That is not to say the Ferguson police aren't supposed to be bound by some sort of moral guidelines, but they may be largely different from the Pp, and may even be as short and snappy as "to serve and protect".
]]>And the media have little to no interest in a peaceful, well-adjusted general public. They thrive on conflict. So there is no doubt in my mind that this image they cultivate is problematic.
But some people seem to accept these role models without ever thinking twice about their actual applicability, and they cannot conform to them (no one can). Professional athletes, and their fans, may be the best example of this.
And women can be as driven by what they feel that others want them to be as men -- with the same results. I recall a scandal in the late 80s where a female olympic athlete from East Germany was caught enhancing her performance, and she received every bit as much attention for it as Armstrong does today (the details escape me -- I was too young to care).
I feel like I need to say this now: Women and men are often held to a different standard in general. I know that. It's part of the same problem.
So yes, the role model is a problem, and it is wrong.
I am not so sure, though, that we need to or should highlight any aspect of being a man, or a woman, or anything else for that matter: We need to stop thinking in categories and try to see individual people.
But is everyone actually capable of it? And how do we get them to?
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