Whether Public Display of Affection Is Appropriate

谭文

Whether Public Display ofAffection Is Appropriate

The Sexual Liberation Movement haslong been over. Like other western movements such as Women’s LiberationMovement, its influence on Chinais profound. Looking around the campus, you may find that the most eye-catchingscenes are those young couples kissing and hugging each other, some of whomwithout scruple in broad day.

One day, a friend of mine told mean embarrassing experience of hers. She was reading a novel in the self-studyroom, but she just couldn’t focus on it. The couple sitting in front of herseemed to be playing the sort of mother-bird-feeds-the-baby game. “It’s disgusting,”my friend said,” I felt upset and annoyed. I tried to make some noise to drawtheir attention, but they were so occupied with their game that they totallyignored me. Finally I gave up and left.” Maybe my friend is a little bitconservative, but I believe that there are hundreds more that would agree withher. The display of affection itself is a personal matter, which should not be interferedwith. However, if done in public places, it is no longer personal. The reasonis similar to that of the situation where we can eat like a pig at home but itis our duty to follow some table manners in public places. It is too, the dutyfor young couples to take others’ feelings into consideration when they aredoing that. Otherwise, their romantic kissing and hugging may seem to be intolerablyunsightly if overdone.

Apart from the unpleasant effectson other people, displaying affection publicly is also harmful to those couplesthemselves. Too much physical contact is a direct cause of premarital sexes andthus, an indirect cause of abortion of accidental pregnancy, which is a mostconcerned problem in today’s society. Innocent lives are killed because oftheir rash behavior which disregards all consequences. Not only is abortionmorally unfavorable, but also it is extremely detrimental to those girls’health. Many girls’ feminine diseases can be attributed to those premaritalsexes.

I have always believed that truemature love is sincere and knows how to display itself appropriately, whichgives the couple as well as the people around them a sense of beauty andpleasure, not shame or embarrassment. True love is built on the basis of solidfriendship which brings about respect and a desire to protect the one you love.The display of affection is necessary in a relationship and I believe if it iswisely dealt with, it will be like the jewel on a beauty’s neck. However, forthe sake of others and love itself, please don’t display affection in public withoutscruple.