[blparent] Censoring reading?

Wed Aug 10 17:22:44 UTC 2011

	Bridget, Admit it, you're a closet King fan. It's okay, we understand. 
All kidding aside, I do appreciate the sentiment of your appology. 

-----Original Message-----
From: blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Bridgit Pollpeter
Sent: Tuesday, August 09, 2011 8:46 PM
To: blparent at nfbnet.org
Subject: [blparent] Censoring reading?

I also promised to not comment on this subject again, but I always have
some strong compulsion to state my opinion when I feel strongly about a
subject.  I'm not always a fan favorite, and I understand this.  This is
my olive branch.

While I stand behind my arguement, I truly apologize if my tone was
judgmental.  It is not fair for anyone to assume a tone that may sound
harsh or accusatory.  I always tell people there is a way to argue a
point, but leave out the judgments and personal attacks.  I apologize if
I came across this way- it isn't fair, and no one is perfect especially
me.

I'm the oldest sibling in my family, and I have a nephew and niece who
are approaching the pre-teen phase, but I only have a 20-month-old, and
while I prepare for the future, I know things are easier said than done.
When my youngest sister was 17, she lived with my husband and me for a
year, and this was a time full of trials.  Trust me, I don't envy those
of you with teens!  My only real goal in that situation was to not
respond to things the way my parents had with me, and to let my sister
know that I was available.  My parents believed in a dictatorship for
parenting, and I often felt like a prisoner-of-war awaiting a trial that
never came.  I tried to create a different environment for my teenage
sister.  Despite our best efforts... Well let's just say I can live
without teenagers for a time!  *smile*

So I know I have yet to experience the daily grind of a pre-teen.  I may
have opinions, but I lack the experience.  Parenting is a learning
process I'm sure we never graduate from, we just move into new phases.
And parenting any child regardless of age is not easy.

I'm not saying kids who read books like King's will grow up crazy and
odd, nor am I saying anyone is a terrible parent for allowing kids to
read these books.  I just think subject matter presented the way King
does is not appropriate.  It is for adults, and I'm not comfortable with
kids in this age bracket reading such adult content.

We can't control everything our children do especially as they grow
older.  And I don't want to be a parent that never gives any slack on
the leash- my parents were like this, and I still remember how it felt.
Let me put it this way, at 23, while still living at home, my parents
still enforced a curfew, wouldn't let me watch TV shows like Friends and
E. R. and tried to control who I dated and was friends with.  I moved
out the same year.  If they were like this with a
twenty-something-year-old, you can imagine how they were when I was
younger.

So I don't believe in sheltering, or denying our kids their every whim,
but I still feel like there is inappropriate material out in the world-
literature, films, art, etc.- and for me, I hesitate to encourage a
child younger than their teens to be exposed to it.

One of my biggest problems with King is not just the sexual content, but
it is the kind of sex.  It is often graphic and violent.  A child who is
10 to 12 years of age is entering the sexual awakening phase.  They're
coming-of-age and discovering sex- in terms of attraction and feeling
those warm, fuzzy flip-flops in their stomachs.  Here is a child, still
developing, but entering this sexual awakening, and what kind of images
are they presented with?  Graphic rape and sex scenes.

This does not mean a kid will now grow up to become a rapist, or that
they'll associate sex with violence, but images stick in our heads for
years, and even the majority of us who don't go off the deep end from
exposure to such material, will be influenced in some way.  It's basic
psychology.  I guess I'd rather have any child exposed to less graphic
content while they are still forming and discovering who they are.

We make decisions everyday as parents, and we do the best we can, and at
the end of the day, we all still grow up and do what we want- whether
our parents agree or not.  This is the most rewarding job, but also the
most difficult and often thankless job.  Maybe, just maybe, being
president is slightly more difficult and thankless, but it's pretty
close!  *smile*

And I'm done, really.  I want to be supportive and helpful, but
sometimes my passionate nature gets the better of me.  I respect any
parent involved in their child's life- I may not agree with certain
things, just as people don't always agree with me- but especially in
this day and age, parents who make an effort to be involved and take
time to simply talk with their kids, deserve a reward.  And I
particularly respect parents on this list because we are blind, but this
was not a reason to give up having a family.  We refuse to believe our
children are in danger with us, and we don't accept limitations because
we happen to be blind.  I know a lot of blind people who still think a
family and kids are not possible, so I give credit to all of you for
saying F U world!  *grin*

I apologize for my heated argument, but understand it comes from a good
place.  When I don't care, I'm quiet, though I'm sure there are many
people who wouldn't mind a reprieve like that!  *giggle*

Sincerely,
Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter
Read my blog for Live Well Nebraska.com at
http://blogs.livewellnebraska.com/author/bpollpeter/

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