Educational Philosophy

There once was a man who built a beautiful sailboat. He wanted his sailboat to be the best that it could be, so he took meticulous care in its construction. It took him many years to build. When he finally finished it, he held a big celebration to show it off to all his friends. When they asked him when he was going to go sailing in his new boat, he told them that he was not going to go sailing in it. He was afraid that it would sink.

The lesson to be learned here is that it is foolish to raise a child and shelter him or her from all the evil of this world. For the only way a child can really learn about the evil of this world is to experience it first hand. (I include here the full spectrum of sexual, physical or mental abuse to which a child can be subjected.)

I am not saying that a child must be sexually, physically or mentally abused in order to learn such. But I am saying that it is ludicrous to try to shelter a child from the small cuts and bruises he or she experiences in everyday life.

This is essentially what censorship does. It prevents one from perceiving reality through a safe medium.

For example, I do not believe there is anyone who wants to see their children get maimed or die in a war. Yet, I am also sure that everyone would like their children to learn of the evil of war. So, how does one teach their children of the horror and misery that war causes without having their children actually having to go to war?

Allowing them to read first hand accounts is one method. Talking to them about violence and war and explaining to them the misery that war causes are two other methods. Another method is through movies, virtual reality and other art forms.

For example, one can learn of the horror and misery of war through such movies as the 1986 war film written and directed Oliver Stone, Platoon and the 1998 classic by Steven Spielberg, Saving Private Ryan. One can empathize with the memories of Pvt. Taylor who will “forever stay in Vietnam” and the sorrow of Pvt. Ryan’s mother when she sees the military staff car pull up to her house.

There are other evils of man that one can learn through the safety of movies, virtual reality and other art forms. “I say safety of movies . .” because one can see the misery of evil through such without actually experiencing it.

For example, one can learn of the evils of rape through such movies as the 1996 legal drama Sleepers based on a book of the same name by Lorenzo Carcaterra. One can learn of the evils of child abuse through such movies as Sybil which was based on the book of the same name by Flora Rheta.

One can learn of the evils of gambling addiction, drug and alcohol addiction, murder, incest, prejudice, intolerance, ignorance, chauvinism and any evil that man has committed against his brother through movies, virtual reality and other art forms.

But a slightly different precept prevails with sex and nudity. If a child is never allowed to see nudity and sex in a movie, in a novel, on the Internet or in any art form; if a child is constantly sheltered from all forms of nudity and sex, then he or she could easily grow up believing that there is something wrong with sex and nudity.

I seem to be making contradictory statements. If a child is not allowed to watch violence and death in movies etc. then he or she could grow up believing that there is no evil therein. If a child is not allowed to see nudity and sex in movies etc. then he or she could grow up believing that there is evil therein. There is no contradiction here, only the appearance of contradiction.

There IS evil in addictions, abuse, violence, prejudice, intolerance, war, and death and one should be pleased to have their child see the misery that such causes without actually experiencing it. One should be pleased to have their child learn of evil inherently in such things. This can be accomplished through the safe medium of art.

However, there IS NO evil in nudity and sex and one should be pleased to have their child see that there is nothing evil therein. One should be pleased to have their child learn about nudity and sex in school and through the safe medium of movies, virtual reality and other art forms.

One should be pleased to have their child learn about nudity and sex in an atmosphere where the information he or she learns can be controlled by a qualified teacher. Such is far better than having one’s child learn about nudity and sex through actual experience and “in the streets.”

On a related note, many parents do not trust their children to learn about life and they place many controls on their children and force their children to obey many constrictive laws. This is just another form of censorship. Parents who do not trust their children are alienating their children. Parents who do not trust their children love themselves more than they love their children. The best way to ensure the love of your children is to trust them.

As I have said elsewhere: There is nothing inherently wrong with nudity and sex. There is, however, something drastically wrong with those who see evil or perversion in nudity and sex. Not only is there something wrong with their thinking but there is also something wrong with their morals. Both their thoughts and their morality are in the garbage.

When they prevent their children from viewing nudity and sex, they are sending a message to their children that there is something intrinsically evil therein. Those who see evil in nudity and sex are inhibited and perverted and unfulfilled in their sexual encounters and they want everyone else to be included in their misery. They get laws passed that force everyone to follow their perverted philosophy and then all society is done a great injustice.

Internet filters are even worse. For not only do such prevent everyone – children and adults – from experiencing nudity and sex through the safe medium of virtual reality but such also prevents one from doing honest research into such subjects as date rape, ejaculation problems, erectile dysfunction, testicular cancer, circumcision, clitoral mutilation, ovarian cancer, vaginal cancer, breast cancer, birth control, homosexuality, bisexuality, sex toys, the Naked Ape, the Naked City, the Naked Jungle, the Naked Maja and many other sex related subject or topic containing words that some individuals consider evil.

School board personnel and politicians demand that all computers in the schools have filters on them. These individuals offer a simplistic solution to a complex problem. Then they have a massive and costly public relations program that reportedly informs the unknowing and misinformed voting populace of the supposed greatness of their philosophy, their legislation and their policies. When in reality their programs only oppress the poor, those without political influence and the minority.

First of all, this is just pandering for votes because students who are determined to go to sex related sites will find a way around these filters.

Secondly, internet filters on computers in a classroom are an insult to teachers. Internet filters are saying to the teacher of that classroom that he or she does not have the ability or the wherewithal to monitor and control the students of that classroom.

These individuals are taking control of the classroom away from those who are there everyday, all day and who know the needs of the students and are in a position to control the students, and handing it over to someone who has never been in the classroom and has no idea of the needs of the students who must learn there on a daily basis.

It may be argued that Internet filters are needed in over crowded classrooms and understaffed schools. I agree with that! In a classroom with 30 or 35 students it is almost impossible for the teacher to monitor all the students. Therefore Internet filters are needed.

But if the classroom is kept to a maximum of 15 students (8 for special education) with a teacher assistant in every classroom – as classrooms ought to be – then there is no need for filters. With a small student/teacher ratio the teacher has total control over every aspect of the classroom.

Even our Lord recognizes the evil of censorship. He recognizes such every time He allows Satan to tempt one of His children into sin. He does not shelter His children from temptation. He has faith in His children and trusts that they will do the right thing when confronted by evil.

If I may romanticize just a bit and present a paper I wrote for a writing course I took several years ago at the University of New Orleans. I titled it The Father’s Decision.

Censorship