By Dr. Neals J. Chitan
From the latter part of the 20th century, the issues of personal rights and freedoms have taken center stage in local and international discussions and forums, demanding civic responsibility from “the powers that be” in a bold attempt to ensure people’s rights to self expression.
Although this freedom of expression movement has broken down social barriers and prejudices that previously deterred people from openly and fearlessly being who they think they are, it has also created such a vast spectrum of emerging personal rights issues, that local and international legislative bodies are left behind in the dust, trying to catch up with the enactment of laws to duly protect them. It is therefore expedient that in our attempts to freely express ourselves and claim our rights to it, that we deeply consider how these uninhibited expressions may create a pattern of undesirable behavior that may even put our safety and lives at risk.
It is not worth sacrificing personal safety on the altar of rights and freedom of expression! Despite how much rights you may have to openly express yourself in the manner you feel, your expression may be the trigger point for some untamed or even criminal reaction from someone else who is inflicted with a social deficit behavior in that area.
This is also true in the areas of rights to freedom of sexual and dress expressions! On July 24, 2015, three sisters from Waterloo, Ontario, Canada were seen riding their bikes on the streets of the city, bare breasted. They felt that there was an over sexualizing of the female body and that their bodies belonged to them giving them the right to clothe or not clothe it in the manner they see fit. They were quickly intercepted by a police officer and asked to cover up in public but had to be left alone after citing the 1996 Act that guaranteed females the right to walk topless in Ontario. This situation led to a mass demonstration of bare breasted females in the city square who were all sympathetic and supportive to the cause and in agreement with the sisters’ stance.
Surely, I scream “If it’s the law, it’s legal!” But I also scream for prudence in our thinking!! Despite the issue that it may be your right, will you unduly sacrifice your well being and safety because your rights allow you? Yes, I hear the usual argument by women, “It’s not my problem the way I dress, it’s the filthy sexual minds of men” and again, yep, I understand the rights issue in this response, but whose safety is in jeopardy? Who will be emotionally, physically wounded or even killed when an uncontrolled sexually stimulated maniac assaults or rapes you? Is demonstrating your rights more important than your life?
Psychologist Sigmund Freud categorizes the human psyche on three levels; the Id, the Ego and the Super Ego. The base level or the Id, he refers to as the carnal or untamed beastly level of functioning. According to Freud, this level is influenced and controlled by natural desires and drives which are not dictated to by rules, regulations or even conscience, but impulsively reacts to triggers and stimulations without processing the repercussions.
The Ego and Super Ego levels are more influenced by learned philosophies, social constructs and training that produce more rationalization, reality and morality which lead to the processing of outcomes before reacting thus shaping a more civil and moral conscience.
Freud three level classification categorizes sex in the Id level, the lowest level, driven by carnal desires. However, intentional training of one’s mind can help develop an Ego and Super Ego level of sexual response. We do not have to remain controlled by our natural desires and drives all our lives, the good news is that our sexual desires can be trained to give us more civil, respectful and responsible sexual behavior.
It is a known psycho-social fact that males are more visually stimulated. Despite his deep engagement with a task, his attention is instantly shifted when a voluptuous female is in view, and operating on the Id level, it can begin a downward spiral of degrading and disrespectful interactions. It is what gives rise to the prolonged stares, rear view mirror glances, dirty talking, stalking and groping that make women feel targeted, disrespected and desecrated. However, a man operating solely at the Id level is unable to control himself when sexually stimulated and can be dangerous to females or to himself.
As we look at the rising tide of sexual assaults that is sweeping across the Caribbean, it is imperative that we attack it at the root and re-educate men to understand themselves, their sex, their role, their sexual responses and sexual responsibility. If intentionally done well, it can be the education process that will help men combat the cravings and drives of Id level existence and take them to a higher level of male leadership, responsibility, morality and respect.
Until then, we will all have to play a role in ensuring our personal safety even if it may cost your rights to your freedom of expression in dress. Ladies, let it not only be the provocative and revealing clothing that get our attention as men, but help us restrain our carnal drives by indirectly teaching us to admire your poise, mannerism, professionalism and unique female characteristics that are worth loving and respecting. In the meantime, you will do yourself a favor to sometime curtail your rights to protect your safety. Remember, without life, there are no rights!
