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Condoms in caches: A good/bad idea?


JoeCthulhu

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quote:
Originally posted by Kouros:

I didn't vote... because there wasn't an option for "No... who would trust a condom left outside by someone else?"

 

------

An it harm none, do what ye will


 

I agree, much like my rule that I would never eat or drink anything I found in a cache.

 

"We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. Your culture will adapt to service us. Resistance is futile. We are the Borg."

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quote:
Originally posted by enfanta:

quote:
I agree, much like my rule that I would never eat or drink anything I found in a cache.


 

I *so* didn't need that combination of mental images, thank you very much! icon_biggrin.gif


 

Sorry, but I can't control the images in your head...YET. icon_wink.gif

 

"We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. Your culture will adapt to service us. Resistance is futile. We are the Borg."

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“Hey, Jim, did ya hear what they’ve been finding in the caches around the north fork?”

 

“Nah, let me guess, Rick. Condoms. Right?”

 

“Nope. Suppositories! Can you imagine?”

 

“Suppositories? Incredible. Were they at least wrapped?”

 

“Who cares? No way you get me to use one of those things wrapped or unwrapped. It was probably placed some water-brained, anal pervert.”

 

“Maybe he’s only concerned that someone might need them in a hurry. Ya never know what might happen on the trail. Not everyone need McToys or AA baterries. There are adults caching too ya know."

 

“Well, maybe so. But I'm still not sure it's a good idea. We finally got past the commotion over minnow buckets and ammo cans, now someone’s got to start another controversy.”

 

“Should I get out the poll charts and get ready to take a survey?”

 

“Nah. Don’t bother quite yet. Here, take this toilet paper and place it in that cache. We might as well cover all sides of this problem!”

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quote:
Originally posted by SR & dboggny:

so whats the problem. when you walk over them, do you all explain to your kids what they are?

 


 

Nope, I just explain to them that it could have been them in there. icon_wink.gificon_razz.gificon_biggrin.gif

 

______________________________________________________________________________________

Not so sure, Somewhat new Owner Of a Garmin GPS V Received on 10-03-02

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quote:
Originally posted by umc:

 

 

Nope, I just explain to them that it could have been them in there. icon_wink.gificon_razz.gificon_biggrin.gif

 

______________________________________________________________________________________

 

Not so sure, Somewhat new Owner Of a Garmin GPS V Received on 10-03-02


 

icon_biggrin.gificon_biggrin.gificon_biggrin.gificon_biggrin.gificon_wink.gificon_biggrin.gificon_wink.gificon_biggrin.gificon_wink.gificon_biggrin.gificon_rolleyes.gif

 

Cache you later,

Planet

 

Two Wrongs Don't Make A Right, But Three Lefts Do.

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As was already mentioned in an earlier post, would you really place that kind of trust in a prophylactic found in a cache container icon_eek.gif ? Assuming that the majority of us share a certain semblance of common sense and would answer 'No' to that question, what then would be the point in leaving one there in the first place...?

 

Imagine the pillow talk...

 

"Hey honey, that's not our regular brand..."

 

"Don't worry sweety, I found it in a rusty old ammo can out in the woods and traded one of Junior's HappyMeal toys for it ...pretty good deal, huh? Now... just lay back and relax..."

 

ontario1.gif

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Lmao @ Cache Canucks.

 

thats too funy.

 

Although I have found myself eating some combos I found in a cache. On that note don't go caching hungry.

 

______________________________________________________________________________________

Not so sure, Somewhat new Owner Of a Garmin GPS V Received on 10-03-02

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and humor in the resonses...

 

I voted for #1. I'm a mom first and we do this as a family activity. I don't think I'd be laughing if I ran across such an item in a cache. It's been hard enough explaining the various pieces of discarded clothing we've found in the woods! icon_eek.gif

 

GeoMedic - team leader of GeoStars

 

Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it's time to pause and reflect.

