There’s a children’s book called King & King
In one of the more recent public cries for banning the book, Jeff and Eileen Issa were pissed that their 2 1/2 year old son saw “the prince holding hands with and kissing his new husband.” Jeff later says, “I just want kids to enjoy their innocence and their time of growing up. Let them be kids and not worry about homosexuality, race, religion. Just let them live freely as kids.“
I have a few problems with Jeff’s statement. Mainly the whole “not worry about homosexuality, race, religion” part.
Would Jeff mind if the story involved let’s say a black man and a white woman? Or would that be pushing the whole race thing into our kids’ faces at too young of an age?
Would the story be okay if the two men just lived in the same house and played Parcheesi every night instead of actually officially getting married and then daring to kiss? Is it the marriage that is the problem or is it the implied sexuality of the act of kissing? If it is the latter, would it be okay for a blond, blue-eyed prince to marry a blond, blue-eyed princess, hold hands and then kiss at the end of a children’s book?
Are there any people that do not approve of homosexuality for reasons that do not have to do with religion?
And another thought, is it really that crazy for kids to know that two men or two women might enjoy spending their time together? At 2 1/2 years old do kids really understand relationships to any extent more than that? We have a couple twins that are about 1 1/2 years younger than Geetle and Pookie that live across the street from one of the playgrounds we go to. We don’t see them very often but when we do, their parents are pretty easy to talk to. They have twins and they went through IVF so we have a lot in common. Our kids know them as the kids with the two moms not as the lesbians committing sins against our Lord.
And finally. There are certain relationships that I would not approve of. For example, I would have a conniption if one of my Hawkeye loving children ended up marrying a Duke basketball fan. That’s just not natural. If anybody knows of any books where they encourage those kinds of relationships, let me know so I can talk to my local library.
I’ve been known to be a little odd so I’d love to hear your opinions on banning a book like King & King from libraries.
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{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Oh, this gets me all in a snit. This was a story here in Massachusetts, not sure if we’re referencing the same one. Anyways… SERIOUSLY, PEOPLE! Do we have nothing better to do than teach our children that love is only good if the RIGHT pair of people love each other? Come on.
I live in Massachusetts, where we’ve had legal “gay marriage” for a few years, now. And you know what? The sky didn’t fall. Plagues and lightning didn’t take us out. It didn’t make all of our kids gay. It just means that some more people are able to quietly make their lives together, like the rest of us.
I will teach my children that, when people love each other, it’s a wonderful and beautiful thing. No further clarification needed. Somehow I don’t think they’ll have a problem understanding that.
People are idiots. If they don’t want their kids to read a book, they should just not let them read a book. The book does not need to be banned, no matter how stupid the reason.
Government shouldn’t have their hands in marriage, anyhow.
First of all, I did not know there was such a book, second of all I think it is a WONDERFUL idea to tell children that there are all kinds of people in the world, and that it’s ok that we’re not all the same. What better way to talk to your kids than with a story? I am studying early childhood education, and spend lots of time around lots of kids, and I don’t think very many of them (that young) would even think anything of two men kissing or holding hands. I think that if there were more children’s stories like this, the world would be a more tolerant place. I think I’m going to go buy a copy of this book for my children’s book library!
You know what’s gonna happen, don’t you? These parents will soon discover that this isn’t the only book in the universe with this “unseemly” type of story. So they’re going to take it to the next level and ban books altogether. And if that doesn’t work, they’ll just force their kids to stop reading. That way the chillins won’t get any ideas.
Well, I guess now we have to stop all of our kids from reading. You know, if they read independently, they start forming their own thoughts! We can’t have that now! Next thing you know, they’re questioning authority! OMG!! What’s next? Allowing them to have friends of different races!! The world is coming to an end!!! AHHHHHH!!! That’s almost as bad as my good little OSU Buckeyes thinking they can socialize with those dirty little Michigan fans at school! Oh, wait. Their dad is the asst coach for basketball. They can socialize, but they are not allowed to be friends!!!
Seriously, when are these people going to realize that there is more than one kind of relationship? If you don’t like a book, tv show, movie, whatever, PARENT your child, teach them what it is you want them to know, don’t be LAZY by trying to bring the government into it.
Oh yeah, I said it! Take responsibility for what you want your kids to know!!!! Don’t put it on me and the rest of the nation!!! We just might not want the same things!!!
Well, it looks like it is unanimous.
King & King stays in the libraries and parents start keeping track of what their young kids read.
I bet Jeff and Eileen would just love the sequel where the two kings have a kid.
I’m so going to buy it.
Realistically, I quite happily have Callum read books of any nature. So it wouldn’t be made a big deal of, it’d just be another book.
Secretly: I love a wee bit of controversy, and know for a fact that a book like that would stir some up in my little corner of ignorantville. But how to implement it without ghetting Callum involved…