Drugs - Harry Pothead?

[GypsyCaine]

Original Yahoo! HPFG Header:
No: HPFGUIDX C5385
From: GypsyCaine
Subject: Re: Drugs - Harry Pothead?
Reply To: [Yahoo! #5344] Drugs - Harry Pothead?
Date: 7/30/00 10:15 pm  (ET)

"I recommend this New York Times best seller be read by all adults
with children and consider if they deem the content suitable for their
child....."

Well, to be honest, I can agree with that line. It is wise for an adult
to be abreast of whatever book falls into their child(ren)'s hands. Not
only do I plan to be a factor of support in my son's reading--I hope to
encourage it, and nurture it along! Harry Potter is one of those once
in a generation books--it makes a family think, learn, debate, and be
entertained all in one. It is sad that someone pulls out stupid stuff
like that, but his opinion, after he read (at least he read it?) is
that he didn't want his children to read it. That is his choice as a
parent. That choice should not extend to other parents/children; but it
should stay with just his own family.

Just because I don't think Coke and Pepsi should be on a child's diet,
does that give me the right to go to all my neighbors and berate them
to remove these "drugs" (see label, yes, drugs! Lol) from their child's
hands? No. It means that I as a watchful parent monitor the amount of pop,
coke, pepsi, grape, whatever that goes into my son. That is what I have
control of. That's it. There are a few things that I believe are morlally
wrong--child abuse, sexual abuse, spousal abuse, alcohol and drug ABUSE
(note, didn't say use, not my choice again)--are all society crimes,
and do need to be intervened in to get the proper help to the people
who need it.

**Looks down, and sees the soap box at her feet, and blushes.**

Ok, I am stepping down, promise. This is a sore point for me, someone
telling me what my child can or cannot do, or that I am a bad parent
because I refuse to let my son watch Rugrats (which is true, btw. I
dislike the role model of Angelica, and at this age of 3, he doesn't
understand the difference between right and wrong enough not to imitate
her. He has been caught imititing things on the commercials already. My
family and I got into a big fight over that one)

I think you understand, though. If you think a book might be questionable,
read it. It might just change your mind, let alone the child's. Open-ness
is a spirit of the mind that needs to affect more of us.