Thursday, January 5, 2006

Why Struggle?

I recently read the following article Orlando Swinger Party Upsets Soccer Parents online and it immediately got me thinking about the Puritant/Victorian society we still live in.

It was the following quote I want to comment on:
"We're not prudes by any means," said Rob Young of Greenville, S.C., who said his two daughters, Leah, 13 and Lauren, 11, asked questions he struggled to answer. "

Why did he have to struggle? And against what?
One of the worst things we do to our youth is to help keep the mystery of sex intact. When things like sex are demystified then the fears are dissipated and ignorance is replaced with facts. Even better that knowledge is learned without having to have unsafe, promiscuous sex.

Another thing is the wonderful opportunity to let your children that not everyone in the world has the same values or beliefs as your family perhaps has. That those sexual preferences, for example, may not be ours, but they have the right to them and they are only different, not bad or wrong.

I just had to rant.
:::sigh:::
I feel so much better now.

8 comments:

Jody said...

yeah that quote crossed my mind too. I have always been fairly honest with my kids and no they dont know about blog nor would i tell them but i do explain everything to them and raised them they are grown now to respect everyone regardless of the fact you dont agree with them or their lifestyle. they are not racest nor homophobes. they respect people because they are people
americans as a whole are to prudish and judgemental they claim to be christians yet they forget the scipture judge not lest yee be judge in the end the lord will judge me and if i go to hell it should be no sweet off any prudes back

becomingme said...

i wholeheartedly agree with you!

Aragorn said...

Good to rant and share views. This subject could fill loads of blogs, just by itself ... Great thoughts. - A

Anonymous said...

Oh that article drove me crazy too. Now perhaps the swingers shouldn't have been flashing people, which the article said they did. But was it worse than what you'd see by the pool? And the fact that the parents were upset that the group was even there...geez.

Anonymous said...

I was fairly lucky when it to at least being told about sex. MY mother was truthful and answered all my questions honestly. I remember one of major questions was 'does it hurt?' She told me sometimes at first, but then it feels good. But then the whole judgement, double-standard thing set in....good girls DON'T.

Anonymous said...

The swinger sounded like they did not show any discretion, and that is a little disappoining. I realize that flashing children is probably not horrible but geez, show some restraint. Also you have no idea what the kids asked, maybe they were asking why questions, why does that lady expose her self and what kind of couple has sex with other people. If the parent was unfamilar with the lifestyle they would stuggle to answer question about it. Understanding is a two way street and labeling someone a prude and mocking them just because they can't explain all sexual lifestyles is weak. The hotel that booked the two together is the bad guy here, they had to know that the two were not compatible.

Anonymous said...

Mark, you and others make a good point.
Especially the flashing, was that really necessary?
If you're part of a particular group of people you should be aware that others will judge you by your public behavior.
My bigger problem was with the 'struggle' the father had.

Anonymous said...

debbie,

I understand that, I was not sure what the kids were asking. I would hope most of us would have an answer about atleast being tolerant of others. Maybe it was a how does she do that and the guy has been laid once in his life.

mark