I got a letter from the school just a day or so ago informing me that the fifth graders at Reagan's school will be shown some films related to "their changing bodies" and they will be separated by gender for the viewing. I don't really have an issue with this, but I do have a concern about how things will be approached after reading a news article this morning. I'm really more of a factual, straightforward, scientific kind of guy that would prefer for my children to know the correct names for the different parts of their anatomy and for my children to be comfortable using the correct names for the different parts of their body. It really helps to be able to speak clearly.
If I say that I have a bump on my skull, then everyone knows exactly what I'm talking about. On the other hand, if I said that I had a bump on my noggin', then you might wonder if I meant my thinking noggin' or my sitting noggin'. On the other hand, if you don't push the proper terminology, then it can cause confusion when someone uses it. For example, little Timmy tells his buddy, Jake, that he broke his ulna and Frank freaks out because he always thought Timmy was a boy. Or Susy asks her boyfriend if he'll check to see if her uvula is swollen and he starts thinking he's going to make it to third base. We've got to be educated on the correct terms for our body parts to avoid confusion. So, maybe you can understand why I'm a little concerned about the girls in New York state that have been suspended for using the word vagina in a presentation (full article here).
If you can't use the correct term for a part of your anatomy, then what are they going to be saying in these films that Reagan is supposed to watch? Surely, they won't say "See You Next Tuesday" (think about it, and if you still don't get it, call me) or anything that might be mistaken for a reference to cats. At least I hope they won't. I'm just not sure anymore. If we can't use the proper terms, then what other options are left to us? Would these girls have been suspended for using any term that referred in any way to that part of their anatomy? What if they had decided to not say anything at all and just showed everyone what they were talking about? Would that have been okay?
It just seems absurd to me that you can suspend someone for using the correct name for a part of your anatomy. I suppose that you could use a term in a context that would make it bad, like if I called someone a pain in my ulna. Maybe that's worth punishing, but my understanding is that their usage was nowhere near that line. I guess I'll just have to wait and see what kind of terminology Reagan learns for the different parts of her anatomy.
Please note:
The girls in the article were reading from the feminist play "The Vagina Monologues" written by Eve Ensler. The play itself has been the source of much controversy in many different venues, and I cannot take sides in any of those controversies. I do not know anything about the play, so I cannot say that I agree or disagree with the content.
1 comment:
ok, I must be a really big idiot, but "see you next tuesday" means nothing to me no matter how much I think about it. Also, I hope they use correct terminology in the film, for Reagan's sake as much as yours! That way you won't embarrass her by going to her school and letting them know they are a pain in your ulna, and your phalanges are aching to poke out their occular sockets!
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