Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site mit-eddie.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!genrad!mit-eddie!rh From: rh@mit-eddie.UUCP (Randy Haskins) Newsgroups: net.motss Subject: Re: NAMBLA RESOLUTION Message-ID: <1197@mit-eddie.UUCP> Date: Mon, 16-Jan-84 05:07:36 EST Article-I.D.: mit-eddi.1197 Posted: Mon Jan 16 05:07:36 1984 Date-Received: Tue, 17-Jan-84 02:04:32 EST References: <485@bbncca.ARPA> Organization: MIT, Cambridge, MA Lines: 53 Not meaning to offend anyone, but I find I have to express my initial reaction as it came to me: THIS RESOLUTION IS BOGUS! I CAN'T BELIEVE ANYONE CAN BE SO STUPID!!! Sorry, but that's my initial reaction. To say that a child is able to make an informed (?!!) decision about having sex!!! I'm sorry, but the formal presentation of such a collection of stupidity really got to me. What do these people think is the purpose of childhood? How do they come off thinking that a child is a "small adult?" First of all, the fact that children are smaller makes the concept of sex frightening. And all this shit about voting and deciding where they want to live and how to go to school!!! I'll be honest with you all, though: back when I was about 15, I indeed had all the answers. No, really, I did. I didn't need my parents (except, of course, to provide financial support, but that doesn't count). I realized that people my age should be allowed to make all their own decisions, and I was constantly getting upset by the fact that my parents didn't let me. Of course, it was my fault that I took that; I should have told them to screw themselves and left home, except for the fact that no one in this mixed up society would hire me, so I couldn't support myself. It's strange, but I find that in the last 7 years, the world has gotten so complicated that I no longer have all the answers. I know the world has gotten more complicated, because I don't have all the answers now, and I know that I had them then. It seems that the world has changed right out from under me, and that people at age 15 aren't really capable of making all of their own decisions like we were when I was 15. It's really strange, too, because I've learned SO much in the last 7 years, but the world just got more complex faster than I could learn. I suppose the NAMBL people may find this out in a few years. But despite the fact that I don't have all the answers, I have learned this: you never know as much as you think you do (or need to know), and you're never really able to make your own decisions properly, but you have to anyway. But making your own decisions is an incredible burden, and it shouldn't be forced on children. Another thing that I take exception to is the thing about children surrendering their wages to their parents. What, don't you think the "self-sufficient small adult" should have to pay rent? I think I'd better punt here, because I find I'm getting madder the longer I write. I do want to go on record for the first time ever in my life saying, "I'm really glad that I'm not gay." If I were gay, I would feel compelled to hunt down and kill all of the members of NAMBL for giving people of my persuasion a bad name. -- Randwulf (Randy Haskins); Path= genrad!mit-eddie!rh