I don’t have any young children or grandchildren, so I’m asking for a friend.
What do you tell your children and grandchildren about managing their conduct in social settings in light of the scandalous revelations about the president and the many women who have alleged that they have had unprotected sexual relations with him?
Do you tell the children that it is okay to meetup with a porn actress one day and within hours hookup with her in unprotected erotic bliss?
After all if the president of the United States did not use condoms when he was a 60 year old man, surely it’s okay for every young person in the country to follow his lead.
Who could argue with that, right?
Do you tell your male child that when he is blessed to have a wife who loves and adores him, and she becomes pregnant, that it is okay to have a one night stand with a porn actress?
After all a man got to have what a man got to have, right?
Do you tell the children that if you grow up to be able to sway public opinion on your behalf, that it is alright to walk up to any woman and grab her by the pudendum?
After all women will let a man with power do it, right?
Do you tell the children “I don’t care what the president does with woman as long as his politics align with my views?”
After all if the politics is right who cares about morals and morality, right?
Do you tell your male children that when his lovely wife is in the family way that it is okay to have a 10 month affair with a Playboy Bunny?
After all a man should not have to do without the joys of a woman’s body just because his spouse is burden with childbirth, right?
Do you tell the children that if it wasn’t acceptable behavior, the president would not engage in these acts, would he?
I don’t know the answers, just asking for a friend.
Harold Michael Harvey is an American novelist and essayist. He is a Contributor at The Hill, SCLC National Magazine, Southern Changes Magazine and Black College Nines. He can be contacted at [email protected]
I was raised by two parents who believed that when a child asked an intelligent question, the child deserved an intelligent answer. Answering questions about salacious behavior is always dicey, particularly for parents who are skittish about talking about anything sexual with young children. However, the alternative is for children to get their information (or misinformation) in the streets or via the media. I would first suggest this. If any parent has not condemned this kind of behavior among men and women that he or she might have admired, then the first explanation to one’s child or grandchildren is a lesson about hypocrisy. I dislike Trump as much as anyone, but there is a tendency to excuse the extramarital dalliances and unethical behavior of men and women we like (or at least we believe are aligned with us politically and socially), but then salivate over the discovery of licentiousness among our known enemies. If we are to have any credibility with our children, or any child we come in contact with, we must first be honest with them and admit that too often we look the other way at this kind of behavior when it’s someone we would rather believe is innocent. Once that is admitted, all of these questions will be easy to answer because the hardest answer has already been given. As always, great writing Michael!
As always Joy, you add much to the discussion. Someone commented on this post on LinkedIn and suggested that parents should not say anything to the children. I hope she takes a look at your comment.
As a parent you should explain the action of the president as to what it really is. It is below the gutter behaviour of a man in power. You must explain to your child that each person has their own beliefs, moral standings, your family name and reputation. It all depends on how you want people to see you. I remember when Jesse Jackson got the young lady pregnant. Some young men said they wanted to be like him. They wanted a wife and a side woman. Young people must understand that some people were not taught how to behave. For every action is a reaction.
Thank you for weighing in on this issue.