A reader #fundie

A reader #fundie amazon.com

Watch out, parents!

46 of 120 people found the following review helpful:
Watch out, parents!, June 7, 2001
Reviewer: A reader
Parents beware and caretakers beware! This is a book highly endorsed by Planned Parenthood, geared for 10-year-olds?? The contents of this book should be considered "taking the rights of parents and giving them to Planned Parenthood and liberal activitists." There is no way a 10-year-old should know about homosexuality, abortion, promiscuity, condoms, erections, and injestion of semen. If a 10-year-old is asking questions about injestion of semen, they should be referred for child abuse counseling. If this book is in your schools, get it out. If you're afraid of Joe Camel for influencing your kids on smoking, you should be terrified of this book for your kids for "acceptable" sexual behavior.

35 comments

old comment by Dawn

Well, I can't really comment on the book, not having read it. However, I have had "Changing Bodies, Changing Lives" by the group who wrote "Our Bodies, Ourselves" sitting on a bookshelf for years. My kids have been free to read it (and have) since they were 4 or 5. The questions that came up were open and honest, but at least they understood that sexuality is normal, and that most behaviors are normal as long as they are shared by 2 consenting adults. My children, at 10, could have told you about "homosexuality, abortion, condoms, erections and injestion of semen", although promiscuity was a bit more vague in their minds. They could have also told you about cunnilingus, childbirth, and physical body changes for males and females. They are normal, healthy adults now, experiencing what appears to be normal, healthy relationships with others, of the same and opposite sex. I couldn't be happier.

old comment by The Watcher

This one's mine, and you're all free to challenge me on it. I even take responsibility for the poor formatting.

But here's my rationale:

Reviewer: A reader

Oh yeah, real ballsy there.

Parents beware and caretakers beware! This is a book highly endorsed by Planned Parenthood, geared for 10-year-olds??

Yes, it is. Because some 10 year olds need to learn about things you may find uncomfortable.

There is no way a 10-year-old should know about...

Whoa, whoa whoa. Your point is that there are things that exist, in real life, that 10 year olds should be kept in the dark about? Let's go down the parade of horribles:

homosexuality

Bullshit. There's nothing wrong with homosexuality. Your 10 year old has probably already met or seen a gay couple or two, or if not, they will soon. Even if you want to teach them that "teh ghey is teh debbil!!!" you need to teach them that they exist.

abortion

Why not? Sometimes people have babies, but don't want them. Why is that so difficult?

And do you really believe that those parents holding signs in front of Planned Parenthood don't want their kids learning "about" abortion?

promiscuity

You don't want your kid to know that promiscuity is a bad idea???

"Mom, my friends say they have sex a lot. Is that bad?"
"I'M GOING TO WASH YOUR MOUTH OUT WITH SOAP YOUNG MAN!!! DON'T EVER ASK ME THAT AGAIN!!!"

condoms

Once again, why do you want your kid to be in the dark? You want him 16 years old and never having heard of a condom?

erections

Oh for Pete's sake. How many erections has your kid already had? Would you rather he just not know anything about them? Maybe go through life ashamed and confused about his body?

injestion of semen

I knew this one was going to catch some people. But let's face it, even at 10, kids are talking on the schoolyard, and they're saying things you may not want your kid to hear. If he's talking about fellatio, he NEEDS to hear answers. I'd certainly rather he learn the facts from his parents and a book written by qualified people than from Billy on the tire swing.

If a 10-year-old is asking questions about injestion of semen, they should be referred for child abuse counseling.

Yes, see above. Because no child has ever learned about "injestion" of semen without having it done to him.

If this book is in your schools, get it out.

You mean just walk in there and steal it? I think some other parents would have a serious problem with you trying to dictate what their children are allowed to learn.

If you're afraid of Joe Camel for influencing your kids on smoking...

I'm not. Joe Camel hasn't been on a cigarette package in years.

you should be terrified of this book for your kids for "acceptable" sexual behavior.

Now that's not fair. I have no idea what this book teaches, and what moral stance it may take (or not take). Why don't you let parents decide for themselves what their kids should be reading, hm?

old comment by The Watcher

***Okay, quote appears to be not working. Let's try this.***

This one's mine, and you're all free to challenge me on it. I even take responsibility for the poor formatting.

