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Harlan's right: the whole idea that some abstract recourse to human rights or personal autonomy or whatever needs to be made in order to regulate hugging and kisses for small children is uniquely modern and grotesque. Civilization is predicated on there being no questions concerning who hugs who. You just know. You don't ask anybody. Never ask the potential recipient. No matter how unfamiliar the culture: Either do it, or refrain from doing it, as you find appropriate; you might be in error, and you'll find out the hard way -- but whatever you do, don't ask. To ask is to capitulate to the sort of hypersensitive liberal creepiness extolled in this awful book about poor Doug, the subtext of which is that Doug is in dire need of more hugs, while the story's outward impugning of desire on Doug's part to deflect being hugged masks what is really a desperate cry for help. Sometimes "no" means "yes." Hug Doug, for the sake of humanity. |