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Last month, I wrote about how our culture teaches children to fear men. Hundreds of men responded, many lamenting that they've now become fearful of children. They said they avert their eyes when kids are around, or think twice before holding even their own children's hands in public.
Avoiding Kids: How Men Cope
Seeded on Fri Sep 7, 2007 12:44 PM EDT
Article Source: Wall Street Journal- Enjoy this article? Help vote it up the 'Vine.
- Public Discussion (6)
Are we, as a nation, too suspicious of men when it comes to children? What does this say about us?
- 3 votes
#1 - Fri Sep 7, 2007 12:45 PM EDTThere are some abuses. I have a friend who was at a public park with his wife and two sons. He was with them the entire time. A police car pulled up and detained him and they told him that he had been accused of molesting a child there at the park. A 2 year old. They held him in the car for 2 hours. He was never told who made the accusation and after several weeks they dropped all charges. It scared him to death. I now use extreme caution when at the park. Other children join my son and daughters while we are at the park. I make all attempts to never even look at the other kids. It's actually nuts. There was a time when you depended on your community to keep an eye out for your kids, watch to make sure they did hit their head while playing on a playground, dust their knees off when they fell off their bike. Statistically speaking, do we really need to assume the worst? It's like being afraid to walk down the street because you will be struck by lightning. Sure, we can be wise and stay away from suspicious characters, but has this gotten out of hand?
- 2 votes
It is sad that our country has come to this. I will throw out this thought. I think it is because our country does not prosecute and put in jail the people (whether male or female) as they should.
My child had to learn about fearing a man at a water park when he was 4. I was really not ready to tell him about that, but the officials came to me (I knew someone who worked there--it was not broadcast thtoughout the area) and told me of his description. They were watching him and about to pick him up because he was a registerd sex offender and was not supposed to be in the area.
I did not let my son go into men's bathrooms by himself until he was very old. I would make sure no body was in there or something. Life is not supposed to be this way.
I know everyone is not a child molester. How do you know?
#2 - Fri Sep 7, 2007 7:02 PM EDTWhen I was a teen I watched at a movie where W. Matthau played a grandpa who, while with his grandson at a swimming pool happened to pat a girl on her buttocks after having talked her out of a burst of crying, in a totally playful and innocent way,
immediatly he was grilled as some kind of pedophile by the fretful mothers,
back then (20 yrs ago) I thought the situation too far stretched and unbelievable,
now I see it was simply prophetic,
Paolo.
- 1 vote
#3 - Thu Sep 13, 2007 9:10 AM EDTIt's pretty sad how care and behaviors we should be encouraging are instantly misinterpreted and assumed to be something inappropriate. Unfortunately, I see this problem getting worse, not better.
- 1 vote
Recently 2 of my nieces, ages 17 and 14, spent a week with us prior to the start of school. I was on pins and needles the entire week. What should have been an enjoyable visit with family was the most uncomfortable amount of time I have ever spent in my own home, because I didn't want even the hint of anything going on. I normally go home for lunch but I went out for lunch that entire week. I normally iron my clothes in one of the spare bedrooms but that week I ironed in the kitchen. I normally throw my robe on and wear that and my boxers for the entire time that I'm cooking and eating breakfast, but that week I got fully dressed before venturing out of the master bedroom. Every male is guilty until proven innocent, but there's no way to prove yourself innocent. For next year they have already mentioned that they had so much fun that they want to spend 2 weeks with us. I'm just hoping I can talk them out of it.
- 3 votes
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