Ignore the sex offender outrage. Frankly, the guy is in prison and he can't molest your kids through the CD player. I don't understand people who thought this project was okay--until they found out a sex-offender had gotten involved.
Here is some background completely ignoring the sex-offender angle:
quote:. . . a state-sponsored CD of children's songs recorded by prison inmates . . .
quote: Others credited on the CD include inmates convicted of aggravated murder, aggravated robbery and aggravated kidnapping.
The album contains lullabies for newborns, sing-along songs for toddlers and parenting tips. Many songs are childhood classics such as "This Old Man," while some were composed by the inmates.
quote: Hedrick said she believes the CD will still have a positive impact. "From the child's perspective, if it was my father who did that, at least I could have something to be proud of him for," she said.
What the hell?!
Oh look, honey! A CD of children's songs and parenting advice put out by drug dealers and murderers! Let's buy this for junior! Oh wait!! A child molester did tech work on it!! I was okay with this before, but not now!!
posted
I think it's mostly the squick factor. It would probably squick me out to know that my child was listening to a CD made by a child molester. It would squick me out much more than knowing that a murderer made it.
Maybe it's because I can understand the desire to kill, but the desire to molest a child is too alien.
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The thing is, though, if you have a big enough collection, then the probability would be that you do have something a pedophile worked on at some point in your house.
Do you go to sporting events? Do you cheer along with that Gary Glitter song: dadundudah dun HEY! dun dadun.
But my point was that a prison inmate childrens' music CD is just an absurd idea in the first place, even if you succeed in keeping the child molester's away from the soundboard.
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quote:So none of Michael Jackson's works in your house eh?
A) I have no opnion about MJ's guilt or innocence B) Nope, I have none of his works
quote:The thing is, though, if you have a big enough collection, then the probability would be that you do have something a pedophile worked on at some point in your house.
There's a big difference between owning something that a pedophile worked on and knowing that a pedophile worked on a specific CD.
There's also a big difference between having a CD that a pedophile worked on and it being a children's CD.
quote:But my point was that a prison inmate childrens' music CD is just an absurd idea in the first place, even if you succeed in keeping the child molester's away from the soundboard.
Like I said before, a children's CD made by murders and theives wouldn't bother me nearly as much as a children's CD made by pedophiles.
Keep snerking all you want, but I can understand why people reacted like that.
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posted
I might be fine with it. I don't know. I'm sure some would be.
But I'm pretty sure that I'd have a visceral reaction to the pedophile. I don't think my reaction would be atypical.
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posted
I think it's relevant to note that the target audience for the CD is prison groups and inmate families. It was also going to go to libraries and community groups, but that's been canceled.
Guys in prison making a CD for kids whose dads are in prison sounds a bit different than if it were a comercial venture.
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quote: Guys in prison making a CD for kids whose dads are in prison sounds a bit different than if it were a comercial venture.
Why? I am genuinely confused about what you mean, dkw. Can you please elaborate?
quote: But my point was that a prison inmate childrens' music CD is just an absurd idea in the first place, even if you succeed in keeping the child molester's away from the soundboard.
Why? I do not get it. It doesn't change the content of the art, and it's not like kids are going to have inmate cooties transferred to them by listening to it.
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quote: Guys in prison making a CD for kids whose dads are in prison sounds a bit different than if it were a comercial venture.
Why? I am genuinely confused about what you mean, dkw. Can you please elaborate?
I understand that. It's like the idea of Girl Scout troops in prison for dads and daughters or mothers and daughters, a way for the kids to reconnect with incarcerated parents.
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posted
And it's a way for the guys in prison to try to give back to the families they were forced to leave behind.
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I remember when I wasn't allowed to see my daddy for two years (I was 12 or so.) I had a copy of his band's tape and I would secretly play it at night with headphones on when I was in bed (secretly so my mom wouldn't find out that I had it and "accidentally" throw it away or something) and just listen to his voice and guitar playing and bass playing. And sometimes cry. And write to him in my journal (I never showed it to him, but I would "tell him" all the things I wanted to say to him and then hide the journal, again, so my mom couldn't see it. If I'd known where she hid the stamps I might have snuck a real letter to him once in a while.)
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posted
I appreciate what you guys are saying, and agree, but the cd (I almost said 'album' ) isn't being distributed just to the families of those making the album, so other children not the children of those either on the cd or involved in its making will be listening to it. It's not even known if any of the people involved in making the cd even have any children. If the cd is bad for children, then why let any children listen to it?
From my point of view, the inmates are doing something positive from which no harm can come, and probably some good for botht he inmates and the children listening.
But let's say it was for money, then what's wrong with that? Money in and of itself is neither good or evil, however I can see how excess money inside might get an inmate in trouble in a variety of ways, so I could see putting in some kind of stipulation that more than some small amount a day couldn't be touched until they got out of prison. Beyond that, though, I don't see anything wrong with the inmates making money from something while they are in prison that is good for them and society. In fact, I would think that getting material reward for doing good on the inside is probably a good thing.
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posted
Storm, I wouldn't really have a problem with it either way, although I don't think a children's CD by convicts would be a particularly successful marketing gimmick. If the content was good, some people wouldn't care who made it and others would support the venture because they support prison reform, or like the idea of people in prison trying to contribute soemthing positive, or a few other reasons. However I can't see it taking off as a strictly commercial venture. But as a project from dads and brothers (and other guys)in prison to kids with family members in prison -- that is a target audience to whom this could be very meaningful.
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posted
Oh, I see, dkw. I thought you were making a statement about the goodness of the venture. Pardon. Posts: 13123 | Registered: Feb 2002
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posted
I recognize, Porter, but one of the things I was doing in my posts was pointing out that if no bad stuff happens, but only good, what's the point of being squicked and why is that going to keep your children from listening to it if the cd is not bad for them?
In addition, I was addressing the whole issue of only putting it out to prisoner's children, or commercially.
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quote:Originally posted by mr_porteiro_head: I think it's mostly the squick factor. It would probably squick me out to know that my child was listening to a CD made by a child molester.
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) isn't being distributed just to the families of those making the album, so other children not the children of those either on the cd or involved in its making will be listening to it. It's not even known if any of the people involved in making the cd even have any children. If the cd is bad for children, then why let any children listen to it?