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IMHO,

 

If a person is so dateless that they don't need their condoms, then one might also assume that they have a bit of extra "date money," since they aren't spending that on a pre-romp dinner & a movie. Thus, in conclusion, I think that one would not be so broke as to at least slip in a dollar bill in trade if they are unprepared to swap out a more appropriate cache-item. There's no cache a condom will fit in where a dollar won't.

 

Funny, because I haven't yet seen a log where someone brags about "took keychain, left condom because date stood me up..." But then again, I suppose one who leaves a condom is probably the type of chap who tells an old joke and is the only one laughing.

 

I take my young daughters caching, and I'd prefer not to see a condom fall out of a goodie bag. I don't have to explain about any "condoms on the ground" because fortunately we don't live in an area where people are indisposed of treating a lady with a bit more class than a dirt bed. Gives a new meaning to the term, Cache-in, Trash-out. icon_wink.gif

 

Also, there's a marked difference between a used, discaded condom on the ground and a brightly colored package in a stash-can we are rummaging. Luckily, my daughters don't scour the ground looking at every bit of trash, asking, "What's this?"

 

Leaving a condom in a cache is not something a person does proudly, nor is it something they "step up to admitting" in their log, so why place it in the first place? It is not only the mark of obvious loneliness, but also one of someone too cheap to leave a decent item in a cache.

 

Good topic, and hopefully it might raise awareness that some of us do cache with kids. Please don't sell me on the idea of "What do you tell them if they see one on the ground..." Because they also see feces on the trail... That doesn't mean I'm gonna go drop logs inside a cache can, does it? icon_wink.gif

 

Use your heads... the ones that are on the northern horizon. icon_wink.gif

 

Grandmaster Cache

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quote:
Originally posted by GRANDMASTER CACHE:

...where people are indisposed of treating a lady with a bit more class than a dirt bed.


Am I the only one who doesn't know what this means?

 

In any case, I think this belongs in the religious items thread... Has anyone thought about the Catholics?

 

icon_rolleyes.gif

 

Jamie

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Good catch, Jaime!

 

That is indeed a butchered sentence - trying to parlay too many thoughts into one verse. I'll leave it as an example of how foolish one can appear when trying to sound clever. icon_wink.gif I think my opinion on the matter was already redundant enough, so I won't waste anyone's time trying to re-state my thought(s) on the matter. Sheesh, maybe someone could be so kind as to leave a Chicago Manual of Style in a cache around here! LOL

 

Grandmaster Cache

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If I found a condom in a cache (when/if I ever get to one again) I would take it because they hold more water than a water ballons. I once had one fit approx 3 gallon (I did not measure, but it looked about like a 5 gallon jug- don't correct my math) before it broke.

 

Wyatt W.

 

The probability of someone watching you is directly proportional to the stupidity of your actions.

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quote:
Originally posted by Cache Canucks:

...but I _love_ Jamie Z's Herb Tarlekesque avatar (now that's 'birth control' icon_biggrin.gif !).


Heh... thanks, but who's Tarlek? A google search came up with Herb Tarlek from WKRP... he matched the description quite well. Is that who you mean?

 

Hmmm... do you suppose I ought to get a green shirt instead?

 

Jamie

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quote:
Originally posted by Jamie Z:

"...Heh... thanks, but who's Tarlek? A google search came up with Herb Tarlek from WKRP... he matched the description quite well. Is that who you mean?..."


One in the same. Maybe I'm dating myself but, as anyone who watched prime-time television back in the 70's can tell you, there's only one 'Herb Tarlek' ...loud tie ...3" belt that always matched his shoes ...wide lapelled '4 alarm' polyester suits ...yup, that's the guy!

 

'WKRP'... now that was a funny show...

 

ontario1.gif

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quote:
Originally posted by Cache Canucks:

 

Maybe I'm dating myself but, as anyone who watched prime-time television back in the 70's can tell you, there's only _one_ 'Herb Tarlek' ...loud tie ...3" belt that always matched his shoes ...wide lapelled '4 alarm' polyester suits ...yup, that's the guy!

