Newsgroups: rec.food.veg
Subject: Re: where food comes *from* (was: What's wrong wi
From: ekeller@aerie.CalStateLA.EDU (eddy keller)
Date: 7 Oct 92 17:07:26 PDT
Reply-To: ekeller@calstatela.edu
Distribution: world
Organization: ATS - CalState Los Angeles

In article <1992Oct7.203951.26254@socrates.umd.edu>, tara@socrates.umd.edu (Tara McDermott) writes:
[ skipping some of the included article excerpts...]
|> 
|> This whole thread is a good point.  I hate seeing the "parental
|> discrention is advised" when a graffic item is shown on tv.  I think
|> children SHOULD see things for what they really are.  Children should
|> be able to see a cow being butchered in a slaughterhouse.  Yes, it is
|> graffic, and totally disgusting.  That's the point.  Children need to
|> see the truth and not be coddled.  Everytime I run into parents or
|> "adults" protecting younger people from seeing something that might
|> "bother" them, it bothers me!  A tremendous amount.  I think a lot of
|> things would be different.  I really feel that protecting children
|> from scary things like death, be it human or animal, part of war,
|> history, or what they might put in their mouth is damaging their
|> mental growth.  Children are a lot smarter than most people give them
|> credit for.  They're a lot more emotional - because of the fact that
|> they haven't had time to cocoon their sensibilities and intelligence,
|> by "what everyone else does" and "the rest of society".  
|> 

I don't know that I fully agree here.  In theory all this sounds
quite enlightened but there are some things that I really don't
want my children to be graphically exposed to, yet (they are
5, 3.5, and 6 months).  I do not try to hide the "realities"
of the world from them, but, given their age and reactions at
to television at their ages, there are programs that I don't
think are really appropriate for viewing.  I don't think it
is coddling them not to want them to watch the Movie of the
week where they show a woman getting raped and the aftermath
that follows.  I think it is incredibly dishonest to deny that 
such actions do exist in this world and refuse to discuss them
with my children - but I do believe there are situations where
the television show may not be appropriate for them.
I don't try and shelter them against the life, death, violence,
and general climate of life in Los Angeles.  They are quite 
inquisitive and when something is asked I do try and answer the
question honestly.

|> If people gave children responsibility, they'd probably act more
|> responsible.  Try to hide the truth from them, thinking you're doing
|> it for their benefit is just tampering with their process of learning.

I believe that my wife and I are concious about giving them responsibilty
and making sure they know they have responsibility for their actions,
but we do try and temper this with the fact that they are children -
they are learning about the world and there are many new experiences
they are exposed to daily.  Some days this overwhelms them and I can see
it reflected in their behaviour. 
I do agree here with telling them the truth even when the answers are
not pleasing or easy.

|> I don't have any answers, but I really hate to see the way American
|> culture is destroying this world.
|> 
|> 
|> Tara
|> -- 

I have no answers either, obviously.  I do respect your opinion and your
desire to speak/act honestly with children.  I don't know that the
American culture is destroying the world - I am not sure what to make
of a blanket statement like that - but I agree that there are many things
valued in America that I sadden me.

Since I seem to have turned this into a misc.kids post I shall leave it at this.

--eddy
-- 
***************************=================***********************************
eddy keller                                  (ekeller@calstatela.edu)
Phone: (213) 343-2717                  California State University, Los Angeles
***************************=================***********************************