Lauren+S's+OpEd+Article

media type="file" key="laurensohasky-muckraker-2011.mp3" align="center" Especially at this age, we’re all kind of bitches. We can be pretentious. We judge people. We make fun of others for what they are wearing, how they are acting, or just their general appearance or personality. We’re not extremely compassionate people at this age and those who are, are too worried about being the odd-one-out to stand up for the person being objectified to this unfounded cruelty. We don’t understand what people are going through, nor do we want to know, because that would take the fun out of the joke we are making out of them. It’s not funny to mimic a mentally handicapped person. If you think that makes people laugh then I’m sure everyone would think it’s hilarious if I told them you sucked your thumb until you were 12. And yes, that girl’s hair does look dirty, but you pointing it out just makes you look like a jerk, and I’m sure if she was faced with the option of having clean hair or dirty hair, she would choose clean. Even if having ‘dirty’ hair is her choice, what gives you the right to comment on it? Your haircut made you look like a boy in elementary school, and you don’t see me bringing it up. And yeah, she has gained weight. You wouldn't know that her mom died pretty recently and she’s having a major depressive episode, because you’re not interested in gossip that might provoke your conscience into doing its job. I know we can't be all saint-like all the time, and it can definitely be hard not to make fun of people, especially when it seems like someone is just so blatantly asking for it. But I feel like if we would all just keep in mind that everyone has at least one heart-breaking secret, this world would be a much more compassionate place.