Ben Carson once stated, “Here's a nation, one of the founding pillars was freedom of speech and freedom of expression. And yet, we have imposed upon people restrictions on what they can say, on what they can think. And the media is the largest proponent of this, crucifying people who say (or do) things really quite innocently.” The United States of America was founded upon certain unalienable rights that cannot be confined by any political movement or ideology which attempts to abolish them. One of the most imperative of these is the freedom of expression. The freedom to express one’s self, whether it be by religion, speech, or association, is in serious harm today in American politics. In recent years Halloween costumes have become more and …show more content…
Their slogan is, “We’re a culture, not a costume.” An article written by Damien Gayle, titled Students Launch poster campaign against ‘racists’ Halloween costumes, goes more in-depth explaining the ideologies and goals of the organization also citing other articles. One article by Melissa Sipin states, “What these costumes have in common is that they make caricatures out of cultures, and that is simply not okay.” I, personally, disagree with the argument created by this statement. Stating that these costumes are “caricatures” is automatically inferring that they are not malicious in intent. A simple definition of a caricature is an extreme exaggeration of something in order to create a comic effect. If a person decides to be a Mexican wearing a poncho and putting on a mustache, they are not saying that “this is what every Mexican looks like”. They are acknowledging a history and heritage; it has nothing to do with hate. Although student group such as STARS only has the best of intentions, they find ways to attack mostly harmless Halloween …show more content…
In Kristina Bui’s article “Halloween no excuse for racism”, she states, “It’s hard to explain what is so wrong about being a geisha or a sheik for Halloween. It is unsettling. It’s a feeling I’ve always struggled to articulate- a discomfort that sort of just sits in the place between your heart and your stomach, quietly nagging.” “Minorities are often made into caricatures.” In my opinion I disagree; dressing up as a cultural group that is not your own is a way to acknowledge different people that you do not know as much about. As long as it is not meant in a malicious sense, there is nothing wrong with wearing such a costume. Liz Ryan would agree with my stance on this debate, by stating that, “This campaign makes no sense.” She questions this debate and says, “Just dressing up as a person from a culture different from your own isn’t objectable, or if it is, we’ve reached the low point of cultural relations in our country.” If you cannot dress as something that is not yourself, then where does it truly end? What is wrong with saying or doing something that does not reflect what you believe in or look like? As an American I believe in defending people’s rights and privileges as a constituent of our great nation. Even if a costume poked fun at everything I believed in, my stance is similar to the great political philosopher Voltaire: “I may not