on PolicyMic
Avantika Krishna Nailed it!
Avantika Krishna Well-written and analyzed :) See, the numbers on sexual assault change depending on the source you use... Using RAINN, its 2/5 women in college, and 1/6 women in their lifetime and 9/10 know their attackers..etc. The problem with underreporting and compiling statistics really affects the actual magnitude of the issue. Let's not even talk about how messed up and inaccurate the numbers are for sexual assault cases/attempts with boys & men...
Avantika Krishna Daniel -- yes it would be. It's MIT.
Avantika Krishna Hi Michelle, thanks for reading! I agree - it's not necessarily absolutely crucial for one to know the president of their alma mater, however, it is important for the alumni to follow the changes and decisions their school makes! :)
Avantika Krishna Way to over-generalize the issue and make a comparison that doesn't make sense and isn't actually relevant.
Avantika Krishna It's not as simple as Femen is good or bad. Amina Taylor wouldn't be in people's minds without these women helping her. The consequences faced by Amina Taylor are very common in Middle Eastern countries. The international attention brought by this movement is both good and bad. It's more nuanced than just calling it colonialism 2.0
Avantika Krishna I agree with everyone else... the title has little relevance to what you're saying and is pretty offense. I know it's probably not you who wrote the title, but you should try to fix it...
Avantika Krishna Wonderfully written article! Thank you for writing this piece :)
Avantika Krishna I find this comment to be particularly insensitive and ignorant of the reality of much of the world. Of course India has many problems with gender equality and equity but so does the rest of the world. I'm definitely not justifying or excusing any of the behaviors or actions in such instances but am pointing out that such tragic cases are (unfortunately) not exclusive to India alone. Sexual assault cases are vastly underreported across the board in any country. The oppression may be more obvious in countries like India. In America and other developed countries, it's totally institutionalized and not seen as much of an issue. The wage gap, the lack of sufficient paid maternity leave, workplace discrimination, etc. Problems are everywhere.
Avantika Krishna Thank you for reading and for our insightful comment! I agree - I think the reason it's so important to be PC is because it creates the kind of open environment to have an honest discussion about issues and solutions. If we treat each other with respect (and prove that through our words) we can do a lot more in this world.
Avantika Krishna Do you think there is a balance though? Of course, following the rules of political correctness to a T is excessive and, like you said, prohibits "honest, open dialogue." However, isn't there something to be said for respecting other cultures and differences? Native American vs. American Indian; Black vs. African American; retarded vs. stupid, gay vs. stupid. I do believe language institutionalizes much of the oppression and problems in our culture, which is why it's necessary for all of us to watch what we say. Political correctness, when used in moderation, can promote respect, tolerance, and possibly create the dialogue necessary for further process. It's a balancing act.
Avantika Krishna I don't think it's a matter of making choices. I think it's a matter of which choices to make. How much do we take on? Which choice(s) do we make? How do we make the right ones? etc.
Avantika Krishna Thank you so much for your kind words, Mark! :D I really appreciate that sentiment. I definitely agree - apathy breeds all the evil in the world because people don't care enough to do anything until it's too late. Also, we don't really learn from our mistakes. Both of these problems can explain much of our history. :/
Avantika Krishna Precisely! No one wants to not be paid. We would all like to paid and valued for what we contribute to the office or the work environment. Unfortunately, that isn't necessarily an option in most fields. Sometimes, you just have to bite the bullet, accept no pay, and take the internship in the hopes that your experience will contribute to something else in your future career.
Avantika Krishna It's definitely also a culture problem -- we become so obsessed with what we have because that's how we think it's supposed to be. Having the newest, best, first, version of everything makes you cool and accepted. In order to change that way of thinking we have to actively challenge the status quo instead of questioning it...in ways that affect large amounts of people. This also ties into education - what we teach our kids is important affects their perspective on the world and influences their habits and choices.
Avantika Krishna You make excellent points that are, unfortunately, all true. You point to something that many of us find to be the solution for much of the ignorance, excess, and problems in the world: a proper, well-developed educational system that is accessible to all (in the sense that all students have the same opportunities as their fellow peers).