But here's my rationale:

Reviewer: A reader
Oh yeah, real ballsy there.
Parents beware and caretakers beware! This is a book highly endorsed by Planned Parenthood, geared for 10-year-olds??
Yes, it is. Because some 10 year olds need to learn about things you may find uncomfortable.
There is no way a 10-year-old should know about...
Whoa, whoa whoa. Your point is that there are things that exist, in real life, that 10 year olds should be kept in the dark about? Let's go down the parade of horribles:
homosexuality
Bullshit. There's nothing wrong with homosexuality. Your 10 year old has probably already met or seen a gay couple or two, or if not, they will soon. Even if you want to teach them that "teh ghey is teh debbil!!!" you need to teach them that they exist.
abortion
Why not? Sometimes people have babies, but don't want them. Why is that so difficult?

And do you really believe that those parents holding signs in front of Planned Parenthood don't want their kids learning "about" abortion?
promiscuity
You don't want your kid to know that promiscuity is a bad idea???

"Mom, my friends say they have sex a lot. Is that bad?"
"I'M GOING TO WASH YOUR MOUTH OUT WITH SOAP YOUNG MAN!!! DON'T EVER ASK ME THAT AGAIN!!!"
condoms
Once again, why do you want your kid to be in the dark? You want him 16 years old and never having heard of a condom?
erections
Oh for Pete's sake. How many erections has your kid already had? Would you rather he just not know anything about them? Maybe go through life ashamed and confused about his body?
injestion of semen
I knew this one was going to catch some people. But let's face it, even at 10, kids are talking on the schoolyard, and they're saying things you may not want your kid to hear. If he's talking about fellatio, he NEEDS to hear answers. I'd certainly rather he learn the facts from his parents and a book written by qualified people than from Billy on the tire swing.
If a 10-year-old is asking questions about injestion of semen, they should be referred for child abuse counseling.
Yes, see above. Because no child has ever learned about "injestion" of semen without having it done to him.
If this book is in your schools, get it out.
You mean just walk in there and steal it? I think some other parents would have a serious problem with you trying to dictate what their children are allowed to learn.
If you're afraid of Joe Camel for influencing your kids on smoking...
I'm not. Joe Camel hasn't been on a cigarette package in years.
you should be terrified of this book for your kids for "acceptable" sexual behavior.
Now that's not fair. I have no idea what this book teaches, and what moral stance it may take (or not take). Why don't you let parents decide for themselves what their kids should be reading, hm?

old comment by katie5000

First, the OP.

This is a book highly endorsed by Planned Parenthood, geared for 10-year-olds??

It's "geared towards", not "geared for". And who cares who endorses it? I really hate the way you guys demonize Planned Parenthood for daring to give people - including the poor - control over their reproductive systems.

If a 10-year-old is asking questions about injestion of semen, they should be referred for child abuse counseling.

Or maybe they heard about the concept from another kid on the playground who may have heard older siblings talking about it, or is just rather precocious. That's more or less how I figured out what a dildo was, by the age of 10. Kids don't live in a vacuum; they observe, and compare information - it's just not always accurate. That is why someone who knows more accurate information must be allowed to set them straight. Enter this book.

...you should be terrified of this book for your kids for "acceptable" sexual behavior.

Well, no. I'm not going to be terrified. Get bent.

It is a bit heartening to see that 2/3 of people reading the reviews for the book did not find this review helpful.

old comment by katie5000

Part Two:

@Danielle: No, this person is a fundie. They don't stop being fundie just because you happen to agree with them - rather, if you agree with them, it probably means that you yourself are a little bit fundie.

I agree with Wha?. Fundies tend to hyperbolize things, and they also tend to spout stuff like this off without actually researching the item in question first. I doubt the person posting this review has actually read the book - this screed was probably formulated as a knee-jerk reaction to a couple of key words that caught their eye in the Amazon.com description of the book. I can pretty much guess that the poster of this review is the type of person who doesn't want their kids to hear anything about sex at all.

A reader #fundie amazon.com

35 comments

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