In the article, “We Are Not Created Equal in Every Way”, Joan Ryan writes about a little girl who loves to dance but seemingly is not a skinny petite child. The author, who has written substantially about the pressures on young female athletes tosses out a red herring, insisting that the concern is not about Fredrika’s weight but that a child of only eight years is being thrust into such a burdensome position. My interpretation of this article is that the author is trying to validate reasons for the child to not be accepted due to her weight. Therefore, I would like to point out some of the logical flaws in her reasoning.
To determine if Ms. Ryan is trying to persuade or to inform her dance and gymnastic audience is difficult for me. Perhaps both. While Ms. Ryan claims to not be concerned about the size of the …show more content…
Ryan then throws out an emotionally loaded statement that, “Still, the mother gets to decide what’s best for her daughter’s dancing career.” Clearly, since the decision is hers’, (Ms. Ryan’s), she would not allow her daughter to even try if she believed the child to be overweight.
If the author were truly concerned for the child and how she would feel being “discussed”, then perhaps she did not choose an appropriate topic to write about.
While I agree that one does not ordinarily find an overweight ballerina, this does not mean that we should deny the child the chance. A child must be given the opportunity to at least try something in order to decide if they like this interest and would wish to continue. Obviously Ms. Ryan would rather just deny the prospect simply because of age or build.
To say that a child has thrown all of their eggs into one basket is laughable. How can anyone know if they really want to pursue an activity if they have invested no time?
I agree that too much expectation on any child is hazardous. On the other hand, within limitations, a child needs to know that there are certain requirements for being involved in some
To determine if Ms. Ryan is trying to persuade or to inform her dance and gymnastic audience is difficult for me. Perhaps both. While Ms. Ryan claims to not be concerned about the size of the …show more content…
Ryan then throws out an emotionally loaded statement that, “Still, the mother gets to decide what’s best for her daughter’s dancing career.” Clearly, since the decision is hers’, (Ms. Ryan’s), she would not allow her daughter to even try if she believed the child to be overweight.
If the author were truly concerned for the child and how she would feel being “discussed”, then perhaps she did not choose an appropriate topic to write about.
While I agree that one does not ordinarily find an overweight ballerina, this does not mean that we should deny the child the chance. A child must be given the opportunity to at least try something in order to decide if they like this interest and would wish to continue. Obviously Ms. Ryan would rather just deny the prospect simply because of age or build.
To say that a child has thrown all of their eggs into one basket is laughable. How can anyone know if they really want to pursue an activity if they have invested no time?
I agree that too much expectation on any child is hazardous. On the other hand, within limitations, a child needs to know that there are certain requirements for being involved in some