A Wrestler’s Choice: Sticking to His Beliefs

Making sacrifices for your beliefs and sticking up for what you believe in is admirable. The 18-year-old Colorado native and former high school wrestler Brendan Johnston is all too familiar with this. Brendan made a risky choice in 2018 that essentially put a stop to his high school wrestling career. He declined to compete in two state tournament matches against female opponents, citing personal and religious convictions as his justification.

In recent years, the question of whether it is fair to compete physically between adult males and adult girls has gained more and more attention. Many people think it’s unjust to expect men and women to compete on an equal footing because they are fundamentally different from one other, both biologically and in other ways.

Brendan objected to the thought of going up against Skyview High’s Jaslynn Gallegos in the state tournament’s opening round. He also declined to take part in his consolation match against Valley High’s Angel Rios in the third round as a senior at Colorado Springs’ Classical Academy. An interview with KDVR provided a Christian explanation of Brendan’s choice. He said he felt it was too violent and physically uncomfortable to wrestle with a girl. He added that his background and religious beliefs had influenced how he saw women’s roles and distinctions from men.

It’s critical to remember that Brendan’s choice has repercussions. He finished sixth in the tournament while Jaslynn and Angel finished fourth and fifth, respectively, as a result of not wrestling the two females.

While acknowledging Brendan’s decision, Jaslynn voiced her disappointment at not being able to challenge him. Her gender doesn’t define her ability; she views herself first and foremost as a wrestler. She is aware, nevertheless, that social judgments can still hinder her.

Brendan made a contentious decision that sparked debates and dissenting views. How do you feel about Brendan’s choice not to engage in a wrestling match with a female? We would be delighted to hear your opinions.

To learn more about Brendan’s choice and its effects, watch this video:

Mom Leaves Note On “Disrespectful” Son’s Door, And Now It’s Going Viral

Being a parent to a cocky, disrespectful teenager is far from easy, and different parents have different approaches to getting their children to behave.
One mom, Heidi Johnson, wrote a handwritten letter to her son, Aaron, and shared it on Facebook. She didn’t intend for the post to go viral. She didn’t even intend to make the post public. It was supposed to just be for friends to see, but she does not regret her post or the fact that it’s public.
In the letter to her 13-year-old son, Johnson reprimanded her son treating her like a “roommate.” She went on to give him an itemized bill for rent, food, etc that totaled over $700. If he was going to treat her like a roommate instead of his mom, she would do the same.

Johnson signed the note, “Love Mom,” and she truly does love her son. She followed up the post with another post explaining some backstory to the situation.

She also reassured parents who were criticizing her that “I am not going to put my 13 year old on the street if he can’t pay his half of the rent. I am not wanting him to pay anything.

I want him to take pride in his home, his space, and appreciate the gifts and blessings we have.”

She added that she never intended for Aaron to pay the bill. Instead, she wanted him to “gain an appreciation of what things cost.”

The reason Johnson wrote the note was to make sure her son understood “what life would look like if I was not his ‘parent,’ but rather a ‘roommate.’ It was a lesson about gratitude and respect from the very beginning.”

Johnson also explained that before she wrote the note, her son had lied about doing his homework, and when she told him she was going to restrict his internet access, he responded, “Well, I am making money now.”

She explained that the money he was referring to was a little bit of income he was making from his YouTube channel, but not nearly enough to pay for food and rent.

The public note has not hurt Johnson’s relationship with her son. She explained, “He and I still talk as openly as ever. He has apologized multiple times.”

Johnson has also had parents turning to her for advice since she posted the note to her son.

She explains, “My post seems to have opened a door, and people feel safe coming to me and asking for advice, venting, or even just have someone bear witness to their experience by listening and opening up and sharing a piece of myself in return.”

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