Letter 3

Dear Lea,
look at my first Comp 1 essay:


A magazine cover in the grocery store. most people look past it to the selection of gum beyond, but not Melanie. she's a 15 year old, and she's worried about Brad and Angelina's recently announced break up. but instead of her favourite hollywood star, she sees Britney Spears in a bikini below the title "Look Who Got Fat This Summer." she looks down at her own body and back up at the singer who is three sizes smaller than she is, and then at the word "FAT." this 15 year old girl will always look down on herself because of one picture and one word. when most people think of the words "honesty", "modesty", "respect", or "restraint", they think of some 'lame' catholic school girl who won't put out. but, what would happen if we al were to embrace these words and put them into practice?
there was recently a song broadcast on youtube.com called "Modesty is Hot." this song became an instant hit among all sorts of peopl, but not for the reason you'd think. most comments posted below the video included "what kind of prude doesn't wear a bikini?" and "who wants a chick who won't wear short shorts?" and things of that nature. our society has gotten so used to the thought of women whose mantra is "if you've got it, flaunt it," but no one seems to realize that those girls tend to struggle with things like low self-esteem, depression, weight problems, and sexual abuse. a woman these days is sought after not for her personality or grace, but for her cup size. this stems from a lack of respect: respect for self, respect for women, and for strangers.
this is where the words "modesty", "respect", and "restraint" become synonymous. if we first learn to respect ourselves we can then learn to respect others. we can learn respect through showing restraint; choosing to wear more modest clothing and if someone does choose to wear inappropriate clothing, retraint from looking. these three words often go hand in hand.
everyone has heard about politicians and their 'honesty.' it's gotten to the point where a presidential candidate can make a promise, and everyone will scoff. in a business when an employee is hired and promised ten dollars an hour, that is what he expects, but at the end of the month when he get's his payceck, he'll be none too happy to find out the employer was not honest. this employee may quit, he might sue, or he might become vengeful and try to ruin the business. how are an employer and politicians related? we put our trust in them, and when we are betrayed, we ourselves may feel inclined to be dishonest. respect again comes into play. if a politician or employer respects his higher status and his privileges, he would not feel the need to be dishonest.
the truth is, it all boils down to respect, if we respect ourselves through modesty, and respect others through honesty, we wouldn't feel the need to watch our backs. trust would be established and vengeance would all bu disappear. that sounds nice to me, how about you?



what do you think?
PSHathaway