 


 

Aha! You've been dating yourself, eh? So with a suprlus of prophylactics currently in your possession, you must be the one responsible for leaving those condoms in the cache!

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quote:
Originally posted by CYBret:

"...Remember the Thanksgiving Turkey Give Away episode of WKRP?..."


Ah yes... Herb's airborne 'Thanksgiving Turkey Stunt' ...where he didn't realize that turkeys couldn't fly until he started tossing them out of a helicopter hovering above a horrified crowd of onlookers. You've got to remember though, Herb is the same guy who came up with the 'Dancing Ducks' promotion (but the less we talk about his putting live ducks on a heated hotplate, the better...).

 

'WKRP'... what a show... icon_smile.gif

 

ontario1.gif

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quote:
Originally posted by GeoStars:

and humor in the resonses...

 

I voted for #1. I'm a mom first and we do this as a family activity. I don't think I'd be laughing if I ran across such an item in a cache. It's been hard enough explaining the various pieces of discarded clothing we've found in the woods! icon_eek.gif

 

GeoMedic - team leader of GeoStars

 

Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it's time to pause and reflect.


 

It's an individually wrapped balloon kids, now put it back and take a toy or one of those golf balls.

 

I remember the Turkey Stunt. Too funny.

 

Cache you later,

Planet

 

Two Wrongs Don't Make A Right, But Three Lefts Do.

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quote:
half the time i find more condoms around the cache are then in the cache

 

so whats the problem. when you walk over them, do you all explain to your kids what they are?


 

Ive been lucky enough to not find any of these rubberized thingys around or in caches around here. Of course being in Texas, it wont surprise me if i do run across one laying on the ground that is broken and stretched out of shape!

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quote:
Originally posted by Jamie Z:

quote:
Originally posted by Cache Canucks:

belt that always matched his shoes


"...Is that bad? I've been known to do that. I also sometimes match my shirt and socks..."

Black belt/black shoes, brown belt/brown shoes ...sure, that works for most folks. Thing is, ol'Herb had a thing about white belt/white shoes (and various 'gag you with a spoon' pastel combinations). Catch an episode of the show in re-runs if you ever have the chance icon_smile.gif !

 

ontario1.gif

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I thought that Geocaching was supposed to be a family-oriented activity? I'm not advocating sensorship or ignoring the "birds and bees" discussions that any responsible parent will have with their children, but is this an acceptable item to leave in a cache? It kinda forces the issue when you find one with a child present. We may as well start leaving porn in the caches too! If the people leaving them expect them not to be used then their presence is nothing more than an off-color joke - much like leaving a nudie pic or dirty joke would be.

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As a parent, I am not concerned about explaining things like condoms to my child. I am not so naive as to think that you can keep children from finding out about things by hiding them or pretending they don't exist. I think the best policy is just to be open and honest with your kids about all things, including sex (and deadly disease). I don't want to descend into a debate about abstinence, I think it is overly optimistic in the face of the available data to believe that preaching abstinence alone is enough to protect your child.

 

That being said, I personally find it pretty unlikely that anyone would find a condom from a cache useful, but I have seen plenty of things (calling cards, for example) in caches that aren't particularly useful to others. Call me closed-minded, but since I have pretty much settled on my religious beliefs at this time, I don't find religious tracts useful, yet I sometimes find them in caches as well. I leave them with the thought that perhaps someone else will think they are useful.

 

I am somewhat opposed to people "cleansing" caches of condoms or other items that they personally find offensive. Of course, you are free to trade out anything you like from a cache, but I feel it is not in keeping with the spirit of geocaching to take something you don't actually want just because you have a political opposition to it.

 

JCR icon_smile.gif

 

--

"I looked for it and I found it

Miles Standish proud:

Congratulate me" --R.E.M.

