Re: [OS:N:] Re:School Filtering

[Jim Wildman <jim rossberry com>]

As a parent....
Every parent filters.  Judging by your comments here, I doubt if you
want me to teach my values to your kids, and if I attempted, you would
attempt to filter me out.  And vice versa.  That's part of being a parent.

As a technologist..
It is a value judgement of our society that there is such a thing
as 'age appropriate material' and 'objectionable material'.  And that
access to such things should be restricted.  Restriction based on
openness among the restricters is a better solution than restriction
based on ignorance.  

As a parent again.
Based on the values that I hold, I do not think the way sex is depicted in 
pornography is the best way for them to learn about it or experience it.
So I restrict their access to it, fully aware that they will eventually
find ways around my restrictions if they want to.  Just like certain
foods are restricted in our household, because they are judged not to be
healthy for growing bodies, certain types of 'mind food' are judged to
be unhealthy for growing minds.  When they are adults, they will be able to 
indulge themselves if they choose to do so.

As an aside...
My kids (all 5, 3g, 2b) know alot about sex.  They helped me run a hog
farm with all of the associated activities, artificial and natural which 
led to discussions of how that applies to humans.  (Homeschooling can take 
so many interesting turns).  Plus we taught them about reproduction in 
the formal, sex ed sense.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jim Wildman, CISSP                                      jim rossberry com
http://www.rossberry.com

On Wed, 25 Sep 2002, ekunin wrote:

> I'm surprised the consensus seems to be that school filtering is both
> desirable and necessary. I say it is simply wrong. Censorship is
> hierarchical, a power trip in which one person imposes upon another. What do
> we get from school filtering? All students will be virgins on their wedding
> day? None of them will know anything about sex? They'll learn there are
> sleazy characters out there? That seems a lesson worth learning, more
> practical than anything purveyed in English Lit.
> 
> Ed Kunin
> http://www.egalite.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
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