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Originally Posted by Miss Mango
Am I the only one who thinks it is actually rather inappropriate? I haven't read the book, of course, so I don't know whether the word scrotum is integral to the story, but I'm betting it's not. I'm not for banning the book, but perhaps changing the word? For everyone saying "yeah, but kids are going to find out about sex and stuff anyway" - that's not an excuse. I read a lot of children's books when I was young, and guess what, none of them said 'scrotum', 'penis', 'vagina' or anything like that. And I didn't grow up twisted and unbalanced. These days, if you really want to make sure kids 'find out' about sex earlier, just let them look around on the internet, they'll find it eventually. I accept, for example, "Chances are kids by that age have heard far worse in the school yard at lunch or after school" - but is that an excuse to include it in a book? Because the kids might have heard the word already?
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So wait a sec... you find it unacceptable that a medical term such as "scrotum" is used once in a children's book, and not for prurient purposes, but letting a child look around on the internet to find out about sex is ok? Also, you not reading "penis" or "vagina" in a book and you not growing up twisted have nothing to do with one another.
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No, there's no need to ban the book, but was there really need to include the word 'scrotum' when there are many medical terms that mean less adult things? Immediately springing to mind is 'patella'. If anyone's read the book, can they explain why it wouldn't work if the kid had been bitten on the kneecap? Don't just defend the use of the word because it's free speech and kids are going to know what it means eventually anyway. It's still inapproriate. Sometimes, it seems, people try to be so liberal they forget how to be responsible.
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I think part of the main point is, it's a body part. Body parts are not "adult" in nature. We all have either a penis or vagina. All of us. The commotion over the word scrotum is just silly. And not for nothing, but defending
anything,
just on the principles of free speech alone, is
exactly what people
should do. I've defended free speech many times for things with which I don't agree- but you can't say "oh i don't support free speech on this because I don't agree".
If you don't defend ALL free speech, you are only protecting your own interests- and that is not free speech
at all.
A body part is not inappropriate. Using it in a prurient, sexual, or lewd manner, would be- but we all have genitals, and there is nothing "adult" about them.