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Maybe it's just me, but it has nothing to do with being naive. It has to do with a bit of class. What is a condom in a cache supposed to mean? Why would it be there? Is there some "PC Movement" to force "knowledge and acceptance" down the throats of parents? Better not be! icon_wink.gif My kids will learn about it WHEN I determine it's appropriate, not when you or anybody else thinks they should de-virginized to what a condom is, what it's used for, what it protects against, etc. I am not so dubious about my parenting skills as to think they'll find out before I tell them. Maybe "some" parents need someone else to do their "world-speak" for them, but not me. I hope you don't think I'm being personally harsh against you; it's just your premise that I am debating. icon_smile.gif We don't have to constantly "expose" our children to everything in the world under the pretext that we would otherwise keep them "ignorant" to what's going on around them. Hey, drugs are a reality, too! Should we keep paraphenlia in caches, because we should expose our kids to the reality of what "people do?"

 

If this is a "family sport," then I don't think you should place anything in a cache you wouldn't walk through a department store holding proudly in front of you. I mean, if people are all about educating children about the perils of sex, then perhaps they should do so openly and personally, not in the shadows of actual, tangible parenting. I despise people who try to dictate what's "proper" for my children when they would never be an advocate face-to-face.

 

All said and told, should we leave bloody tampons in caches, to teach our girls what to expect when they "come of age?" Isn't that a swell way to "break the ice?" I mean, it's reality, isn't it?

 

I hate to sound vulgar, but if THAT'S vulgar to some, then please understand that condoms are vulgar to us. Should we leave USED condoms, so we can pat our kids on the back and explain that some responsible couple excercised smart-sex, and perhaps we can stray from our geocaching adventure to spend a few hours "educating" our kids? How about everybody let us PARENTS do that educating when WE feel it's appropriate, and in a more proper setting than a family hike.

 

I mean, how HARD is it for someone to leave something decent, and non-controversial? I don't have any problems doing that, and I don't have a "mission" or "goal" in orientating anybody's children when I exchange goodies in a cache.

 

I would challenge anybody who thinks it's perfectly "okay" to secretly leave a condom in a cache when nobody can see them being so "big and bold" to string a few packets around their neck and wear their "safe-sex statement" in public. Nope. Precious few "advocates" would do that. To that extent, it must take a coward to practice their sneaky "education" behind the scenes. Heck, at least go leave some rubber ball, if you feel a need to leave something "rubber" in a cache. If your objective is to "reach kids," then leave something appropriate for them to play with. If you don't want me going up to YOUR daughter, and providing her with a condom, then don't be chicken-poos and try to leave one with the intent it reach MY daughter... Fair enough? Is common sense lost among my fellow family cachers? Please tell me if I'm too much a prude - if condoms are a mainstay in this sport, then perhaps I need to stop investing money in nice treats and CDs for kids and families, and just be content with looking for benchmarks. I know for a fact that there's not a cacher out here who would go up to my daugher IN FRONT OF ME and hand her a condom... Why be a sneak about it? icon_wink.gif

 

Grandmaster Cache

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quote:
Originally posted by GRANDMASTER CACHE:

"...Maybe it's just me, but it has nothing to do with being naive. It has to do with a bit of class. What is a condom in a cache supposed to mean? Why would it be there?..."


If you've been monitoring the results of this poll at all, you'll have noted that the overwhelming(!!!) majority of those who responded with a vote share an opinion similar to your own. This, combined with what I believe to be a certain degree of 'threshold decency' that is common to most who participate in this sport/game/passtime(...whatever) leaves me reasonably confident that the likelihood of condoms being found in your local cache is slim to nil ...regardless of the few 'I don't see anything wrong with it' posts you may see here.

 

You have the comfort that comes with knowing that you're far from being 'the lone voice of reason' on this subject. icon_smile.gif

 

ontario1.gif

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quote:
Originally posted by dave and jaime:

doesnt heat and cold affect the 'supple-ness' of latex?


