(Prolifer)ations 4-16-09
by Bernadette P.
“Sexting” is the sharing of sexually explicit pictures and/or messages through texting. Talk-show hosts from Oprah to Tyra Banks have devoted entire shows to the controversial topic….
Supporters of the bill claim they “don’t want to condone the behavior but they don’t think teenagers should be prosecuted as sex offenders for consensual conduct.”
Passing private pictures, videos and messages along to other parties would still be illegal.
The evidence is in contrast to the usual dogma that women have a finite number of immature eggs, some of which mature and are ovulated, and that the number of eggs becomes depleted with age….
[I]f similar cells could be found in humans, it might lead to treatments that extend or rejuvenate fertility. It could also pose a concern if those who want to do cloning try to use the cells to create large numbers of eggs for experiments.
Abortions are performed on the deck of this ship (yes, on the deck!) near countries where abortion is illegal. According to the blog:
The [European] Court said Portugal violated… freedom of expression, even though at the time abortion was not legal in the country and the “Ship of Death” was not engaged in an act of “expression” but in the performing of abortions in violation of Portuguese law.
The Portuguese government has no plans to appeal the ruling.
… NJ officials argue the slogan does not meet their program’s guidelines. The Children First Foundation, a NY anti-abortion group, says the state is violating its free-speech rights.
Citizens can, however, buy specialty plates for everything from military branches to college sports teams.
The panel of 3 judges did not say when they would rule on the suit.
[Photo courtesy of Biofides]
Jill Stanek is a nurse turned speaker, columnist and blogger, a national figure in the effort to protect both preborn and postborn innocent human life.
Supporters of the bill claim they “don’t want to condone the behavior but they don’t think teenagers should be prosecuted as sex offenders for consensual conduct.”
Makes sense to me. A sex offense on your record can ruin your whole life. Must be a better way to get kids to stop doing this.
“Passing private pictures, videos and messages along to other parties would still be illegal.”
As well it should be. Porn being made by, or sent by children ought to be penalized strictly and uniformly. Whether home made porn exchanged between children ought to result in one of the kids being labeled a “sex offender” is another matter. But any move to “legalize” such behavior ought to be fought vigorously.
Wow and now thanks to CNN and MSNBC I know what teabagging is also. Things used to be far easier….
“Sexting” really highlights how invincible teenagers think they are (and I say that from less than ten years out). Of course it wont remain private. Of course someone you trust will send it to someone else. Seriously, whatever happened to the good old days where people just mentally undressed you- and people actually paid attention in class and did their homework after school!
File that “sexting” entry under Why Teenagers Should Not Have Cell Phones….
With or without the law, teenagers desperately need to understand that some decisions will stay with them for the rest of their lives. If your teenager takes an explicit photo of him/herself and then sends that photo to someone else, there is no guarantee that photo will stay private. In fact, the chance is relatively high (in my view) that a jilted ex will forward that photo to hundreds of people. (That’s already happened at least once.) Once the photo is out, no power on Earth can bring it back under control.
Now … fast-forward a few years. Junior applies for a scholarship. The scholarship committee searches for Junior on Google. Poof! Now the scholarship committee (or a hiring manager, or whomever) is staring at a sexually-explicit picture of your kid. Do you think that will affect the chance of getting the scholarship or job? Yes, yes I think it will.
Wisdom is essential. Teenagers don’t have wisdom, so parents must supply it. And in some cases, the best way to supply wisdom is to constrain children’s choices in order to prevent them from making lifelong mistakes….
File that “sexting” entry under Why Teenagers Should Not Have Cell Phones….
I think it depends on the teenager. I was a pretty responsible, tame kid, but I drove relatively long distances to play in community orchestras several towns away. So when I got my driver’s license, my parents said that I wasn’t allowed to use it unless I also agreed to get a cell phone. I was responsible for staying under my minutes etc, and we split the bill in a complicated way; it definitely came with “burdens.” I had no excuse for ever being home significantly later than I’d said I would — if something came up and I was going to be home at 10 rather than 9, I had to call. etc. Basically if I EVER made my parents worry, I was in it deep, because there was no reason for me to not be calling unless I was either dead or up to something shady.
Obviously if I’d been sending naked pictures of myself to anyone my parents would have been justified in taking the phone away. But as things were, it was a pretty good tool for us. They knew me and trusted me, and I was basically cautious to a fault as a kid/teen, so it was a good way for us to ease into independence.