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spacequeen and everyone else who spoke out during the time of lj bannings for the fact that DISCUSSING something is different than DOING it, via the thoughts of Piers Anthony. WARNING: possible triggers
Probably the strongest criticism of your work on the Internet has been for the 10-page sequence in Firefly (1990) in which a five-year-old girl named Nymph, who has been sexually mistreated by her father and brother, seduces an adult man named Mad. In the Author's Note you explain that, "The games five year old Nymph played with Mad where a joy to her at the time, but it was nevertheless abuse by our society's definition (not necessarily that of other societies) ..." Critics say that even when a child is the "instigator," child-adult sex is abusive molestation. You've bridled at charges that you advocate anything resembling abuse, though you've revealed that you're curious about the subject enough to correspond with a few men who are in prison on charges of pedophilia. You've responded to critics by pointing out that exploration of a topic does not translate into advocating it, and no one objects to your writing about savage murders, or massive intergalactic genocides, or accuses you of therefore being a pro-genocidal murderer. To support your point, you cite the voluminous fan mail you've received from women, saying the issue of child/adult sexual encounters is common, and it's about time someone addressed it in fiction.
A friend who recommended Firefly to me wrote, "Piers Anthony constructed this story deliberately to point out some of the logical and moral problems with the strict age-based legal definition of 'molestation.' I will note that none of the critics I've seen in [a particular newsgroup] thread have responded to his logic, instead calling him 'weird' and 'creepy.' These are ad hominem attacks, not counterarguments. It's 'pedophilia' as defined by society. But it's quite possible that to the two people in the relationship, it's simply 'love.'" Would you agree with him?
Yes. What I consider sexual abuse are things like rape and subjugation. A fully voluntary and informed sexual relationship is something else. So I'd condemn a man raping a 40 year old woman, more than I would a man having consensual sex with a 15 year old girl. The problem is that young children don't know enough to make informed consent. So the age of consent laws help protect them. One thing children crave is love. Some adults teach them that love is identical to sex. Thus children can become willing, even eager sexual partners.
This is nevertheless abuse.
spacequeen and everyone else who spoke out during the time of lj bannings for the fact that DISCUSSING something is different than DOING it, via the thoughts of Piers Anthony. WARNING: possible triggers Probably the strongest criticism of your work on the Internet has been for the 10-page sequence in Firefly (1990) in which a five-year-old girl named Nymph, who has been sexually mistreated by her father and brother, seduces an adult man named Mad. In the Author's Note you explain that, "The games five year old Nymph played with Mad where a joy to her at the time, but it was nevertheless abuse by our society's definition (not necessarily that of other societies) ..." Critics say that even when a child is the "instigator," child-adult sex is abusive molestation. You've bridled at charges that you advocate anything resembling abuse, though you've revealed that you're curious about the subject enough to correspond with a few men who are in prison on charges of pedophilia. You've responded to critics by pointing out that exploration of a topic does not translate into advocating it, and no one objects to your writing about savage murders, or massive intergalactic genocides, or accuses you of therefore being a pro-genocidal murderer. To support your point, you cite the voluminous fan mail you've received from women, saying the issue of child/adult sexual encounters is common, and it's about time someone addressed it in fiction.
A friend who recommended Firefly to me wrote, "Piers Anthony constructed this story deliberately to point out some of the logical and moral problems with the strict age-based legal definition of 'molestation.' I will note that none of the critics I've seen in [a particular newsgroup] thread have responded to his logic, instead calling him 'weird' and 'creepy.' These are ad hominem attacks, not counterarguments. It's 'pedophilia' as defined by society. But it's quite possible that to the two people in the relationship, it's simply 'love.'" Would you agree with him?
Yes. What I consider sexual abuse are things like rape and subjugation. A fully voluntary and informed sexual relationship is something else. So I'd condemn a man raping a 40 year old woman, more than I would a man having consensual sex with a 15 year old girl. The problem is that young children don't know enough to make informed consent. So the age of consent laws help protect them. One thing children crave is love. Some adults teach them that love is identical to sex. Thus children can become willing, even eager sexual partners.
This is nevertheless abuse.
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However, I do feel that the strict, written-in-stone age of consent in many parts of the United States should be reviewed and possibly lowered. Many 'minors' come into their own sexually at a much younger age, and I don't think they should have to be classified as deviants if they explore that. Neither should responsible adults who may become involved with them sexually after they have owned responsibility for their sexuality.
Obviously there is no magic number in terms of age, and of course I believe that every country should have some age of consent laws to protect young ones from would-be abusers. However, the current close-minded laws and mentality of this country leaves alot to be desired.
It's also telling that in some countries such as Japan the age of consent is 13, I believe. In The Netherlands, it can be as young as 12. Often it is the culture of a country that can affect how quickly or how slowly a young person reaches sexual maturity in a psychological sense. The United States has a very prudish view of sex, while at the same time sexualizing children in the media. Also, look at all the sick, perfectly 'beauty' contests where tiny girls are made to look like high-class call girls(Jon Benet Ramsey). This fosters children to want to be sexual at an early age like their media idols, and yet they have to contend with laws that say they are dirty for doing so until they are 18. Talk about a mind fuck!
The bottom line, in my opinion, is that children need to be taught healthy viewpoints about sex from a very early age. Things like not letting anyone touch them inappropriately, that sexual urges are nothing to be ashamed of, that masturbation is ok, etc. A child who is not raised with a sense of shame and secrecy will develop and even blossom sexually--at their own pace, which is the most important thing.
Adults often have a tendency to shelter children so that they grow up naive and unprepared for sex, and they easily fall victim to abuse. Or they grow up feeling shame and self loathing for their sexual desires. On the other hand, adults who introduce sex to a child are not only vicimizing and betraying them, but forcing the child to be sexual before they are ready.
In a healthy, loving and educated atmosphere, a young person will develop sexually at their own pace, and I believe they will not carry so much baggage and scruples when it is done this way. Just my 2 cents. :)
BTW, excellent post, and I'm saving it to memories.♥
no subject
This made me shiver because of this in Piers Anthony's one of bimonthly news posts last year:
Something else relating to my birthday: I learned that Jon-Benet Ramsey, the little showgirl who was abducted, raped, and killed at age 6 a decade ago, had the same birthday: August 6. 1990 for her, 1934 for me. I don't like this business of tarting up children to look and act sexy; it's contrary to nature and can lead to exactly what happened to her. Children should be allowed to be children. Yes, there is a graphic sex scene with a child in my novel Firefly; folk should read it to understand that it is no endorsement of pedophilia. Today there are Internet chat sites that obliquely cater to pedophiles. US NEWS & WORLD REPORT had an article on Myspace where teens can have sites that would freak out their parents and predators can lurk.
You know my viewpoints on age of consent, same as Piers. Some people are ready for that kind of relationship sooner, but they should at least be capable of understanding WHAT they're consenting to for it to be legal. One of my male friends (guy I went to prom with) is dating a girl who is legal. He's not, but is much more mature than many boys his age. They're going to abstain until (if) they marry, but if they were to engage in sex now, she could be charged with statutory rape, which I think is ridiculous when if she were a year younger it wouldn't be an issue. Same kind of thing, on Good Morning America once they had a guy who was 18, got a 17 or 16 year old pregnant, parents on both sides let them marry and he's being a good guy, but the state is trying to put him in jail. This country is so f'd up.