You can dance if you want to

I find it curious how Americans can so confidently deride other countries’ antiquated policies and draconian laws, while ignoring our own. Everyone is quick to point out Saudi Arabia’s intolerance towards women,¹ or Cambodia’s discomfort with provocative dancing,² and yet we pay no mind to the millions of men and women serving jail time for marijuana. Marijuana is considered a class I drug right next to heroin, yet it is medically legal in 26 states. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, marijuana arrests accounted for nearly half of all drug arrests in the country in 2010. This statistic has increased from 34 percent of all drug arrests in 1995, which takes into account that 90 percent of those 2010 marijuana arrests were for possession rather than dealing.³ For example: where is the justice between a six-month jail sentence for sexual dancing versus a 12-year sentence in jail for a $31 sale of marijuana?.4 We readily point out the injustice in the former but turn a blind eye to the latter.

We only need to look throughout our history to recognize that the simple act of dancing did not “jive” with our puritan upbringing.5 Instead of being outraged at Cambodia’s current laws against dancing, we can try to imagine what the Netherlands thinks of America’s 800,000 marijuana arrests each and every year. Sadly, I recognize this type of imagination requires Americans take a good, hard look in the mirror. While there, dance as provocatively as your laws allow, but also take the time to acknowledge that your dancing needs practice and your laws need revision.

Mark Kitchenman

Trying out this life thing

You can dance if you want to