[blparent] sensoring: reading, etc

Wed Aug 10 19:23:40 UTC 2011

Thank you for everyone's opinions on this subject.
Just to clarify, I didn't mention the stand. I mentioned Stand By Me. That 
is the name of the movie. It came from a novella in Different Seasons. I 
don't remember it's exact name in that book.
Pipi
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Peggy" <pshald at neb.rr.com>
To: "NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, August 10, 2011 2:11 PM
Subject: Re: [blparent] sensoring: reading, etc


> What works for certain families isn't right for other families. 
> Conserative or not, I respect everyone's beliefs.  I am not conservative 
> in the least and probably ... at times ... speak too frankly with my 
> children.  I would love for them to stay little ... forever ... but it's 
> not happening ... and I would rather they learn the facts through me than 
> finding out things other places.  I do not think all Stephen King's 
> materials are appropriate for 12 year olds ... I don't remember anything 
> in it that would traumatize my 11-year-old.  There may be some sex in it, 
> honestly I don't remember, what I remember is there's a lot of geography 
> in there and teaching a lot about working together to defeat evil.  Now he 
> wrote a book called Gerald's Game about a man and woman ... the woman was 
> handcuffed to the bed ready for um er ... and then the man dies ... would 
> I let my son read that one, no. Misery was about a girl that traps a man 
> and saws him all up and tortures him would I let my son read that one ... 
> no.  Some parents out there would disagree with me and let their kids read 
> whatever, that's fine, some probably think I'm horrible for letting my 
> kids read what they do, and that's fine too.  She asked about the Stand 
> and I would let my son read that one ... if only he was interested in 
> reading.  I love these lists, you get so many people's perspective!
>
>
>
> -----Original Message----- 
> From: Gabe Vega
> Sent: Wednesday, August 10, 2011 11:34 AM
> To: NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [blparent] sensoring: reading, etc
>
> I'm glad I'm only fiscally conservative because if I was anyway shape or 
> form related or on the bandwagon with this posting I'd be ashamed.
> On Aug 10, 2011, at 9:14 AM, jan wright wrote:
>
>> Very long rant: be forewarned.
>> Ok, i am admitting up front:
>> there are certain subjects that I am definitely conservative on and
>> there are other subjects that I am quite liberal on.
>> I just read the posts about sensoring -- (I know I'm behind)
>> About this subject, i admit that i am conservative.
>> With my first four: i did not let them play violent video games. i
>> remember having an argument with other parents when they let their
>> 6-8yo watch "Rush Hour," with Jackie Chan. i remember having a
>> discussion with teachers when they let their class read "counterfeit
>> son," which i found objectionable.
>> Certainly the darker side of life exists. But: at this innocent age,
>> why highlight it in such a manner. when they don't have to go through
>> it, why allow them to experience it through a book? ... ... especially
>> when that book is not a biographical account, but a fictional account
>> -- not a biographical account of triumph, but something that has been
>> made up in someone's head...
>> / For me: I want my children to 'be children' for as long as they need
>> to. There is something about exposure that makes children have the
>> knowledge without the emotional experience to process such events. I
>> read Ishmael Beah's account of being a boy soldier at the age of 6-10.
>> (the book  was called "A long way gone," and Ismael Beah is from
>> Sierra Leonne and now works for Human Watch).  this experience scarred
>> the boys for life. Why would i want my 10yo to experience such things
>> through a book?
>> I don't think that there is anything wrong with childhood innocence.
>> Of course, we don't want our children to be too naive about somethings
>> that could be potential dangers. But, i'd rather tell my children what
>> they need to know, instead of reading it in a book that might put a
>> spin on it that I don't agree with. of course, parents get to decide
>> when this exposure should happen. When your five year old asks: "Where
>> did I come from," most parents don't say, "let me tell you about sex."
>> they offer a truthful version, yet, they leave out many of the
>> details. When we see a homeless person on the street, we shouldn't
>> ignore the child's question: but we don't have to hear all of their
>> (possibly) drug adicted  story of criminal elements and such. i am not
>> sure that it really benefits the child to know all of the gory
>> details. I'd rather focus on what to do about it.
>> This is what i think that many books lack.  Their point is to shock
>> and awe and at  9-12 , I don't want my children being shocked and awed
>> by the groosome things of the world. i would rather them be shocked by
>> an astonishing fact. It did not bother me  that, at 12, my daughter
>> was not boy crazy or trying to have a boyfriend. i knew that it would
>> come soon enough and did not feel that she needed to be exposed to
>> adult content to encourage such things.
>> .... My sons, neither, for that matter.
>> But, my niece at 10 is already boy crazy and knows quite a bit about sex.
>> My nephew, at 12, knows how to break into a house, how one might go
>> about killing someone else and which types of guns are used for the
>> best results in such matters.
>> He has read a book about a guy who has commited suicide and why/how he 
>> did it.
>> What purpose does this serve him at 12?
>> i am not saying that we need to shelter our children from real issues
>> that plague Americans. But, there is a way to do this without throwing
>> them in the deep end and saying: "sink like a baby or swim like a
>> man."
>> There is nothing wrong with innocence, it doesn't have to mean
>> complacency. and, does it really damage the child to wait three or
>> four more years before being exposed to such things???  My children
>> knew that AIDS (for example) was quite harmful and even at 10-12, they
>> knew how one might contract the disease. But, I would not have allowed
>> them to read a very rivitting acount of sex, drugs etc from someone
>> who had AIDS for them to learn that it was a horrible  disease.  I'm
>> not personally saying this about any parents on this list. But, I feel
>> that many parents that i know are on a quest to grow up their child as
>> quickly as possible.
>> We seem to want to hurry them along through the childhood stages, so
>> they can become little adults instead of children. We get angry when
>> they are developing too slow and we are proud when they develop ahead
>> of schedule. "my child knows..." "My child can..."
>> Maybe it is a desire for them to be independent and less dependent on
>> their parents. Maybe it is a desire for our children to be "the best,"
>> and we deem that the "best" is getting somewhere or doing something
>> before their peers.
>> Whoops, getting off my soapbox!
>> Bridgit, the books that we use to think were for High Schoolers, are
>> now for junior High Readers. i don't understand it. "to kill a
>> Mockingbird," or "native son," which use to be High School reading is
>> now for 6-7th graders. i don't think that it should be. If i go any
>> further, i'll start talking about "society's desire for
>> entertainment," which is becoming more astonishing every day. and,
>> Yes, i do feel that in some ways, we are becoming desensitized to the
>> effects of such real damaging experiences.  What use to entertain our
>> parents at this age, certainly will not suffice for us. We seem to
>> always think that newer, bolder and more telling is better.
>> But, i am telling you that I am conservative on this point.
>> when i read a novel, i don't need to know "blow by blow," or "Thrust
>> by thrust," (in the bedroom) to get the gist of what is happening.
>> I am not fond of many authors putting a bit more and more erotica in
>> their books. i find it demeans the act, itself and the emotions behind
>> it. I feel like i am watching porn.
>> Did I say that i was conservative ???
>> (smile)
>> just my own opinion on the subject.
>> Rant over.
>>
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