Re: yeah

i totally agree about the stand-up thing. ...when i said i had suffered setbacks from being outspoken, i guess that came about thru revealing too much about myself personally and my specific feelings about kids, but i'm also quite outspoken on more general subjects to do with child/adult relations, such as the excesses of society in trying to protect kids from the exaggerated threat of 'paedophilia'. i talk to people a lot about this stuff, and altho some are oblivious to the harm being caused, some are not. among those who are not are very many are parents, teachers and others who are actively involved with children.

also, i'm essentially pro-choice myself, or at the very least agnostic. my position is that what is abuse or exploitation has nothing to do with what is sexual. sexuality is just a mode of expression. of course there are age appropriate expressions of sexuality, but intent and sensitivity to the other person is the key, not the mechanics of whatever interaction they have.

that said, i'm also pragmatic, and beyond that, i'm conscious of the fact that social sanction is a reality, and that society's attitudes to sexuality impact strongly on the whole question, especially where children are concerned. i'm pro-choice in the sense that i would support that choice if it existed, but at the moment i do not believe it does -ethically or legally.

what i say about not dwelling on sexual aspects emerges as much from my own experience as anywhere else. many people in the world have constraints on their sexual expression, whatever their orientation. its not unique to us, and it is something that has to be managed emotionally. if it starts to become a source of resentment and misery, it can become overwhelming and lead to dark places. that's why i'm saying, i guess, learn to see the glass as half full, and learn to enjoy the company of children in ways that aren't problematic.

one of the major barriers to spending time with children is putting too much emphasis on sexual constraints, and not enough on permissible pleasures. Mesmerised seems to be someone here who understands this, and has filled his life with children without experiencing any personal conflict or self doubt.