Moral delema

Assuming the book wasn't overt porn, maybe the boy is not getting the sex education he wants from his parents and he is doing the responsible thing; attempting to learn.

It seems that it was stated that it was "pornographic"-at least for an 11 yr. old. I would not want my child to be allowed to check out such a book. When my son was a teenager, I found on his computer that he had visited a porn site. I had my husband talk to him about the fact of showing women as "objects" just used for sexual release. I (& my husband) wanted to instill in him to be a man who is not enamored with airbrushed & (to me) gross women in positions that are not very lady-like.

Sorry--I guess I am a prude. I had sex w/my future husband when I was 15 & he was 16. We have been married for 35 yrs. To me sex MEANS something more than physical release. Hard to explain, I guess.

I don't want my son to be tainted by porn. I want him to love, cherish & appreciate the woman he ends up with even if she is not cellulite-free!!

There is nothing wrong with being a "prude" if that is what you want to call it. (I would simply call it conservative). Nothing wrong with not wanting you or your husband or your child to view porn. Completely personal choice. But would you want a librarian to select what is okay or not okay for you or your child or anyone to view? While I think she went about it in the wrong way I think she had the interest of the child in mind but still it was technically censorship. What if a librarian objected to other "objectionable" material and trashed it? Let's say the library had a book about evolution and she believed in her heart that the book was evil? Or whatever subject, I don't want to divert the discussion to evolution, just an example. Not arguing, just discussing. This is not a simple question.



For me I am okay with porn and have no problem with it being available in a library if it is. Perhaps in an adult section that children can only enter with a parent or something. Personally I liked looking at porn magazines and videos with my former BF. Doing it together made it fun. My idea of fun anyway. I know we all are different and that is fine. (I just hope that none of our homemade sex videotapes never end up on the internet). That is where I draw the line but other than that I am a free spirit.

I completely agree with you Yoda. I have been called a prude on many occassions, it doesn't bother me a bit. I have been very open about sex with my kids because I want their educations to come from ME.

I have a problem with a third party stepping in and deeming what is or is not acceptable for my child to see.

When the Harry Potter books first came out, a dear friend of my child's was not allowed to hang out with her anymore because she was reading the books. When I talked the child's mother, I asked what the problem was. She stated that her Pastor had deemed these books evil etc. etc. etc. I completely respect her right to deem what is acceptable for her child, but I expect the same courtesy.

i agree that it isn't simple and that the librarian, while having the interests of the child at heart, did it in a way that is censorship. while i wouldn't want the kid looking at something pornographic one's parents should be the censors rather than the librarians if there is no policy in place. i do think firing the librarians was too much. the library board really could have used it as a teaching moment and just given these libarians a warning. ironically, this is banned book week: celebrating the freedom to read so her timing was not good. here are some classic books that have been banned or challenged.

a lot of good people are not aware that pornography is a big factor in sex trafficking of women and girls. sadly it fuels the demand. this quote is from captive daughters:

Good point, bloom3.

I think sex should be consensu@l between @dults. Th@t w@s point I tried to m@ke to my son - don't be pressured into doing something sexu@lly you don't w@nt to do.

Leg@l @dult prostitution is @ccept@ble (to me) when it is done right with HIV testing & @ll. Not something I would do but it works for some folks I suppose. Illeg@l prostitution I do not support.

I h@d @ friend, well, more like @n @cqu@int@nce, who w@s @ stripper. The money w@s good & they strictly enforced the no touch policy where she worked so for her it w@s @ decent job. Her only problem w@s th@t being there influenced her to drink @lcohol to excess so she quit working there so she could get sober.

But sex c@n be oh so devi@nt to some. When I w@s working @s @ p@r@medic I @ttended @n inservice presented by l@w enforcement & the topic w@s snuff films. @pp@rently there were people in our @re@ who not only distributed them but m@de them. I wish I didn't even know the things I le@rned th@t d@y.

It seems that some people will call educational material found in encyclopedias and medical books porn. I guess it is personal opinion, but I would rather have my children take (they never needed to because as they questioned we answered) an educational human sexuality book out of the library than get incorrect information from peers. Who decides what "porn" IS, anyway? Many people consider good art porn, yet don't seem to mind that their children watch violence in movies and TV. Censorship by "third parties" is wrong. If these parents object to this material, that's their right, but someone who has no connection to this child, has absolutely NO right.
This is a bit different but gets to the point: As a young girl (8-9 years old) I attempted to take books from the library that were (God forbid ) from the "adult" section because I didn't choose to read kiddy books. I wanted to read biographys about Florence Nightingale and other figures in history. I was denied by the library because those were "adult" books. (I know this is a different case...just for example purposes)