As a society, we have become seriously calloused to the effects that the media has caused concerning sex and sexual imagery. In other words, we’re numb to nudity. It wasn’t so long ago that a woman could show her bare breasts, and dumbfounded teenagers would go wild at the sight…remember Porky’s? Now, we have MTV’s Spring Break and The Jerry Springer Show for our daily dose of skin viewing, and no one cares...because we see it all, all the time. It’s a real shame that the country is on this “more is more” binge.

We can’t get enough sex. Every beer commercial and music video is now a porn flick. Okay, I know that I’m exaggerating a bit, but not too many people would disagree with me. I really wish that we could all get back to a point where modesty is valued and virginity is sacred. I grew up in the 80’s and 90’s, so I’ve seen and experienced the evolution of sex-in-the-media. It wasn’t always like this. There was a time when people cared about what our children saw and experienced. There was a time when you could flip through the channels on TV and still long for pay TV to get your dose of sexuality and nudity...but now, you don’t even need cable!

I’m not a prude. I’m not holier-than-thou. I’m a red-blooded 25-year-old American male who was raised on pizza, Porky’s, and Playboy. I’ve had my share of wild nights, sensual affairs, lost loves, and lessons learned. My whole point to this is that I want my children…OUR children to be proud of what we have left here for them…and we have a long way to go for that. The thought of my daughter growing up in a society that encourages open, free sex with anyone at anytime…that thought eats at me. It is my job…my DUTY to raise my little girl with the morals that I feel are spiritually right…so why is it that society is TRYING to make that a difficult job for me, and for all parents nowadays?

I could go on all day about this subject, and the baggage that comes with it (pregnancy, disease, etc.), but I wont. It is up to us, as individuals, to decide what we will and won’t accept from society at large, and what we will allow into our children’s lives. It is our responsibility to raise our kids to the best of our ability, and to create an environment that is honest, nurturing and educational, as well as spiritual within our own homes. I am not for censorship…the freedom that we have with being creative in this country is so wonderful. What it comes down to is this: Are you going to raise your child to believe that sex is something that goes hand-in-hand with Love? Or is sex simply just sex? You may feel both ways at different times in your life, as we all do…but when you look deep down, deep into your self, and into your heart…you know what you truly feel, and what you want for your children, and grandchildren. Maybe if we could all get back to the credo of “less is more,” and not have sexuality shoved into our faces…maybe our children will have the choices that many of us didn’t have.

Thanks for hearing my rant. I hope that you took something from what I have said. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go watch Springer, a good show in the fact that it shows us how NOT to live our lives. “Take care of yourselves, and each other.”