So, an interesting thought I've had for a while was what kind of issues we'd think would come to light socially at the turn of our generation. I find it really interesting how progress for equality meets these big bumps, and often its the previous generations that are a huge factor behind that bump; preventing progress with old values they grew up on that are incompatible with newer values their children's children are raised with. I'd nominate pedophilia into this; a subject so taboo and socially conditioned into most of us as something sickening, that the mere mention of it in casual conversation is enough to make most of us tense up and easy to tip over into feelings of rage.
To elaborate what I mean, I'm talking about reform of pedophile related laws. Pedophiles are treated like scum, often portrayed as monsters, and constantly reminded by society that they are unwanted and would be better off not existing in the first place. Our scientific study of pedophilia is surprisingly lacking due to the inability to even get funding for research because of how taboo of a topic it is. When most people think of pedophiles, they immediately think of criminals, and often have no sense of empathy towards them.
I'm an advocate for equality of many groups, and I can say from voicing my advocacy of pedophile rights that I've been constantly disrespected for and told I should go to jail or die for even defending pedophiles; as if just associating yourself positively with them revolting in itself. People don't even take the second to think that their reactions mirror those of their grandparents, who grew up in a time where transgendered children were "abominations" and gays were "papayagots who don't deserve to live." They grew up being fed misinformation, and often grew to hate a particular group simply because they were told to hate that particular group by everyone else. Many people who rise to a boiling rage at the thought of pedophiles don't stop to even think that these are actual human beings we're talking about here. Pedophiles are people, with urges that they cannot control, slaves to their biology just like anyone else. Not all pedophiles are sex offenders, and not all pedophiles wish harm on children, but they cannot help if they are sexually attracted to children the same way someone who is gay cannot help being attracted to the same sex. The issue is that there isn't even any way for them to get help for what they're going through, and they tend to live miserable lives with poor self esteem filled with guilt over something that isn't their faults.
I can definitely see something like this being an issue as we grow older. Perhaps a famous celebrity will come out and say they're sexually attracted to children and want help, which may start snowball into may other high profile figures coming out of the closet to prompt more social awareness for the issue. There'd be more research done, more education and proper information about it spread, and misconceptions cleared (for one thing, did you know that pedophiles are not the same as hebephiles? I bet most of you have never even heard of that term considering we just lump them both into the same category and disregard the differences. Hell, my browser dictionary is telling me it isn't even a real word.).The fact that someone's life can be ruined if it's discovered that they have a sexual attraction to children is an issue that I don't think anyone in our generation is ready to deal with, and they most likely won't be ready to deal with it when it if it does come up.
So what do you guys think are some hot button issues that we'd probably be against when we're old and bitter and unwilling to accept change? What envelope pushing controversies are you too afraid to fight for right now because of majority opposition of our generation?
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