MY TURN: A response to Diana Braskich’s My Turn
As a member of Clean Books 4 Kids, I feel it necessary to respond to Diana Braskich’s “My Turn” from Oct. 5. First, I truly empathize with Diana’s abuse. What happened to her was unconscionable and, as she explained, avoidable. In one sense, Diana and I are in agreement: We want to protect kids from the dangers of sexual exploitation.
Where we differ, is in the methodology. I, too, have a personal story regarding this issue. I was raised by loving, well-meaning parents who believed that exposing their children to sexual content at an early age should be part of their healthy sexual development. Explicit materials, similar to those accessible by minors in our libraries, were readily available in my home as a child. I thought this was normal, and doubted my God-given instincts that something was not right.
As I grew up, this exposure played a fundamental role in shaping my idea of what it meant to be a woman and a sexual being. The standard of beauty, the implication that a woman’s worth is based on her sexual appeal, and the assumption that early sexual activity is normal, led me to develop devastating issues with boundaries and identity, including an eating disorder which could have cost me my life.
Sheriff Norris cited Idaho Statute 18-1515 in his defense of restricting minors’ access to books such as “Deal With It.” These statutes are called “harmful to minors” laws for a reason: The materials have been deemed harmful to minors. This implies that our default position should be to restrict access to minors. This is currently not the default position of our libraries. The CLN’s Minor Card is a start, but the notion that it “puts parents in charge” is misleading. True parental control means that only parents can access questionable materials. Any child, even one with a “Minor Card,” can pull these off the stacks; children with regular cards can check them out. The problem here is that of informed consent. The vast majority of parents are not fully informed concerning what minors can access in the libraries. To see a sampling, go to cleanbooks4kids.com.
True parental control means that minors cannot access explicit materials without their parents’ full knowledge and express permission. Anything less is shared control between parents, librarians and the children themselves, and is therefore NOT “putting the parents in charge.” How many parents actually know about the CLN Minor Card? How many parents have seen the exhibits on our website? From my own experience, most are completely unaware.
For the record, I hold a B.A. in psychology from Stanford University and studied under Dr. Phil Zimbardo, noted for his studies on mind control. Giving minors access to explicit materials primes their minds to be more receptive to consuming age-inappropriate content in the future and encourages them to engage in sexual activity. Repeated exposure to such content further habituates them to its normalcy and has the potential to make them susceptible to grooming.
I understand that Diana was helped by a program that revealed the truth of her abuse. The books that Clean Books 4 Kids takes issue with are not those kinds of books. A rational, educational, informational text that warns minors of risks, differs greatly from those that glamorize dysfunction, hyper-sexualize and indoctrinate our youth.
For the love of the children, please, protect their innocence.
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Suzanne Kearney is a Post Falls resident.