If Black people could receive some treatment which makes them look White,
should we allow them to have it if they want to? Does this depend on the
level of risk for the treatment? Should we respect the choice of someone
who does it? Should we encourage it if it makes people's lives better?
What if there were advantages beyond overcoming the prejudice?
If Gay people could receive some treatment which makes them Straight,
same questions.
If Jewish people chose to convert to Christianity as a solution to
antisemitism, not because anyone forced them, but because they said
they wanted to, same questions.
If people with big noses want to have surgery to make their noses
smaller, same questions.
If women with breasts that are too small or big in their opinions
want to have surgery to change the size of their breasts, same
questions.
If children with an imbalance which prevents them from growing want to
receive treatment to make them grow normally, and their parents agree,
same questions. What if the children start with normal growth and
want to play s****ts where the extra growth would help them play
better?
I would hope we all agree that an adult should be allowed to have holes
made in their ears if they want to. I think we mostly agree that
having weight loss surgery which is very very dangerous is something
we would at least try to talk someone out of.
Where things get fuzzy is to what extent someone has the right to do
something of which others disapprove in order to look "better" or be
"more normal" at least in their own opinion.
Where things also get fuzzy is that "lap band" surgery is supposed to
be safer than bypass. That does not mean perfectly safe. Nothing is.
It means less bad. And it does not deal with sizeism.
Where things also get fuzzy is the extent to which spouses have the
obligation to please one another.
While I realize that there is a discussion between a specific husband
and wife about what the wife intends to do to herself, there is a
broader question as to how much one should respond to prejudice by
letting the biggots win, and how this interacts with owning one's
own body and thus having the right to decide what is done to that
body.
In order to get away from the emotion I am sure many of us feel about
weight, it might be useful to consider other categories of people
who might consider their category to put them at a disadvantage.
Mary-Anne
@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
|
