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A MOTHERS THOUGHTS on an HIV MUPPET
Home Sweet Home ^ | Saturday, July 13, 2002 | Katherine Jenerette

Posted on 07/12/2002 9:13:48 PM PDT by kjenerette

I wish that this was a easy subject to discuss, but it's not. The way I view this there are really three issues here that need to be separated to make any sense at all:

#1) How to deal with people who we love who need our love and who are dying - this does not necessarily mean HIV only.

#2) How to deal with a deadly disease that is spreading throughout the world and is communicable from person to person by contact or contact with body fluids.

#3) How to best, as parents raise our children to be good, honest, compassionate and kind - and protect them as they grow from all types of danger - physical and mental, and emotional - so that our children can pick up this world and carry it into the next generation.

As many of you know, I am a gen-Xer, who grew up with Sesamee Street and I have four children under 10-years old. My brother died from aids not long ago. My husband is trying to come to terms and deal with the eventual loss of a younger brother, who he loves and respect tremendously, who is HIV positive. And when I cross the street I hold my children's hands. This sums up my perspective pretty well...


Anyone who has small children understands the tremendous weight everyday carries when they go off to school, or visit a friend, or even the first time they climb on a bicycle or climb a tree in the back yard. Apprehension, fear, prayer and a million emotions - for our little ones. I'm sorry, if you are not a parent you really won't understand the range of emotions a mother endures, daily....


I teach my children to be kind, I teach my children the golden rule, I make them wash their hands before meals, I pray with them at bedtime, I teach them not to talk to strangers, I pick their friends carefully, I teach them the 10-Commandments. I have a picture of Jesus across from a picture of George Washington in the reading room, I tell them never to pick up hitch-hikers and don't drink out of anyone else's glass. I bring them in the house during a lightning storm, I keep them home when they are sick so that they will not pass on their cold or the flu to other children. I hook up their seatbelts when we drive....and I pray that G-d will watch over them and all the other children of the world...


After all of this, can anyone at Sesame Street please tell me, why would I teach my children that HIV is NORMAL and they should treat it as such?! Anyone who has ever had children and watched NORMAL childhood play knows that it involves bangs, cuts, Contact, biting, spitting, holding, grabbing, on and on, day in and day out. Soccer, kickball, tag, volley ball, baseball...please - am I to assume that this is perfectly safe if a child with HIV is part of the playground equation?
Please, don't mix the issues here - parents are supposed to protect at the same time they teach their children - can Sesame Street's Schneider convince me that teaching is as valuable as protecting when all he wants to do is indoctrinate a character that teaches - but mentions nothing about protection?


As a mother, am I supposed to buy the Sesame Street standards, they will provide the kindness message and if that's all that happens don't I need to provide the protection lesson that includes- no scratching or spitting - wresting - no contact - no bleeding no exchange of sweat... carry Clorox and rubber gloves - disinfect immediately any blood from scrapes - report any spitting to the principal. Goodness, just review the rules and procedures for health care workers and law enforcement officers who may have been in contact with someone HIV positive...and this is what every responsible parent would have to instruct their child to do!


My G-d, no one denies that HIV infected children need love and kindness, but we as adults should at least have the mature social courage to treat dangerous communicable illness as a dangerous communicable illness - and take what ever means are necessary to stop the spread of this and any other communicable disease to other children! This is true responsible kindness and understanding and by no measure does it equal hate or meanness! An HIV child is like the child in a bubble in reverse. Geesh, are we expected to treat chicken pox and the flu with higher standards than HIV? You can fill in the blanks from there anyway you please...


Can't anyone see how our values of kindness and compassion have become the 'Trojan Horse' of those who wish to eventually destroy the family? In today's world there are people and groups whose sole aim is to tear apart what is good, pure and innocent - starting with our children.
It's much like the person who uses the story of the good Samaritan and they feign injury in order to rob or rape a passerby.

