It's Just the Way I Was Raised
As weeks have passed since the Miss USA debacle, several things have gnawed at me:
1. That Perez Hilton is judging anyone and being taken seriously.
2. That Miss California had to answer a serious question while her opponent go thrown a softball (I don't object to the question; I just think Miss NC should have gotten something just as tough).
3. That this has completely overshadowed the absolutely lame response another contestant had given, far dumber than either of the two leading answers (I can't find a link, but when asked about who is to blame for the current financial crisis she gave a completely canned answer about how both the left and the right should be respected)
4. The first part of Miss California's answer.
5. That Perez Hilton gave her the lowest score, not because of the eloquence or lack thereof of her answer, but for having the Wrong Opinion.
But none of these have bothered me quite as much as the second part of her answer:
"That's just the way I was raised."
This is used as a defense of a position all the time. How in the hell is this a valid defense for any viewpoint once you're 18? It indicates a complete absence of thought, a lack of and unwillingness toward examining one's positions. Agreeing with the way you were raised makes sense; all of us will agree with our upbringing a little bit. But... I've always kinda assumed that most of us spend our teenage years questioning, challenging, and fighting with our parents precisely so we can eventually differentiate from how we were raised and what we really believe. I always thought the purpose of teenage rebellion was the examine what one wants, thinks, and believes independently from our parents, even if we end up agreeing with them. Ultimately, we should understand WHY we were raised a certain way and be able to articulate that why, or to rebut it. To use your upbringing as your sole basis for your belief indicates as plain as day that that examination and understanding has never taken place.
"It's just the way I was raised" needs the addendum "now excuse me, I have to go eat my peas."
1. That Perez Hilton is judging anyone and being taken seriously.
2. That Miss California had to answer a serious question while her opponent go thrown a softball (I don't object to the question; I just think Miss NC should have gotten something just as tough).
3. That this has completely overshadowed the absolutely lame response another contestant had given, far dumber than either of the two leading answers (I can't find a link, but when asked about who is to blame for the current financial crisis she gave a completely canned answer about how both the left and the right should be respected)
4. The first part of Miss California's answer.
5. That Perez Hilton gave her the lowest score, not because of the eloquence or lack thereof of her answer, but for having the Wrong Opinion.
But none of these have bothered me quite as much as the second part of her answer:
"That's just the way I was raised."
This is used as a defense of a position all the time. How in the hell is this a valid defense for any viewpoint once you're 18? It indicates a complete absence of thought, a lack of and unwillingness toward examining one's positions. Agreeing with the way you were raised makes sense; all of us will agree with our upbringing a little bit. But... I've always kinda assumed that most of us spend our teenage years questioning, challenging, and fighting with our parents precisely so we can eventually differentiate from how we were raised and what we really believe. I always thought the purpose of teenage rebellion was the examine what one wants, thinks, and believes independently from our parents, even if we end up agreeing with them. Ultimately, we should understand WHY we were raised a certain way and be able to articulate that why, or to rebut it. To use your upbringing as your sole basis for your belief indicates as plain as day that that examination and understanding has never taken place.
"It's just the way I was raised" needs the addendum "now excuse me, I have to go eat my peas."