Do we cross the line when we correct a child for being mean to our loved ones? That is a good question. For example, I have a friend who recently took her daughter to a park. She noticed that two boys were teasing her daughter so she corrected them by saying that type behavior (shooting with fake guns) was not something they should do to her daughter. Now I know that guns are a sensitive issue. The young girl was three and was scared by the loud noises. The boys were asked to stop and they continued. Then asked the second time, they were asked to stop and to not do that anymore as it scared her. The other mother said my friend was way out of line and did not have the right to correct her son as my friend was not his mother. I personally believe my friend was in the right. If you take your child to a public place and your child is being scared by older children, I feel you have the right to ask them to stop. If you don't then your child will continue to be teased. Parents should have the right to stand up for their children.
If you find something out of the ordinary, question it. I do not think we should teach our youth to stay in the lines. We should want to teach children and adults to question things. The only way to progress in this world is to push forward. Asking questions brings about change. People do not like change. You will often find senior citizens shunning new ways of doing things such as computers. My grandma often said,"We didn't do that when I was younger. So why would I want to do it now?" While maintaining respect for our elders, we also have to look to the future for our next generation. If we do not ask questions and challenge things in our lifetime, then how will we change the world to be a more effective world for those to come?
Is there an imaginary line we cannot cross in certain social situations? Sure there is. When certain questions are asked, certain responses are deemed ideal. If your wife/sister/mother/friend asks you, "Do I look fat in this?" Your response most likely should be no!! -- This topic is always hard to know the proper response. If the material is too tight on them and they have rolls showing then yes say something. Just say that it doesn't fit them well. The material does nothing for them. Anything will sound better than agreeing that they look fat. Worse mistake you could ever make! Definitely.
Knowing when to speak up maybe difficult! Just use your inner voice to figure things out. If you see something odd, question it. If you adore something, speak passionately about it. Love what you do, and speak out for those who cannot! Start a rally, write an article to the editor, make a phone call. If no one questioned anything, life would be dull and pointless. Think about that for a HOT MINUTE!