These children with aids are being used as political and social pawns and their tragedy is being exploited for a larger scheme - to normalize a radical and perverted agenda. If you want proof just ask (or answer) the following question: If these people are so full of compassion then why haven't they told the entire truth about the how/who/and why AIDS has reached this critical dimension? Fully two thirds of HIV transmission would never happen if people(both men and women) stopped dropping their pants outside of marriage. In this case just erase and replace the name of this illness with say syphilis, gonorrhea, meningitis, cancer - and see if it would qualify for a pre-school children's television show character...the conclusion itself should raise a red flag...


Yes, we can become like Africa - if we continue to have a POLITICALLY CORRECT HIV policy and we will follow them down the same path of social suicide - just continue telling half truths and taking half measures to deal with the reality of a fatal contact transmitted disease.


My 5-year old once asked me "Who's the parent here?" My answer to her was - "I am..." and before I finished, she told me that I have to "...do what a parent does." I intend to do exactly that. I will teach my children right from wrong and I will teach them love and compassion - and I will do everything in my power to protect them from ALL harm and danger. If that means don't talk to strangers as well as don't watch Sesame Street - that is what I will tell them.


I would wager to say - most who view this new character in a favorable light have no small children that they are trying to raise in today's real world. Please don't try to use my little children for politically correct ideas, indoctrination or politically protected illness...I'll stop you anyway I can.


Please, don't try to tell me the how's, what's, and why's, of raising my four children...use it on your own little ones. I watched my brother die from AIDS.

Some may say I can turn off the TV channel.
I intend to. I am a mother.


Katherine Jenerette
Freeper Profile Link

www.jenerette.com


P.S. Compassion? Try this - Have some compassion for the unborn children of the future, and those young people who will become HIV infected tomorrow if we adults don't have the courage to treat AIDS today in the same manner as other communicable and dangerous fatal diseases.



TOPICS: Editorial; Your Opinion/Questions
KEYWORDS: aids; elmo; family; hiv; jenerette; sesamestreet; tv
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This is just a simple Carolina mother's perspective....
1 posted on 07/12/2002 9:13:48 PM PDT by kjenerette
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To: kjenerette

Here ya go, the gay muppet.

2 posted on 07/12/2002 9:17:19 PM PDT by Slyfox
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To: kjenerette
Bookmarked and Bumped. I am sure the wife's SAHM group will want to read it.
3 posted on 07/12/2002 9:17:42 PM PDT by chance33_98
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To: Slyfox
That looks like the lost Village People member.
4 posted on 07/12/2002 9:20:15 PM PDT by Paul Atreides
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To: kjenerette; RJayneJ
Wow! What an essay! I nominate this essay as "Essay of the Week". I am a mother of 4 grown children (9 grandchildren) and I agree with every word you write.
5 posted on 07/12/2002 9:27:22 PM PDT by afraidfortherepublic
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To: kjenerette
Nice post.

I heard the HIV muppet is scheduled for viewing in Africa, but I don't doubt that it will show-up here eventually.

We stopped watching Sesame Street long ago... after I saw the episode about the rabbit who is too old to go to day care. An adult asks the rabbit if he went to daycare when he was a child, and the rabbit answers sadly: No, there wasn't daycare back then, so I just stayed home with my mom. The adult responds: Awwwwww.... My reaction: Who the hell do they think is watching this show??

Side note: Ever notice how school policy requires your children to be "fully vaccinated" before admitting them, but then turns around and states that HIV-positive children AND SCHOOL EMPLOYEES need not be tested nor are they required to reveal that information. Double standard. I'm so glad I homeschool my kids.
6 posted on 07/12/2002 9:36:25 PM PDT by Tired of Taxes
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To: kjenerette
....and I pray that G-d will watch over them and all the other children of the world...

You might do better by praying to God.

7 posted on 07/12/2002 9:51:22 PM PDT by Barnacle
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To: afraidfortherepublic
I second that motion. Did you know that the National Institute of Health and the CDC came up with a list of 5 things you can do to avoid HIV, and none of them was 'avoid having anal/homosexual sex?
8 posted on 07/12/2002 10:03:49 PM PDT by My back yard
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To: kjenerette
replace the name of this illness with say syphilis, gonorrhea, meningitis, cancer - and see if it would qualify for a pre-school children's television show character...

Very good point.

