Funny as in ironic that the Democratic Party likes to hold itself up as the party of Diversity, but most blue states are not very diverse at all. They don't have high levels of gun violence because they are full of affluent white people. It has little or nothing to do with whether the occupants voted for Biden or Trump. Comparisons at the State level are also irrelevant, and these types of articles that play the red state blue state rivalry are stupidly, deliberately divisive. States are not homogenous. Data that compares one state to another is rarely meaningful.

If you take a look at the county/city level you will see a VERY different result. Homicides mostly occur in densely populated urban areas.

I will agree that gun ownership rates can play a part, but again, the data points jump all over the place and are not consistent enough to be statistically significant. There are places with high gun ownership where crime rates are very low, and places where gun ownership is very low and crime rates are very high.

It is a much more relevant fact that gun violence disproportionately impacts communities of color, and homicide rates closely correlate with poverty and Black populations, at the community, county, city and state levels. That is a very real and urgent problem but the article completely ignores that correlation. The fact that the authors completely omit that shows they don't really care about murders in the Black community or the root causes of gun violence. Their intent is to make this a wedge issue to divide the states.

Like I said, this is a repeat thread. The author of the root article is a recent college graduate with a degree in something irrelevant, I can't remember what. My recollection is that both she and the other author have been employed as political operatives for Democratic candidates. The publisher of the article is a political think tank with a mandate to get Democrats elected. There is nothing objective about this article whatsoever, it is paid political messaging pretending to be journalism.

Maybe if I feel like it I will search out my posts on the old thread, which was a bit more comprehensive.

Gal, I didnt read the My Growing Body book or watch the video review, I just read the excerpt. I'm not sure any nuances can justify that content for 4 year olds, but it is so ironic that it references sexual abuse by an uncle. Maybe the one good thing that could come out of it would be in a therapeutic setting for a girl like my victim, who has already had her innocence stolen and must pick up the pieces and sort out the complex emotions she was left with. That was a long time ago, and I don't know where she is now, but I hope she had something like that to help her. Thank you for sharing your experience and validating mine.

#216 Assuming we are talking about the same case, it was not election officials or GOP reps who changed voter registrations, it was a group of door to door canvassers from a private third party company hired by the republican Party. There have been many problems in the past with canvassers from both sides. Remember ACORN? This is an example of why harvesting (of ballots or voter registration forms) is a bad idea. These companies often pay bonuses or bounties based on the number of forms collected, which incentivizes this type of fraud.

BTW this is a rerun thread so I already know how it is going to turn out.

The funny thing about blue states....most of them are less than 10% Black. I wonder why that is? Speaking of White Privelege......

Not this tired only story, where they try to create political division between the states with a meaningless correlation......so they tried manipulating the data by deleting the major cities, now try controlling for race.....

So, here are the 10 states with the highest percentage of black residents:

District of Columbia - 46.53%
Mississippi - 38.83%
Louisiana - 33.24%
Georgia - 31.76%
Maryland - 30.76%
South Carolina - 27.02%
Alabama - 26.47%
Delaware - 23.03%
North Carolina - 22.34%
Virginia - 20.41%

Isn't that something how they line right up with the states with highest murder rates? (Except the article didn't count DC)

Also, since I am on a roll.. with a trip down memory lane...another case that comes to mind involved a perpetrator who molested multiple children who were not identified publicly. His conviction placed his pension in jeopardy. and I testified before the pension organization on his behalf, which generated outrage against me, since people often wrongly assume the victims were strangers (sexual abuse victims are nearly always family). What people didn't realize is he was the only income in the household, therefore, denying him his pension only took the money away from them. It took a toll on me, but I'm glad I did that. He didn't live very long in prison so those kids got all the money.

"Throughout this evening I have engaged in a conversation with you, a conversation that has helped me to understand some things.

Yet now you seem to throw the "election was stolen" appellation at me for no reason other than I have asked about the GOP registering more than 100 Florida voters as Republicans without their consent.

Why have you become so defensive regarding a reported issue?

#206 | Posted by LampLighter at 2023-01-29 11:00 PM | Reply | Flag:"

I have appreciated and enjoyed our conversation. I was joking about the stolen election. It does give me a chuckle when folks on the left bring up election fraud claims, while simultaneously denying the existance of election fraud, but I don't recall your opinions on that so not suggestig you were doing that. To respond, I do believe that voter registration fraud, gerrymandering and other improprieties occur throughout the country, though not in numbers large enough to swing elections. The jury is out on which side is worse, so I'd call it a wash, and won't engage in an argument about it. Plenty of allegations to go around.

