Letters to the Editor
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I'm jealous
Social conservatives are SO kinky!!! Remember the Christian BDSM thing a while back?
These people would make a pre-op tranny porno star blush!
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HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Sorry, but this is hilarious.
I can't imagine any junior high school/high school age guy letting his mom drag him to such a thing, regardless of WHAT it was called.
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Wicked funny writing,
Ms. Harris.
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Easy to make fun of
but weren't we just -rightly - trashing Republicans for smearing a minor?
I feel sorry for the boys and girls who are raised on this soulless, godless excuse for a Christian religion, and are learning to hate themselves for every stray sexual thought before they even get anywhere close to the sexual acts. I am rolling my eyes about the adults who participate in these events, but I think compassion is the proper response for the adolescent boys. Some of them are the next Larry Craig. :(
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wouldn't it be nice if, instead, everyone would quit fetishizing virginity and just speak frankly about why it's way better to wait, but here's what to do if you don't?
No, it wouldn't.
The America I love celebrates diversity and encourages people to think different(ly.)
If we force everyone to think the same, or even just encourage them to, then we stultify the creation of the ideas that are needed to eliminate pollution, end suffering, and free masses.
I know every gene in your body wants everyone to think identical thoughts, YOUR thoughts, but it is really a rotten idea.
If some people want to go to purity balls or knights to remember, what teh fuck do you care? It seems asinine. It seems counterproductive, but is it really harming you that you need to stick your nose into it?
Is there some reason you just can't sit back and think, to each her own? Or think, that's not what I want for my family, but I sincerely hope it works for them?
What is with your arrogance in demanding everyone come to you for permission?
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@melthough
I have the same concerns you do. (And re another poster, yes, this is their business; no, I do not think it is harmless, and I am as entitled to say so as they are to host and attend pretty much any event they want.) To me, realistic frankness is compassionate.
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Anonymous @ 11:26
Well, one of the reasons is that it doesn't work. Kids who've taken chastity vows generally lose their virginity at just about the same time as kids who haven't-- and they're more likely to have non-safe sex. From a social perspective, knocked-up, diseased kids are a Bad Thing.
The second issue is that many of the people throwing Knights to Remember and Purity Balls want to push their values on the rest of us, in case, you know, you've been living under a rock and have missed the budget money going to abstinence education programs and public service announcements.
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Amen!
Is there some reason you just can't sit back and think, to each her own? Or think, that's not what I want for my family, but I sincerely hope it works for them?
What is with your arrogance in demanding everyone come to you for permission?
HellYeah! WHy doesn't this uppity woman just get back into the kitchen, take off her shoes, and get knocked up like good wimmen who know their place should. How dare no uppity wimmin go reading and writin and expressing opinions. Why next thing you know they'll be demanding the vote!
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Thanks, Holly.
(I am from Boston, so "wicked" warms my heart.)
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Modern-Day Chivalry
With your mom? I don't think even the Dungeons & Dragons crowd would go for that.
And I can't help but think they could have still referred to this as "Purity Ball" if they just pluralized "ball." And I've seen other places refer to these events with a certain combination of "blue" and "ball."
But in all seriousness, mothers and sons spending time together is a good thing. You can tell a lot about a man by his relationship with his mother. Sending both boys and girls the message to wait to have sex is a good thing (for how long to wait and what to say to those who won't wait is another matter).
I consider myself a feminist and I also think some modern-day chivalry is a good thing. Boys should be taught to respect and value women and to treat them with kindness. Too many people, male and female alike, think femininism gives license to treat people harshly and with vulgarity--I don't know how that interpretation arose.
I can't tell if this event is actually teaching boys this or if the whole "knight" thing is just a convenient theme. But if the boys are learning some manners and respect while spending some quality time with mom, then great.
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Fine, it doesn't work. What do you propose? Making these events illegal?
What about other religious events? Believing in god? Sounds pretty suspect to me. Do we make that illegal too?
What about believing in conspiracy theories? 9/11 was caused by the government? Shut down those websites. There is a Patriarchy that keeps women down even though there is no evidence for it? Shut down feminist websites.
When they come to your public school, let's all get together and protest. When Bush sends money to abstinence programs, that's not reason to protest. As Harris says herself, abstinence IS part of the solution. It's when he takes significant amounts of money away from more effective programs that we should protest.
Celebrate Diversity. Infinite Diversity, Infinite Combinations.
To the other anon, nice straw man. I never said anything like Harris should not be expressing her opinions. I was expressing my opinion, that in this case her opinion amounts to no more than judgmental crap about other people's private/religious behavior.
"Women should get knocked up and go back into the kitchen?" Please do not project your own hate issues onto me. Please use my own statements against me and not your own personal bigotries and phobias.
Misrepresenting people and smearing them? That's the tactics of Ann Coulter and Amanda Marcotte. It shouldn't be your tactics or what happens in this forum.
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I disagree with you Lynn, but I give you great credit for responding back to me and to other readers
One reason why Broadsheet comments are so crapfilled on either side is that few of the Broadsheet authors have the guts to confront the readers in the forum and discuss their posts.
I am told that is like Journalism 1995, not Journalism of the 21st century.
Feedback and dialog to everyone helps everyone progress and also I think just shows respect for your readers. And I think it also will keep the conversations on a more even keel.
It is still not clear to me what the harm in either Purity Balls or KnightTime with Mom is, or if there is harm, what you propose to do about that. It's also not clear to me how that harm compares to other messages we send our kids from how they eat, to what they buy, to how they view sex or relationships, or many many other things.
It's not for you. Baptisms, eating Jesus cookies, wearing hijabs, believing in sky malarky, blaming patriarchy or minorities or women, none of that shit is for me, and I think it is all harmful. So what?