9 posted on 07/12/2002 10:07:39 PM PDT by My back yard
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To: chance33_98
I liked your picture of your baby and I'm sure that Dad's and Mom's share the same hopes and dreams for their children. Just this morning my husband was trying to teach our daughters how to hoola-hooop. HIV is not even close to what our six and four year old should be exposed to - thanks again for your post.

Katherine

10 posted on 07/12/2002 10:17:41 PM PDT by kjenerette
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To: Barnacle
Friend. . .

SOME traditions hold that saying His name is blasphemous: many Jews use G-d as the title for Him. Her heart is in exactly the right place, why quibble ???
11 posted on 07/12/2002 10:18:27 PM PDT by Salgak
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To: Paul Atreides
However the new character looks, I'm sure that Sesame Street will try to make it look better than someone who looks really like someone who has AIDS....wouldn't want scare those kids....
12 posted on 07/12/2002 10:21:18 PM PDT by kjenerette
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To: kjenerette; PoisedWoman
You're a very powerful writer. Impressive website as well (and I'm the almost-wife of a web designer :)
13 posted on 07/12/2002 10:30:02 PM PDT by I_Love_My_Husband
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To: grlfrnd
Notice how a lot of Clinton sleepers are coming out over this Muppet event? I suspect they're swarming over at http://www.aidstrust.org.
14 posted on 07/12/2002 10:33:39 PM PDT by vikingchick
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To: Tired of Taxes
Ever notice how school policy requires your children to be "fully vaccinated" before admitting them, but then turns around and states that HIV-positive children AND SCHOOL EMPLOYEES need not be tested nor are they required to reveal that information. Double standard. I'm so glad I homeschool my kids.

I didn't even think of that. I will certainly will use this as an example for my college critical thinking class this fall semester.

Do the Liberals really think that we are so stupid that we miss the obivious?

15 posted on 07/12/2002 10:35:02 PM PDT by kjenerette
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To: kjenerette
After all of this, can anyone at Sesame Street please tell me, why would I teach my children that HIV is NORMAL and they should treat it as such?!

They’d preach heroin addiction is normal if they thought they could get away with it. Sesame Street promotes it’s own morality and guess what folks - It ain’t Christian.

Please don't try to use my little children for politically correct ideas, indoctrination or politically protected illness...I'll stop you anyway I can.

The tactics of the left have grown ever more insidious. I still remember the day my wife called me at work and said, “Barnacle, (Can you believe she calls me that?) Tinky Winky is wearing a tutu.” I said, “So what?” She said, “Tinky Winky is a boy!” I thought she was mistaken. But, she was right.

That was the last time Tella-Tubbies was viewed in our home (except for those rare exceptions when we’d forget to turn off the TV.)

Good essay. Bravo!

16 posted on 07/12/2002 10:37:57 PM PDT by Barnacle
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To: kjenerette; Tired of Taxes
In San Francisco, which does NOT have nurses btw in school sites (truth!), the SECRETARY is supposed to take care of all injuries and is NOT ALLOWED TO KNOW IF THERE'S HIV+ children in the school site!
17 posted on 07/12/2002 10:46:41 PM PDT by I_Love_My_Husband
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To: kjenerette
"Do the Liberals really think that we are so stupid that we miss the obivious?"

As a matter of fact, yes. The typical liberal doesn't think you are capable of critical thought.

18 posted on 07/12/2002 10:48:35 PM PDT by blackbart.223
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To: Barnacle
Wow! Did you hit the Nail on the Head! We are stuck using pre-1995 Barney tapes for our 11-month old.

Isn't there anything worthwhile for children anymore? I'm buying Baby Einstein Videos on E-Bay. Hopefully, they haven't gotten politically correct yet.

Katherine

19 posted on 07/12/2002 10:48:46 PM PDT by kjenerette
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To: Salgak
Because I believe in honoring God and giving Him praise.

Referring to Him as "G-d" (how the heck do you pronounce that anyway?) puts His name into the same category as four letter works that we don't utter in polite company.

However, I do appreciate that she used G-d in the following vain reference to His name:

My G-d, no one denies that HIV infected children...

20 posted on 07/12/2002 10:51:59 PM PDT by Barnacle
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