What about the right not to look at offensive messages?

Michele Engelberg

I wonder, where is my right NOT to see this clothing? Or this message? Do I, as an individual in a democracy, not also have rights? It seems that my rights are not taken into account. I must just be subjected to whatever provocative images happen to be on billboards, in advertising, and even on T-shirts.

T-shirts seem to be specifically designed to be walking billboards for whatever message one wants others to see. People wear swear words and lewd remarks on their T-shirts all the time, so this message is read by untold numbers of people.

Conversely, had they verbalised the words, it would have taken a moment and most people would not be subjected to the ugliness of it. Some T-shirts bear promiscuous images and, yes, also provocative political slogans.

At a recent KKK rally in South Carolina, a white supremacist, wearing a swastika on his T-shirt, wasn’t feeling well. The black police chief there helped get him to shelter and water. The white supremacist’s message on his T-shirt was racially inspired; indeed the whole rally was racist.

This black police chief acted according to his morality and did not retaliate to the hatred, even though it was staring him glaringly in the face, by way of the man’s racist T-shirt. I hope this white supremacist was ashamed!

The editor also points out that Old Eds is a private club, so it is entitled to set its own policies. Well, since society’s standards are not high, maybe that would be an adequate way for private institutions to regulate what people wear and the messages therein.

Virgin Active’s statement read: “We do not believe our clubs should be forums for contentious political activity.” I echo that belief.

Johannesburg