The subject of Angelina Jolie's decision to have a double mastectomy has been a widely discussed topic across the internet and beyond for the better part of two weeks now. In case you missed it, here is the article from the NY Times that Angelina wrote about her choice.
This article was written by Linda Holmes on why Angelina Jolie's op-ed matters, and actually made me tear up. I love that the writer is pointing out the dichotomies of our society, and the reality of celebrity and our culture (I personally think that the phenomenon of 'celebrity' is really a symptom of a lack of culture), and how some celebrities like Angelina can have a powerful, positive influence on the world.
What's your opinion of Angelina's decision to speak out? And what do you think you would do faced with the decision of having the surgery or not? I'm pretty sure I'd do the same thing she did if I had the means to do it.
Which is the point she has raised so effortlessly (and, I'm sure, the reason she told her story at all): not many women have the means to even get the testing to find out if you have the gene, let alone get surgery. What do you think of the "insurance backlash", as it's being called, that her issue has caused, and all of the women blasting her for giving women "false hope"?
I personally think the choice she made was a brave one, and Brad Pitt says it was heroic. Anyone who is blasting her for having an "elitist attitude" lacks the intelligence to see that she is simply trying to raise awareness for an issue she cares deeply about. She is encouraging women to take a stand against cancer instead of being victims, to be knowledgeable about the issue and well-informed about your options. She is doing what any other passionate, intelligent woman would do when faced with making such a life-altering choice: telling friends and family and anyone who will listen about what she went through. (We all do this on a daily basis whether the issue is small, large, positive, or negative: how to be a good parent, an article you read about the dangers of fragrances, or the latest DIY project you found on Pinterest.) The only difference is Angelina Jolie has a much larger platform on which to share.
Hope you're all having a fantastic Memorial Day weekend!
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