"What's The Buzz" Podcast
Is it right for a 15 year old boy to have a relationship with his 35 year old female teacher? How about a girl and her male teacher? Ok, well how about a male student male teacher, or female student female teacher?"What's The Buzz" Podcast
Is it right for a 15 year old boy to have a relationship with his 35 year old female teacher? How about a girl and her male teacher? Ok, well how about a male student male teacher, or female student female teacher?
To begin, in this podcast there is no wavering of opinions which I really like. With some topics, opinions can be easily persuaded one way or another but you guys, including Jamie, really stuck to your guns and were very clear on what you thought. However, I’ve got both girl and teacher brain occurring so I shall share 🙂
I find it both awesome and strange that this was specifically dedicated to pedophiliac TEACHERS. Not doctors, lawyers, priests, or the everyday pedophile. Specifically, it is teachers. I find it awesome because besides priests, it’s the only job out there that makes national news when this type of situation arises and you guys really honed in on whether you consider it right or wrong as being a former student, now parents etc. However, I also know that there are several reasons why teachers are the standout profession for a topic such as pedophilia and statutory rape.
Teachers are supposed to be practically perfect in every way. They are not just supposed to be able to teach skills needed to further the education of an individual, but they are supposed to shape the lives of their students and enforce (through modeling) the topic of RIGHTNESS. Therefore, if a teacher, in any way, goes against this, they should be removed from their jobs and they should be punished. However, I do find it extreme the shame included with chastisement when a teacher commits a minor or major transgression.
I do not have the statistics but I guarantee that there are less cases of pedophilia and statutory rape between teacher-student than committed by “average Joe with 3 kids and a wife he wishes he didn’t have.” These cases may be published in the local newspaper under the police log and maybe in a couple years they are welcomed back into society with a “Level 1-whatever they go up to Sex Offender” status in the local police station where the violator chooses to live. Mary Kay Letorneau and the other national cases will remain a discussion topic (as made true by your podcast) for decades, and for two reasons: FEMALE, TEACHER. ( I will get to the female part later.)
Am I saying that it is my own belief that a teacher should be considered no more valuable than Average Joe 3 kids w/ hated wife? No. Teachers must be considered a valued occupation because it helps prepare the young for a responsible and productive future. But I do believe that teachers are one of two things to its community:
1.) Put on a pedestal so high that any violation of society’s decree of rightness should send them tumbling down to a pit of despair so deep that hopelessness is all that remains;
or 2.) the community hates teachers so much that any violation of society’s decree of rightness should send them tumbling down to a pit of despair so deep that hopelessness is all that remains.
There is a giant target on the backs of teachers and despite how wrong society views pedophilia, it will ALWAYS be so much worse if a teacher commits this act than any other occupation in the world.
Next, oh the way men view women’s sexuality.
I found it so ironic that it is viewed as less wrong if a female teacher were to commit this act as opposed to a male teacher and I know exactly why. I agree with Kamil when he stated its because of the male genitalia’s symbolic act of impalement. Yeah, when put that way it is seen more violent and therefore more criminal. But remember, most of these cases are consensual acts of “love” or attraction between teacher and student. They usually arise out of a mutual attraction between both parties. If not, than its complete and utter rape and in my opinion, genitalia OFF. Slice, chop, beat with hammer, I don’t really care. So having said that, since this is a mutually agreed upon coming together of teacher-child, it matters not whether the adult is male or female.
I think the reasoning why it’s less wrong for a female (and remember that Florida teacher, 24 with middle school student? What did she get? Like 4 months prison time or something extremely short… so obviously the jury agreed with you guys 100%,) is because males think that a female hardly ever acts animalistically (which is not a word) when faced with her own sexual desires. This is not true. Are we able to repress it at a bar when we really just want to take a guy home and show him how it is done? Absolutely. Do we do this better than guys? Abso-freakin-lutely. But it does not mean that a female is less attracted to man (or boy, ew,) than males are to women, nor does it mean our sexual desires and needs are any less. The male in most heterosexual relationships is viewed as the pursuer and initiator. Because of this society believes it is easier to think that a female teacher is not going to act on her sexual needs in a way that would seem harmful. Wrong. The fact that there is a woman sleeping with someone who is emotionally vulnerable to sexual relationships shows she is so far from benign it’s scary. So while I comprehend your opinions very clearly and maybe even to an extent agree with them, its not the difference in age. Its not the gender of the adult. It’s the fact that someone who is sexually mature is feeding on the implusive, sexually immature and emotionally not-developed teenager who probably just needs a mommy or daddy figure in order to fulfill his or her own sexual and emotional desires. Word of advice to these people…masturbate.
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