Avantika Krishna Of course, the saddest part is that such instances are not confined just to India or America - it's everywhere we look.
Avantika Krishna thank you for reading and for your feedback :).
Avantika Krishna Thanks for reading, Riley. You make a good point - I do bring up many of the inherent problems continually present in life. I just tie it back to the my generation and what many of us are facing nowadays. I value choice greatly. It allows us to reach our potential and then some. At the same time, choice is tricky. We can succeed or we can fail - often, it's our choice. I am simply pointing out the slippery slope of choice. Basically, it's more complicated than it seems.
Avantika Krishna In that sense, I do think it's necessary for women to reach the same levels and have the same options that men have available. That's the fight that we need to be having NOW because it's the most pressing and urgent problem. Once we address the biggest issues, then we have the luxury and capacity to address other issues that affect the family and likelihood for success -- in both the home and the workplace.
Avantika Krishna Hi! Thanks for reading! The thing is, it's not about men having it all. It's about women having at least much as men. Once they are both equal, it makes sense that have to discussion of advancing and broadening that equality and the options available in the workplace to BOTH the genders. The reason, I and many others, prioritize women's rights over men's is because men have the rights women want. It's easy to say that men and women are equal without looking at the underlying picture. Men should be included in these discussions because that's the only way things will change. I agree - working with the assumption that men aren't interested in childcare is faulty and unfair. However, we need to pick our battles in order to be effective. (cont)
Avantika Krishna How did I just see this? Thank you for your kind words! You're quite inspiring and amazing yourself :).
Avantika Krishna Personally, I boycott Chick-fil-A because it's attitudes towards the LGBT community matter a lot of me, more so than a lot of other issues. Yes, they are doing good but those "good" acts don't, personally, justify their "greatest wrong" - failure to stand up for basic human rights.
Avantika Krishna Thanks for reading! See, I definitely appreciate that you actually took the time to evaluate the pros and cons of both situations instead of either a) continuing to shop there when you support LGBT rights without even considering other options or b) boycotting it blindly in the same vein.
Avantika Krishna thank you!
on PolicyMic
Avantika Krishna Nailed it!
Avantika Krishna Well-written and analyzed :) See, the numbers on sexual assault change depending on the source you use... Using RAINN, its 2/5 women in college, and 1/6 women in their lifetime and 9/10 know their attackers..etc. The problem with underreporting and compiling statistics really affects the actual magnitude of the issue. Let's not even talk about how messed up and inaccurate the numbers are for sexual assault cases/attempts with boys & men...
Avantika Krishna Daniel -- yes it would be. It's MIT.
Avantika Krishna Hi Michelle, thanks for reading! I agree - it's not necessarily absolutely crucial for one to know the president of their alma mater, however, it is important for the alumni to follow the changes and decisions their school makes! :)
Avantika Krishna Way to over-generalize the issue and make a comparison that doesn't make sense and isn't actually relevant.
Avantika Krishna It's not as simple as Femen is good or bad. Amina Taylor wouldn't be in people's minds without these women helping her. The consequences faced by Amina Taylor are very common in Middle Eastern countries. The international attention brought by this movement is both good and bad. It's more nuanced than just calling it colonialism 2.0
Avantika Krishna I agree with everyone else... the title has little relevance to what you're saying and is pretty offense. I know it's probably not you who wrote the title, but you should try to fix it...
Avantika Krishna Wonderfully written article! Thank you for writing this piece :)
Avantika Krishna I find this comment to be particularly insensitive and ignorant of the reality of much of the world. Of course India has many problems with gender equality and equity but so does the rest of the world. I'm definitely not justifying or excusing any of the behaviors or actions in such instances but am pointing out that such tragic cases are (unfortunately) not exclusive to India alone. Sexual assault cases are vastly underreported across the board in any country. The oppression may be more obvious in countries like India. In America and other developed countries, it's totally institutionalized and not seen as much of an issue. The wage gap, the lack of sufficient paid maternity leave, workplace discrimination, etc. Problems are everywhere.
