Quote:
Originally posted by Cloudbringer:
 Thanks for the above. I am by no means a 'prude' as you well know...but I DO take seriously the fact that there are young people here (lurking and posting) and I feel responsible for maintaining some degree of decorum when involved. I hope that I haven't blown that at any time-feel free to tell me if I have. 
Cloudy
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This post might get me in trouble for various reasons, so let me start off by saying that I have no intention to be disrepectful or derogatory towards any individual or any nationality, but:
- After reading the other posts I believe that many of the Americans here should realize that their culture is rather "prudish" compared with other western countries. To give you an example: all over continental Europe it is quite common, and widely accepted, that there are huge billboards with ads, let alone magazine covers at newsstands, displaying "full frontal nudity". If I am not completely misinformed that would be completely unthinkable in the States. My point is neither to say which way is better, nor do I even intend to discuss that here, but to draw your attention to the fact that decency is a highly relative concept, mostly inherent in the respective national/regional cultures.
- The American obsession with protecting minors from "indecency" has always struck me as being - at least partly - hypocritical: the alleged motivation to protect minors is basically a cover for the true motivations that belong more in the ideological and religious field, but cannot be openly be advocated as such, because a society as diverse as the American can only function under the assumption of ideological and religious neutrality of the state. I also strongly believe that children, let alone teenagers, need not to be protected half as much from the exposure to "improper" information as from actual harm like neglect, being unloved, violence, physical and mental abuse of all kind. To quote the former first lady: "It takes a village !" But that is a very ambiguous statement, because it also implies that not only the positive things but also the real dangers for kids do not mainly come from the media and society at large, but from their immediate environment, sometimes even from within their own family.
- The meaning of all of the above for this board: let me start by admitting that I've never been to the inn, but I have been around long enough to have experienced the start of Bk's and Cb's "romance" and if things have not become more explicit tenfold since then, I think I have an idea what you are talking about and see no reason for concern. But even that is beside the point as I think that the focus has to shift from wanting to protect the innocence of actually or potentially present teens - no need for that - or the upholding of an uniform standard of decency - on an international board to define something like that would be almost impossible - to the much more important and broader issue of mutual respect. But that is an ambiguous concept to a certain degree as well. To make my point clear: let's assume for a minute that Melusine and I decided to enact our own "hot romance" here (Hi Melusine, that is no silly attempt to hit on you, just for the sake of the argument
) and let's furthermore assume that we choose to do so with a level of explicitness we were both perfectly comfortable with but others found to be slightly over the top (slightly, nobody wants to turn the board into a x-rated publication). I personally think that those "others" would have to live with that, since respect also entails the tolerance for someone else's right of free expression and to an own value system. (If I ever was in that situation, I would still tone my words down, as a matter of courtesy.) Now let's assume that Cb would be "dumped" by Bk and subsequently would take up a virtual "romance" with me(again, all just for the sake of the argument). If I now inadvertently overstepped her line, she would, of course, be entitled to demand that I respect her standards and change my ways, even if I personally thought that they were ridiculously prudish (No, Cb, I do not actually think that you are very prudish.
).
Why did I get into this debate ? Because I thought that it was rather one-sided and I also believe that the concept of decency promoted here by many can be very dangerous, because it is an ideal "Trojan horse" for intolerance.
I know that many here, especially the parents among you, will strongly disagree with me and that is fine with me, but I hope wholeheartedly that I have not angered anyone to a point that he or she won't even bother anymore to openly contest those of my ideas they found wrong or even offensive. Please, let me know what you think !
You are all great people !
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So long !
R³ - Co-president(s) of the Club of Broken Hearts