Wherein I Glorify my Prudishness

Lately I’ve noticed in my blogosphere wanderings the big controversy over President Obama’s balls.

I can’t even believe I wrote that!  Bleeeccchhhh!  Ewww.

I am really not interested, outside of my love life, in anyone’s organs of any kind.

I lament the loss of real privacy, which is an essential part of intimacy, one of the more pleasurable experiences in this crazy life.

There are inhibitions that hurt our beings, and then there’s the limitations we set upon ourselves voluntarily, with awareness, that enhance our beings and reap boundless rewards.

Now I don’t suggest anyone try my brand of prudishness at home … I have spent decades perfecting it and am a professional.  So beware!

Anyhoo.

I first experienced the “balls,” “spine,” etc. sentiment back during the days when, say, Alito got confirmed to the Supreme Court.  I believe Maryscott O’Connor was plenty miffed at the time!

It skeeved me out then and it skeeves me out now.  Again, speaking only for myself, as a professional.

(I sort of feel like the SCOTUS when they ruled for Bush in Bush v. Gore and then said “DO NOT USE THIS JUDGMENT AS A PRECEDENT!  EVER!”  Ah, good times, good times.)

The question, of course, is … what are we asking for when we scream out for “spine” or “balls” or “courage”, etc.?

I don’t think it’s John Wayne we are looking for.  At least I hope not.

Our moral judgments on peoples’ character grow less and less persuasive to me these days.  Including my own.  Where is the standard, after all?

What we are screaming for is something difficult to describe, because it’s not visible, like a truck or an oil rig.

But speaking professionally, I believe we can do better with the whole meme of getting our leaders to “show some spine,” without being gross and talking about organs and such.

I believe we could very easily say what is nothing but the truth … that our job as Citizens makes it our duty to speak out and air our grievances.  A little insult or jab, sure, we’re only human.  But if there is going to be wit, I, as a confessed Prude, can wish it to be a bit more refeeeeeeened.

In conclusion, I believe I have shown how prudishness, employed by an expert, can move conversation forward past gordion knots of our flailing egos.  Creating a real space for dialogue is an art as well as a moral act.  A bit of prudishness can, as I have demonstrated countless times(!), help to create that space by nurturing our real conviction that privacy is as essential a right as voting.