(This is fast reply - and not directed to you julia)
"Won't some one please - remember the children!"
*place hand to forehead and act dramatically...
I am never - ever ceased to be amazed by peoples complete inability to understand how to actually talk to a teenager these days.
Lets all wrap them up in cotton wool and never ever let them know that bad people exist - let alone how to handle a bad person.
I am amazed that people believe that when parents take their children along to see these type of self defense classes and participate - they don't actually inform their children what is involved.
Just because you let your child watch a film/tv/book (and yep - thats anything from jaq wilson to britneys sister or the OC - ) that can contain scenes of love, sexual inuendo and violence without explaining why these things happen, let alone how they don't have to participate if they happen to come across such, does not mean that responsible parents don't.
You see a few words written on a screen and start making sideways accusations and 'omgosh-how-shocking' noises.
Lets forget for a moment that teenagers come across these things on a regular basis.
Lets forget for a moment that classes like these help empower teenagers to say no and say how inappropriate such words are.
Lets forget for a moment that most teenagers aren't even aware how a person can be infected, abused or made pregnant - all for the sake of 'protecting the children'.
People - adults - YOU - are naive.
Don't place such a burden on your teenagers too.
Peace
P.S Hey Erin, how about non political debate hijaking too?[;)]