Gal,
One of the reasons that book struck a chord with me is because of a truly heartbreaking case I worked many years ago. It involved a little girl who was molested by an uncle. The grooming was gradual and he never touched her against her will or caused her physical pain. As difficult as it is for me to type these words....she enjoyed it, it felt good to her. That is not that unusual. I don't want to be graphic, but most of the time molestation of young kids does not involve penetration, and some abusers are quite gentle. It went on for years until one day another relative walked in on them. The police were called, the uncle was arrested and by the time I arrived she was truly traumatized. Not by what her uncle had done, but by the yelling, the screaming, the adult conversations, the arrest of her beloved uncle and the fear of being removed from her neglectful mothers care. Suddenly she was realizing that their "secret love" was very wrong, but instead of blaming the uncle that she adored, she internalized that it was SHE who had done something very bad and shameful, and felt responsible for his arrest (because he had warned her repeatedly that if anyone found out they would take her away from him). My involvement was limited to evidence collection, so I didn't get to follow the case further, but it stuck with me for a long time. In the eyes of this child, the abuse was love and ending it left her alone and terrified. I wondered how she would heal and work through the emotions of that, and grow up to have healthy relationships.

So when the book goes into detail and talks about a variety of sexual acts and how good they feel, I thought about that case and how easy it would be for a groomer to use that book to convince a young child that sexual activity with an adult (as long as is consensual) is perfectly normal and feels good. I'm not sure what the right answer is, as far as how to teach kids healthy attitudes about sexuality, and when to introduce these concepts, but I'm not sure teaching young children this level of detail and emphasizing how good it feels is a great idea. We had "Health" class in 5th grade, and learned all about reproduction. We really didn't make mcuh of a connection because we didn't know much about our own parts, let alone the opposite sex. There were lots of giggles, and "ew gross" remarks, We wondered why anyone would "do it". There was no discussion of pleasure, and I don't think there was a reason to have one at that age. Maybe my case with the little girl proves that conversation is needed, but then how to you tell kids about how much fun it is without encouraging them to try it?

"Teachers are the #1 source of molestation

#188 | Posted by stoneher at 2023-01-29 10:20 PM | Reply | Flag: "

No they aren't, it's Stepfather/Mom's boyfriend, followed closely by Uncles, but those never make the news, because naming the suspect would expose the identity of the child victim.

#178 Wait, what, are you one of those "The Election was Stolen" truthers?

Catching up,
"Hundreds of students? What county/state in this country assigns any teacher hundreds of students to teach on the public school level (on a college level perhaps, although I doubt a 24 year old grad student would be assigned such a class load unless they were being a TA assisting a full professor)?

#141 | Posted by Gal_Tuesday at 2023-01-29 08:17 PM | Reply | Flag: "

I was referring to Middle or High School teachers. In Florida they teach 7 or 8 separate classes, that is hundreds of different students each semester.

"I don't think they ever conveyed NON support, but he never showed any indicators, and it just never dawned on them to talk about it, so the only input he was getting was expectations set by others outside his family group."

But don't you think their reactions to gay friends or other family members, or gay co-workers, neighbors or celebrities etc. would have given him a clue with regard to their level of tolerance?

#174 | Posted by Gal_Tuesday at 2023-01-29 09:43 PM | Reply | Flag:

Yes absolutely. I can't say for certain how those conversations went. True Christians are kind to others, regardless of sexual orientation. Have you ever heard the expression "Love the Sinner, Hate the Sin?". My very Christian inlaw was very kind and would not tolerate a single disparaging word about another person spoken in her presence. Then she got dementia and all the ugly spilled out of her over the next 2 years, LOL.

But don't you think that being barraged with media reports suggesting that all Christians are homophobic may have given him a clue as to what to expect from his church community? Past a certain age kids don't listen to their parents much anymore anyway, they are more succespitble to what their friends tell them.

As to the media, yes, I mean all of it. Twitter, Facebook, Fox, CNN. I hate them all with equal fervor. The media (and social media) collectively are destroying the fabric of society. Truth doesn't matter anymore. Clicks are all that matter.

"The problem I have with that sample is that I do not know how representative it is of those who vote.

When the thread is about how the state of Florida should behave, should a coupe of "kids" be an appropriate way to determine the policy of the state of Florida?

#169 | Posted by LampLighter at 2023-01-29 09:29 PM | Reply | Flag:

Absolutely not. Just my own anecdotes. To answer your question, the policy of the state of Florida should be determined by the voters of the State of Florida, don't you think?

I doubt it was all the media and his peers' fault that the kid feared his parents reaction. The parents obviously didn't convey to their child that they were tolerant of a gay lifestyle. If they had, the kid would have known the he had nothing to fear when he came out to them.

#170 | Posted by Gal_Tuesday at 2023-01-29 09:31 PM | Reply | Flag:

I agree. I know the parents. I don't think they ever conveyed NON support, but he never showed any indicators, and it just never dawned on them to talk about it, so the only input he was getting was expectations set by others outside his family group. On the other hand, my son showed signs from a very early age that he might be gay, so I always tried to keep a dialogue open. Turns out he isn't gay, but I don't think I was really sure until he got married.

Along the same lines, I have another gay friend (in her 50's) who still has not come out to her elderly mother. We have all have encouraged her to do so, and it wears on her long time partner who must pretend to be her "roomate". Mom is frail and she doesn't think she could handle the news. Personally I think her mother already knows (virtually everybody else does). She is old, not stupid. We are all tempted to "let it slip" and see how she reacts, but ultimately it is her decision to come out (or her mother's decision to come out and tell her she already knows). My friend and her partner are very happy and it is sad that she and her mother can't share this.

