This morning, I had the great fortune of getting to hear Justice Michael Kirby speak at my school. Mr. Kirby is a retired judge who most recently worked on the Australian High Court (like the Supreme Court). He actually has accomplished a TON of stuff in his life, all of which I can't remember, and won't try because I won't be able to do him enough justice (no pun intended). In case you're interested, here's his Wikipedia page (shame on me for referencing wikipedia, I know, I know....)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Kirby_%28judge%29
Anyways....This guy is SO fantastic! He is straightforward about being gay, an extremely progressive thinker, and realistic about human rights. I was almost giddy hearing him talk about women's empowerment and education, and the risky moves made by governments that start off as controversial, and end up saving thousands of lives. There were open statements about sexual health, religious battles, and the importance of youth in the new cultural movements-- I was in heaven!!
Of course, there were a bazillion questions at the end of his talk, and after raising my hand until my shoulders were numb, I got in my question-- I wanted to post it here to see if you all would be interested in helping out....Here goes:
I come from the Seattle area, which is relatively progressive. Still, some grocery and convenience stores in the area keep their condoms in locked cases. I actually asked a store clerk at a specific location why they kept them locked, and his answer was: "Well, when they aren't locked, they get stolen".
I walked out thinking that was fair enough, but then I got to thinking: Everything in grocery or convenience stores gets stolen once in a while. Why not keep apples under lock and key? Plus, if there is one thing that may get stolen more often, is it really so bad that it is going towards population control and STI/STD prevention? Not only that, but it's embarrassing enough to buy condoms- but then to have to ask for them to be unlocked? I guess I'm just really confused. It seems a lot more about the store pushing views about sex than about stolen condoms.
Anyways...I really don't want to fall into the classical vehicle for anger and ranting that blogs so often become, but I really think that this is a local issue that can raise awareness about the importance of comprehensive sex education.
So, just wondering....If I decided to do something about this, would you guys help me? It could be just signing a petition, or writing a letter, or letting a friend know about the issue. I know it's small, and it's not like Michael Kirby tackling the world-wide AIDS issue, but it is something.
Links to help you get stoked on change:
Advocates for Youth
Amplify Your Voice (affiliated with Advocates for Youth-- it's the all-youth section)
Mr. Kirby said today that yes, the educated people: the judges, the businessmen, the professors; will make a change. But ultimately, everyone can make a change: students, teachers, volunteers, young people, old people....I don't want to get preachy, but let's get excited about making changes!! You don't need a University degree to make change happen. You need to.....GET STOKED!!!
