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Won't Someone Please Think of the Children?

Alferd_Packer

Philosopher
Alferd_Packer
Joined
Jul 3, 2007
Messages
8,746
Congresman Ike Shelton has offered up the reason why he is opposed to repealing DADT

According to the Associated Press, Skelton told reporters that repeal of the policy could put families in a difficult position because it could prompt children to ask about homosexuality.


"What do mommies and daddies say to their 7-year-old child?" he asked.
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http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20007160-503544.html

Oh, the horrors!!!
 
That "argument" is the most vacuous, insipid, intellectually void version of the already-silly "what about the children" line.

It pops up all the time in Georgia - apparently a few of the gazillions billboards on I-85 just inside the South Carolina border advertise topless bars and "novelty" stores. "How do I explain what an 'adult toy store' is to my child?!?!"

Sorry, bub. Your lack of imagination, intelligence, and ability to educate your children is not a legitimate reason to deny rights to other people. You should be happy that your children are curious about the world around them, and encouraging them to ask questions; not trying to shield them and isolate them from stuff that makes you uncomfortable.
 
I am confused. How hard is it to explain to a 7 year old that two people love each other? That conversation will typically go something like this

"Mommy, why are those two men holding hands?"
"Because they love each other"
"I thought boys had to love girls?"
"Not always. Sometimes, boys love other boys, or girls love other girls."
"I think I will only love a girl."
"OK, if that's what you want."

Man, how can anyone deal with such confusion?

ETA: Keep in mind, this is all codespeak for "Parents won't be able to get away with telling their kids that gay people are bad, bad, bad!" Recall the objection to gay marriage that "gay marriage might be taught in school." What does that really mean? It means that schools might teach that it is legally acceptable for gay people to get married. What's wrong with that? I mean, it's true. But because it doesn't condemn gay marriage, that means it must be endorsing it.

If kids see that gay people are out and about and happy, then parents won't be able to perpetuate the lie that being gay is bad. That's the problem.
 
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pgwenthold said:
I am confused. How hard is it to explain to a 7 year old that two people love each other? That conversation will typically go something like this

"Mommy, why are those two men holding hands?"
"Because they love each other"
"I thought boys had to love girls?"
"Not always. Sometimes, boys love other boys, or girls love other girls."
"I think I will only love a girl."
"OK, if that's what you want."

Man, how can anyone deal with such confusion?
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It makes your head hurt, doesn't it?
 
The stupid thing is kids are probably less likely to ask questions if the policy is to allow gays to serve without making a big deal about it. If Uncle Jay gets kicked out of the army because he let on he was gay, that's what would raise the questions.

Or maybe he's afraid of what the question would be. "Should Uncle Jay have been in the Navy instead?"
 
In My Spare Time said:
It was. Before DADT it was an outright ban. It turned into gay folks deeply closeted can serve.
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But there was a discussion of homosexuality durring DADT clearly that is bad for the kids of homophobes.

Clearly if they do not want there to be homosexuality in the news they need to legalize gay marriage and end DADT. Then there will be far less active political issues around homosexuality for kids to be exposed to.

Odd that these people don't view the Anti gay marriage as inappropriately bring up homosexuality where their kids can hear about it.
 
ponderingturtle said:
But there was a discussion of homosexuality durring DADT clearly that is bad for the kids of homophobes.

Clearly if they do not want there to be homosexuality in the news they need to legalize gay marriage and end DADT. Then there will be far less active political issues around homosexuality for kids to be exposed to.

Odd that these people don't view the Anti gay marriage as inappropriately bring up homosexuality where their kids can hear about it.
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I think there is some confusion here over what is really the thing that is the supposed problem that is going to lead to 7 year olds asking questions. Is it the process of discussing the repeal of DADT? Or is it the state of not-having DADT were it to be repealed?

I don't presume to understand what would cause the situation in the first place.
 
pgwenthold said:
I think there is some confusion here over what is really the thing that is the supposed problem that is going to lead to 7 year olds asking questions.
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I think the speaker in the OP is worried about having to answer sex questions. Naturally, that fear is stupid since hetero couples have sex too and no one worries about explaining sex to children when "normal" people get married.
 
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KingMerv00 said:
I think the speaker in the OP is worried about having to answer sex questions. Naturally, that fear is stupid since hetero couples have sex too and no one worries about explaining sex to children when "normal" people get married.
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True, but it still begs of the question of, what will cause those sex questions?

Will there be news reports all over of gay people who DIDN'T get thrown out of the military or something?
 
Cleon said:
That "argument" is the most vacuous, insipid, intellectually void version of the already-silly "what about the children" line.

It pops up all the time in Georgia - apparently a few of the gazillions billboards on I-85 just inside the South Carolina border advertise topless bars and "novelty" stores. "How do I explain what an 'adult toy store' is to my child?!?!"
Click to expand...

The appropriate answer to that question is unacceptable per forum rules. It's also certainly not the answer that the average Joe Outhouse Shlub is looking for when he asks such a loaded rhetorical question. And it's also not an answer he'd want to have to explain to his child (in fact, it'd be more uncomfortable explaining my preferred answer to that question than explaining an adult toy store, I'd be willing to bet.)

Failing that, just tell Little Jr. Sonofabitch that it's a store that sells toys for adults and that if he asks again he doesn't get a birthday this year.

ETA: until I saw the mentions of homosexuality I thought DADT was a pesticide.
 
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I will agree with Skelton when they ban all religious advertising. What am I supposed to say when my kids ask me what god is? :D

Seriously, wouldn't our children grow up much happier if they had absolutely nothing to question, at all. They don't need to learn about anything even remotely unwholesome until they are actually in the real world. Hey, if we hide everything, they may never have to learn anything.
 
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Oh Lordy. For me it was when I saw the critters around the neighborhood making little critters. How times have changed.
 
You know, I found the really difficult part of explaining to my daughter about homosexuality was explaining why other people have a problem with it. Why don't we enact legislation to prevent that sort of awkward moment from occuring?
 
The concern about children really is amusing. They'll figure it out. I would worry more about breaking down the Iraq/Afghanistan Wars than explaining gayness.

I have two cousins, siblings, from Iowa. One is gay, the other is an ******* and punched his brother out for being gay. The homophobe has two young children who are really attached to their gay uncle.

The question of how to explain homosexuality to the kids came up, obviously the threat of physical violence from his dumbass brother made it a little more pressing, but everyone basically agreed on the simple explanations given earlier in the thread.

I remember my parents had close friends who were a lesbian couple. We saw them on a regular basis from the time I was 9 until maybe 12 or 13, then we moved away. I knew what homosexuality was in a textbook sense, but I didn't really put everything together until a few years later when I suddenly realized, "Hey, the lady with all the comic books was a lesbian."

Kids simply cannot evaluate someone based on their sexuality. They can only project information taken from their parents or guardians.
 
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