Becca Hall @Chewwbecccaa [Staff Writer]
Most people have come to think of dress codes as normal, something that almost all schools have. A second thought reveals the faults in dress codes, specifically that they are mostly aimed towards girls. While many agree that showing too much cleavage, wearing a belly shirt, or shorts that are pulled up so high that they look more like underwear does not make a female look classy. Most will also agree that it is the choice of that girl to put on whatever clothing that makes her feel comfortable. Dress codes sometimes go so far as to say girls aren’t allowed to show their shoulders at school, because obviously shoulders are the most scandalous part of the body, right? The fact of the matter is that the clothes girls wear should not be considered a distraction to fellow students or teachers, it’s not like their clothes are screaming during class or poking students while they are taking a test. Clothes are silent beings, they hang out on a persons body and usually remain about as distracting as the paint on the classroom walls. Females should not be punished if another person gets turned on by what they are wearing. Girls have bodies, boys have bodies, everyone should decide for themselves based on their values what parts of their bodies should be shown and what parts of their bodies should be covered.
Theres obviously boundaries that everyone should know aren’t acceptable outside of their home, but they are going to be different for everyone, and that should be allowed. Girls and boys alike should be able to wear what they feel is appropriate and express their own style without being reprimanded. The point is not to say people should be allowed to show up to school naked, but to point out that instead of shaming girls for wearing short shorts in hot weather, and teaching girls to be ashamed of their bodies, boys should be taught that girls are humans and not sexual objects. Schools and authorities saying that a boy cannot focus in class because a girl has a tank top on is making it seem like boys are horny, uncontrollable, animals. They are not, boys are perfectly able to control themselves, even if a girl is wearing shorts.
If its okay for males to waltz around without a shirt in public and girls can contain themselves, why can a girl not wear a halter top or strapless dress in public without distracting others? Why is it that girls get scandalized for showing their bra straps, but boys can walk around with a good part of their underwear hanging out. The answer is, there is no difference, and everyone should be treated the same way.
