I read a few different things this last couple weeks that have really got me bewildered. First, I read that the cartoon movie about Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer had been banned in certain areas because it depicted bullying. Then I read that the song “Baby It’s Cold Outside” was banned because the Me Too movement said it portrayed an improper sexual situation. And finally, the classic book To Kill A Mockingbird was being banned because of the language used in the story. This is an opinion column so here’s mine; The above three scenarios are examples of the lunacy that is creating a generation of weaklings in our country! What next…are we going to ban the Peanuts cartoons because Lucy keeps picking on Charlie Brown by yanking the football away when he goes to kick?

Let’s get real! How about if parents approached these stories and the song by discussing it with their kids in a different manner? Instead of claiming that Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer is a poor pitiful me story about a bullied reindeer, tell it the way it was intended. It’s a story of a unique reindeer who overcomes a perceived weakness and prevails! The story portrays strength. Instead of claiming that the song "Baby It’s Cold Outside" depicts an improper sexual situation, explain to our kids the morals involved. Teach the young men that they must always treat women with dignity and respect. Teach young ladies to never put up with being treated with anything less than dignity and respect. And teach them to stand up for themselves as well! The situation depicted in that song is one our kids will quite likely find themselves in at some point. Teach them how to handle it appropriately! The book To Kill A Mockingbird is an historically accurate but fictional story about a bleak time in American history. Incidents like those depicted in the book actually happened. There’s a valuable lesson there so use it as an opportunity to teach the kids about it! Denying history won’t make it go away.

I’ve been reading about "safe zones" in the schools where kids (I’m including college students in all of this) can go to escape uncomfortable situations or "hate speech." What are these kids really being taught? That they can just turn away from tough situations and it’ll all go away? That mommy, daddy or a teacher can make the bad thing disappear? What’s going to happen to these people when that inevitable tough time comes? They’ll fall apart if we don’t do all we can to prepare them. I consider it a duty to prepare our kids for what they’ll really face in the future.

When my daughter was in middle school, she came home complaining about a girl in her school who was picking on her. My wife questioned her about it and my daughter finally admitted that she didn’t stand up to this girl because she didn’t want to get in trouble for fighting. My wife made it clear to our daughter that while we’d never tolerate her starting a fight, we would also never punish her for defending herself. The next day our daughter handled the situation and, as expected, got suspended for fighting (the school had a zero-tolerance policy regarding fighting). During her suspension, we took our daughter for the meal of her choice, a movie and bought her a new outfit. We made it clear to her that she was not only allowed to defend herself, she was expected to! She’s thanked us several times for that lesson and raised her own children the same way. She has had to defend herself physically and verbally since that incident. Because of the lesson she had been taught, she was able to do just that. By the way, that girl at the school never picked on her again and actually became a lifelong friend. Some will undoubtedly disagree with the way my wife and I handled that situation, but I believe it was the right thing to do.

I understand that there are some people who are not emotionally or physically equipped to stand up to bullying or fight back against a real sexual assault. In that instance, it’s the job of parents, education professionals, and law enforcement to protect these people. It’s also our collective responsibility to raise our kids to respect others. I’ve written before of my opinion that we have real societal issues that contribute to what seems to me is a universal lack of respect. It bears repeating. Video games, the lyrics in rap music and the fascination with the “gangsta” life style are just a few of those issues. Don’t believe me? Take the time to listen to some of the music I’m talking about and I think you’ll ultimately agree with me. Women are demeaned; treated like and described as nothing more than sex objects. The language is much worse than anything you’ll read in To Kill A Mockingbird and a total disrespect for others or authority is glamorized.

My parents taught me that life is tough, unfair and would one day jump up and hit me right between the eyes. They told me that when the tough times came, I would need to rely on myself, my faith, my family and my friends to make it through. They were right, and that advice is as valid now as it was 50 years ago when I first heard it. It is our duty/responsibility to educate and prepare our kids for life. Not show them how to escape problems, but how to handle them.

Blaine Blackstone is a retired Los Angeles Police Sergeant who enjoys the simpler life in Thompson Falls. He can be reached by email at [email protected].