I am always curious as to why parents find some things in the media and world so offensive, but others they just don't care about. Katy Perry's boobs on Sesame Street? If your kid is Sesame Street watching age, they aren't even LOOKING at those things, unless its as a source for nourishment. Spongebob seeming to be a homosexual? What's so gay about him? The fact that his home is always clean? He takes excellent care of his pet? He has impeccable personal hygiene? So he may be gay, so what? He isn't lubing up and takin' it up the ass onscreen.
Aside from TV and movies, why would parents be opposed to their children being addressed by our President while in school? A couple of weeks ago my 5 year old daughter brought home a form that stated President Obama would be addressing children accross America about the importance of school. The form wasn't just informative, it was actually something saying you were either giving permission to allow your child to view this speech from the President, OR no, take your child out of class so they would not be a part of it.
WHY WAS THIS FORM EVEN PRINTED?
When I was in school, I don't remember having to take anything home to my mom asking if she'd like me taken out of class while Bush or Clinton spoke. What could Obama possibly tell students that would be harmful to them in any way? Who cares if you don't personally like Obama, why is it necessary to program your children to be the same closed-minded bigot that you are?
If you'd like an example of how idiotic things can be, here in Utah we don't focus much on Sex-Education. In fact, its repressed to the point of being comical. I have taken permission-slips home asking parents if its 1) Okay to have their child participate in the class and receive all education, 2) Okay for the child to be in class for the non-sexual portion of the class and NOT learn about safe practices or contraception, or 3) Be taken out of the class completely. Those choices aren't really relevant anyway, because we only learned the "abstinence" method of birth control. Quite a few parents had completely opted-out of having their child in the class at all, or had them only do the "wholesome and decent" parts of the class. Do they even realize what that can do to a kid? First you're embarrassing the fuck out of your kid because now you've displayed them as the "weirdo with the lame parents." Then they will be the kids who don't know anything about sex whatsoever, pushing them further into the outcast-region of high school politics. Most importantly, you are depriving them of information that could be saving you or them from a life-changing situation (STD's, pregnancy, etc). I got the full class, which wasn't much because like I said- Utah runs its own censorship in the education system making sex out to be the most filthy act to engage in, but I always wished I had more information on the subject. I'm not going to put all the blame on this faulty system, because I do take responsibilities for my own actions, but I got pregnant at 16. Maybe if I had even been allowed to see a fucking condom before then, circumstances may be a little different right now.
I'm not saying to go and start shoving condoms in your kids' backpacks and not monitor what they watch on tv, just adjust your brain to the fact that it is now 2010. Stop bitching about Tinky-Winky carrying a purse or Obama being black, and start being concerned that something that stupid is the only thing you've focused your parental concern on.