Two of my kids were art/theater kids (in the Bible Belt). They both had a lot of gay friends, from god fearing Southern Baptist families. In each case it was a journey for the family, but love conquers all. While some had a little difficulty coming to terms with it (particularly the dads) there was no shunning or conversion therapy. In each case the family came together and supported the child. In one case the kid was surprised by this acceptance. He had been conditioned (by the media and his peers) to believe his family would reject him because of their religious beliefs, and when they didn't, he wished he hadn't waited so long. The preconceived false narrative that all conservatives are homophobic bigots is also damaging.

I think most people would agree with that. I certainly do, but I guess where we differ is that I imagine most teachers would respond by discussing same sex marriage in very broad terms that don't include "specific descriptions of how they express their love in the bedroom". In fact, I imagine most teachers wouldn't mention the bedroom in their descriptions at all.

#145 | Posted by Gal_Tuesday at 2023-01-29 08:26 PM | Reply | Flag:

No, we don't disagree on that point, I agree that MOST teachers would limit that discussion to broad terms and the law allows them to do that. What the law does not allow them to do is turn it into an unauthorized lesson plan. Remember, the law specifically refers to CURRICULUM and CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION.

MOST parents will talk to their kids about sexuality. MOST parents LOVE their children, would sooner DIE than see their children hurt and will support their kids in their gender identification journey, even if they are conservative, religious wackos.

Laws aren't written to cover "MOST" people. They are written to cover the exceptions. Teachers who groom students, or even just do a piss poor job of guiding them on their journey are the exception, not the rule. But the same could be said for parents. If I am giving the benefit of the doubt to the person who has the best interest of the child at heart, I'm going to side with the parent, every single time, the mother who gave birth to the child, stayed up by their bedside when they were sick, held them when they cried. She is inherantly better equipped to decide what is best for the child than the "cool" teacher who may have graduated from college 2 years prior and hasn't yet figured out his/her/their own sexuality. Trust parents. Their are safeguards in the statute to help kids who show indications of abuse or are in need of intervention. In absence of these sorts of signs, trust parents.

religious, or

It says right on the cover, that the book is for 4-8 year olds. At some age this content could be considered appropriate, but 4 years old ain't it.

Have at it. Would you want this excerpt read to your child's kindergarten class? Maybe afterwards they could turn it into a play.

I'm quitting for the night, but I want to share something here. This thread took me down a journey looking at books written by the author Dagmar Geisler. She is the one who wrote the book "My Body is Growing". This book included content that was not only inappropriate for her targeted age group(4-8 year olds) but also potentially dangerous, as it could encourage small children to mimic sexual behavior with their peers or with adults. IMO it is absolutely a book that could be easily used by a predator to groom a young child. I'm not sure at what age this book would be appropriate, but clearly not 4 year olds.

That being said, Ms. Geisler has many other books about difficult subjects that are very very good. In particular, the below linked book is the best book I have ever seen to teach young children ownership of their bodies, and empower them to say "no" to unwanted touch. As a person who has investigated many sex crimes against children, this is a subject that is important to me. I cringe whenever a parent tells a child "Give Uncle Ned a hug", or "Be Nice to Mr. Jones". Children should never be encouraged or expected to allow anyone to make them uncomfortable by touching them.

So while I am glad that this author has many GOOD books, I am VERY disappointed in her for publishing "My Growing Body", particularly because parents who appreciate her good work may inadvertantly give the bad one to their child. Here is the good one:

because I just now clicked on the link you stupid ----, and realized it is the same book I linked (but did not claim was the end of civilization).

Now post some excerpts and see if the moderators take down the content. Better yet, read it to your 4 year old and see how she/he reacts to it.

How do you make the leap from your admitted knowledge of only one county to "School districts in Florida"?

That's quite an extrapolation, don't you think?

#122 | Posted by LampLighter at 2023-01-29 07:21 PM | Reply | Flag:
Perhaps it is, but I have more than a dozen teachers in my family spread across the country. I was also a PTA president. I challenge you to find a single Republican candidate that has ever been supported by a teachers union. Administrators do not become administrators without support of the teachers union. Find a teacher, any teacher and ask him/her about what I just said and report back with your findings. Liberals control public education nearly everywhere in Florida. It is a fact.

and to both SNoofy and Truth,

I am not going down your endless rabbit holes where you lie about what I said and then expect me to respond. I'm done with you. Save your efforts for someone who doesn't know your game.

Always glad to engage with anyone interested in grown up, honest discourse.

"You never heard of it? Why do people lie so poorly? I mean less than 4 hours ago you were using it as an example of the end of civilization as we know it."

I didn't click on your link, which HAD A DIFFERENT TITLE THAN THE BOOK. That book may have been published in German, but it is also published in English and the author has many works which appear in American schools, includng summer reading lists.

And I did NOT say anything about the end of civilization, or anything similar to that. You are so full of ---- it just oozes out of you.