Quote:
Originally posted by DoggyStyle82
IDEAL08, no matter how much or how well you speak to a 10year old, for the betterment of their development, some things are not age appropriate. Children, teenagers, preteens, process information much differently than adults. Being bombarded with words, images, sounds, and concepts that can only be processed through a maturated intellect as well as age appropriate life experience is harmful to children. Yes, many can overcome it and many do not show outward effects, but it is the reason why pre-teens are sexually active and 8 yr olds cuss out teachers.
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I never said I thought it was age appropriate. I said that education is the key. I simply don't believe that we should put the power of what images are shown to our children in the hands of other people. We can't control the media, period. And as far as I'm concerned, there are bigger fish to fry. Because what we do have control over is our children; what we teach them, and what we allow them to hear.
Perhaps I'm one of the many you spoke of Doggy, I don't know. Every day my mother told me that there were things that I needed to learn because one day she and my father would die. When I was little, that would scare me. But I'm glad I learned the lessons that I did. Maybe I was mature for my age, I don't know. What I do know is that I was very smart. At the age of 8, I knew all about sex. I knew what fellatio and cunnilingus were. I knew about how men treated women. My father explained to me what men wanted and how they went about getting it. We TALKED. They gave me BOOKS. They TAUGHT me how to make sound decisions. So when I heard "she swallowed it, don't matter just don't bite it," I wasn't runnin' around all confused and whatnot. When I heard about females performing oral sex on dudes at school, I was not influenced by that. Because I had been EDUCATED. I am not disputing what is age appropriate for a child and what is not. I'm advocating for education. Because I am living proof that you CAN educate a child in a way that the child can understand. I was NOT sexually active until I was grown and out of college. And I was NOT cussing out teachers. There is a way to educate children without sheltering them. We just have to be creative enough to do it, instead of waiting for someone else to change. I'm not saying that my parents let me listen to any and everything. But I do recognize that it was my parents responsibility to choose what I was and was not exposed to.
I'm also not naive to the power of the media. I believe that it has a huge effect on all of society, adults and children alike. Blackwatch, I agree with what you said on many levels, but like you said, it's about what is more feasible. I think it's more feasible to change our community and our parents than it is the media. Maybe I'm wrong, but that's what I think. I'm not putting my trust in an industry hell bent on bling bling to change. I'm simply not doing it.
As far as rappers and their experiences, this is another case where education comes into play. Maybe Trina and whoever else made those choices because they didn't know that there were other choices. Or they didn't
believe it. I felt the same way about the Lil Kim special that I saw. Is this the hope that we are giving our children? But at the same time, if you don't know any better, what can you expect? Because of the self-hatred and mental slavery, people are bound to make any decision for their survival. Because what we DON'T do is teach long term survival skills. It's always about the immediate gain. If you are living on the street, you are thinking about immediate gain. I have never had that experience, so I can't say what I would or would not have done. But I know people who have had that experience personally, and have been SHOCKED by what they had to do to make it day to day. Are they proud of it? No. Does it mean that everyone in that situation has to take that way out? No. But that was what they felt like they had to do at the time. I can't knock that. Until I have walked a mile in their moccasins, I can't judge that.
Blackwatch, Your assertion is not unreasonable on any level. I just don't believe that it will work. Does that mean I think that it's not worth a try? No, not at all. That just means that I won't be spearheading that committee.
I almost feel like we are going in circles, because I don't think that we disagree fundamentally. So let me ask this. If you were to form a community committee whose mission was to challenge the rap industry's responsibility to children, how would you set it up? And would that be your mission? If not, what would your mission be? Who would you have on your committee? What would your goals be? To whom would you make your final demands, if you had any? And if you did, what would those demands be? How would you go forward with it? And after being shot down (if that were to happen), how would you persevere to keep fighting for more appropriate lyrics (or an age limit on when you can buy them)? Ultimately, what would be your goal? Better lyrics or raising the bar on the age to buy albums that have parental advisory stickers or what? And does it stop with music? What about the images in ALL other forms of media as well, including newspaper and television?