of friends, resulting in one of the girls saying she was offended by what another friend had said. She then demanded the boy retract his remark and apologize for offending her. The subject was the banning of transgender women from competing in a certain type of race.
The boy stated, ‘You may be offended by my view, but it is not offensive in my opinion.’

Over the next few days, the girl went on to tell her girlfriends the boy was homophobic and a jerk. Resulting in the young man being ‘canceled’ for his remark. She then went further and demanded the young man being interviewed to take a side. To the young man’s credit, he responded that he would not take a side as to take a side would result in him being canceled for a possible differing view.

Wow, what are we teaching our children when they do not feel it safe to voice an opinion? How did we get to this point?

The interviewer asked a question, bringing another perspective to the conversation. The young man had interviewed a psychologist about the developing teenage brain. I do not recall all of the stages of development; the final ‘stage’ is ‘abstract thinking.’ This final stage is being stunted in society because there is no room for ‘free thought’ and ‘discussion.’ The restraints to be ‘politically correct’ or ‘woke’ do not lend themselves to growth in that area. It is also creating anxiety for our youth so that they are not ‘canceled’ by their peers for a differing view.

This is an important discussion to have and investigate. Are you willing to have a conversation that might include a point of view from a different perspective? Will we continue to sit idly by while our young people do not question, do not ask why, or wonder how something came to be?

Let’s get back to real discussion and discourse. What say YOU?

Frances Graziano Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved