Overall, a well balanced essay about good sense. I like your willingness to see things from a mixed perspective.
It seems as if there is a very tricky balance between "dress however you want, it shouldn't matter" and "take some responsibility for the message you are putting out". I'm not sure if there is a goldilocks zone between these guidelines in our current culture, despite your careful attempt to thread that needle. Your overall point is the latter (as a corrective to current practice), but you seem to need to inject the former every now and then, perhaps to attempt to head off anticipated dismissal by folks who want no restrictions. So I'm not so much criticizing your careful attempt, as observing the social context.
The concept of "don't blame the victim" is very much a two edged sword. On one hand, we obviously need to rid the world of rape or sexual assault or harassment defenses similar to "the way somebody dressed, they were asking for it".
But it's way to easy to overshoot and suggest that people have zero responsibility for their preceding actions if they become victims.
There seems to be no room today for mixed moral responsibility - where even somebody who is legitimately seen as being taken advantage of, may still have ALSO made some bad decisions which need to be reflected upon. Like getting blackout drunk at a party with strangers. No, that doesn't excuse anybody who takes advantage of her condition, but we should be able to learn and teach that her preceding behavior should also be avoided. Not trying to make both sides identical, just saying that there are mistakes on both sides to be aware of and avoid.
But hallowing "don't blame the victim" often tends to omit any learning, agency, or responsibility on one side. At times this can be another example of "rather than teaching (group or person) how and when to wear shoes, we should carpet the world for them so they never have to think about such things".
Thanks for your attempts to find some path of clarity through our current cultural murk, as much as can be done today.
Overall, a well balanced essay about good sense. I like your willingness to see things from a mixed perspective.
It seems as if there is a very tricky balance between "dress however you want, it shouldn't matter" and "take some responsibility for the message you are putting out". I'm not sure if there is a goldilocks zone between these guidelines in our current culture, despite your careful attempt to thread that needle. Your overall point is the latter (as a corrective to current practice), but you seem to need to inject the former every now and then, perhaps to attempt to head off anticipated dismissal by folks who want no restrictions. So I'm not so much criticizing your careful attempt, as observing the social context.
The concept of "don't blame the victim" is very much a two edged sword. On one hand, we obviously need to rid the world of rape or sexual assault or harassment defenses similar to "the way somebody dressed, they were asking for it".
But it's way to easy to overshoot and suggest that people have zero responsibility for their preceding actions if they become victims.
There seems to be no room today for mixed moral responsibility - where even somebody who is legitimately seen as being taken advantage of, may still have ALSO made some bad decisions which need to be reflected upon. Like getting blackout drunk at a party with strangers. No, that doesn't excuse anybody who takes advantage of her condition, but we should be able to learn and teach that her preceding behavior should also be avoided. Not trying to make both sides identical, just saying that there are mistakes on both sides to be aware of and avoid.
But hallowing "don't blame the victim" often tends to omit any learning, agency, or responsibility on one side. At times this can be another example of "rather than teaching (group or person) how and when to wear shoes, we should carpet the world for them so they never have to think about such things".
Thanks for your attempts to find some path of clarity through our current cultural murk, as much as can be done today.