What This News Cycle Has Taught Us At Home

Welcome to Wednesday! Even though this seems like a never-ending news cycle, those covering the news have started to put an angle on these stories from a family perspective.

We've heard from professionals coming from the legal perspective, the memory perspective, the identity politics perspective, the #metoo perspective. Now, it's time to talk about what this lesson has taught America beginning at home.

We live in a sexual world and have lived in a sexual world for a really long time. There are television shows, movies, jokes, and memes that revolve around a sexual mentality.

If you have heard commentators, hosts, or reporters talk about what this means for today's children, it is a scary truth. There are people out there who will scream "sexual misconduct" on other people for the smallest things. I'm not in any way canceling the fact that sexual assault happens ALL THE TIME or it's ever okay - sexual assault is never okay. And it's never the victim's fault that the act of sexual assault happened to them. Never.

That being said, we can't blame parents at home for being extra protective of the way their sons and daughters behave at school and out living their lives. We have heard that we are becoming a country who can't even have fun with their life because we may offend someone else by our "fun." Again, I'm not saying we should all lives our lives at others' expenses - absolutely not.

However, should a college boy be able to take care of a case of beer with their friends in college in a social setting while safely flirting with a girl he thinks is cute without worrying if he gives her a hug at the end of the night if she's going to press charges by putting his hand too low on her back? I think so. And the same goes for college girls.... should she be able to let loose with her friends and be friendly with a cute boy without repercussions? Absolutely. Besides an education, this is kind of what college is for, in my opinion.

What I am saying is that this a very difficult topic to even write about without hurting someone else's feelings or offending other people. Sexual harassment anywhere during any time is a terrible, nasty, horrible thing and should never be dismissed.

On the other hand, aside from naturally being careful about our surroundings, we also need to understand that there are ways to have fun and blow off steam. Not everyone needs to be so tense and serious.

#homelessons #safety #sexualharassment #becareful #wednesday #perspective #opendialogue #openmind #college