Avantika Krishna Thank you for reading and for our insightful comment! I agree - I think the reason it's so important to be PC is because it creates the kind of open environment to have an honest discussion about issues and solutions. If we treat each other with respect (and prove that through our words) we can do a lot more in this world.
Avantika Krishna Do you think there is a balance though? Of course, following the rules of political correctness to a T is excessive and, like you said, prohibits "honest, open dialogue." However, isn't there something to be said for respecting other cultures and differences? Native American vs. American Indian; Black vs. African American; retarded vs. stupid, gay vs. stupid. I do believe language institutionalizes much of the oppression and problems in our culture, which is why it's necessary for all of us to watch what we say. Political correctness, when used in moderation, can promote respect, tolerance, and possibly create the dialogue necessary for further process. It's a balancing act.
Avantika Krishna I don't think it's a matter of making choices. I think it's a matter of which choices to make. How much do we take on? Which choice(s) do we make? How do we make the right ones? etc.
Avantika Krishna Thank you so much for your kind words, Mark! :D I really appreciate that sentiment. I definitely agree - apathy breeds all the evil in the world because people don't care enough to do anything until it's too late. Also, we don't really learn from our mistakes. Both of these problems can explain much of our history. :/
Avantika Krishna Precisely! No one wants to not be paid. We would all like to paid and valued for what we contribute to the office or the work environment. Unfortunately, that isn't necessarily an option in most fields. Sometimes, you just have to bite the bullet, accept no pay, and take the internship in the hopes that your experience will contribute to something else in your future career.
Avantika Krishna It's definitely also a culture problem -- we become so obsessed with what we have because that's how we think it's supposed to be. Having the newest, best, first, version of everything makes you cool and accepted. In order to change that way of thinking we have to actively challenge the status quo instead of questioning it...in ways that affect large amounts of people. This also ties into education - what we teach our kids is important affects their perspective on the world and influences their habits and choices.
Avantika Krishna You make excellent points that are, unfortunately, all true. You point to something that many of us find to be the solution for much of the ignorance, excess, and problems in the world: a proper, well-developed educational system that is accessible to all (in the sense that all students have the same opportunities as their fellow peers).
Avantika Krishna Of course, the saddest part is that such instances are not confined just to India or America - it's everywhere we look.
Avantika Krishna thank you for reading and for your feedback :).
Avantika Krishna Thanks for reading, Riley. You make a good point - I do bring up many of the inherent problems continually present in life. I just tie it back to the my generation and what many of us are facing nowadays. I value choice greatly. It allows us to reach our potential and then some. At the same time, choice is tricky. We can succeed or we can fail - often, it's our choice. I am simply pointing out the slippery slope of choice. Basically, it's more complicated than it seems.
Avantika Krishna In that sense, I do think it's necessary for women to reach the same levels and have the same options that men have available. That's the fight that we need to be having NOW because it's the most pressing and urgent problem. Once we address the biggest issues, then we have the luxury and capacity to address other issues that affect the family and likelihood for success -- in both the home and the workplace.
Avantika Krishna Hi! Thanks for reading! The thing is, it's not about men having it all. It's about women having at least much as men. Once they are both equal, it makes sense that have to discussion of advancing and broadening that equality and the options available in the workplace to BOTH the genders. The reason, I and many others, prioritize women's rights over men's is because men have the rights women want. It's easy to say that men and women are equal without looking at the underlying picture. Men should be included in these discussions because that's the only way things will change. I agree - working with the assumption that men aren't interested in childcare is faulty and unfair. However, we need to pick our battles in order to be effective. (cont)
Avantika Krishna How did I just see this? Thank you for your kind words! You're quite inspiring and amazing yourself :).
Avantika Krishna Personally, I boycott Chick-fil-A because it's attitudes towards the LGBT community matter a lot of me, more so than a lot of other issues. Yes, they are doing good but those "good" acts don't, personally, justify their "greatest wrong" - failure to stand up for basic human rights.
Avantika Krishna Thanks for reading! See, I definitely appreciate that you actually took the time to evaluate the pros and cons of both situations instead of either a) continuing to shop there when you support LGBT rights without even considering other options or b) boycotting it blindly in the same vein.
Avantika Krishna thank you!