 

Yes, the latex used to make condoms can become "brittle", and thus more likely to break during use, when exposed to temperature extremes - that's one of the reasons that its not such a good idea to carry a condom around in your wallet. If the heat from being in your pocket is enough to render a condom unusable, imagine what would happen if one sat in an ammo box in the sun for a summer.

 

quote:
I once had one fit approx 3 gallon (I did not measure, but it looked about like a 5 gallon jug- don't correct my math) before it broke.

 

If I remember correctly, FDA requires that condoms be able to hold 15 gallons of air (it may even be 25, I don't remember exactly.) They pull random condoms from manufactured batches to test for this. That amount is for "fresh" condoms though - they haven't been subjected to general storage. During a class I had on teaching sex ed, the professor took out a condom and stretched it over her fingers, past her wrist, then her elbow, all the way up to her shoulder - and this was over her left arm, and she was wearing a diamond ring - without it breaking. They're strong, but put condoms in the wrong environment and you're better off just throwing them out.

 

----

When in doubt, poke it with a stick.

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quote:
Originally posted by GatoRx:

the professor took out a condom and stretched it over her fingers, past her wrist, then her elbow, all the way up to her shoulder...


You have got to be kidding me. Her entire arm, encased in a condom? This is almost good enough to test myself. Er, if the idea of doing that wasn't so bizarre.

 

Jamie

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What is "wrong" with a condom in a cache? Especially in these times with AIDS running rampant? If you choose to hunt geocaches with your childern, then you must educate them as to what you might find. Besides, kids know what condoms are anyway. There are TV commercials for them, or used to be. Heck! They hand them out at school these days! Times have changed and kids must be educated properly for all things they may encounter in life. Besides, condoms save lives by preventing disease and preventing unwanted preggies and subsequent abortions. Get real people! If condoms offend you, then don't go geocaching with your kids! Geeesh! Besides, condoms are not just used for sex! They can be handy for all types of scenarios, even emergencies.

 

[This message was edited by ValCor on December 03, 2002 at 12:06 AM.]

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quote:
Originally posted by ValCor:

What is "wrong" with a condom in a cache? Especially in these times with AIDS running rampant? If you choose to hunt geocaches with your childern, then you must educate them as to what you might find. Besides, kids know what condoms are anyway. There are TV commercials for them, or used to be. Times have changed and kids must be educated properly for all things they may encounter in life. Besides, condoms save lives by preventing disease and preventing unwanted preggies and subsequent abortions. Get real people! If condoms offend you, then don't go geocaching with your kids! Geeesh!


 

Condoms do not offend me. Sex education presented to other peoples' children against their wishes offends me.

 

Putting a condom in an extreme environment like that is pretty much asking for a teen who finds it to pocket it and try to use it later.

 

The last thing the world needs is more teenage parents. Especially teenage parents who didn't want to be parents. Or more teens with AIDS.

That condom you left in a cache is very likely to break, resulting in just that.

 

If you want to help educate young people about sex and AIDS, my suggestion is that you volunteer at a local organization, like Planned Parenthood. They can always use more volunteers, and it's clear that it's a subject you are very enthusiastic about.

 

When it's time to grab some condoms and show my kids how they work, I want *fresh* ones from the drugstore, not probably-crappy ones from some random cache somewhere. This is because I love my children and want them to actually practice safe sex, not tragically dangerous sex with a condom of unknown vintage.

 

I will say that in terms of my own caches, if I found condoms in there once, I would probably just remove them, but if I found condoms in there again, I'd probably archive that particular cache.

 

Shannah

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quote:
Originally posted by Team StitchesOnQuilts:

quote:
Originally posted by ValCor:

What is "wrong" with a condom in a cache? Especially in these times with AIDS running rampant? If you choose to hunt geocaches with your childern, then you must educate them as to what you might find. Besides, kids know what condoms are anyway. There are TV commercials for them, or used to be. Times have changed and kids must be educated properly for all things they may encounter in life. Besides, condoms save lives by preventing disease and preventing unwanted preggies and subsequent abortions. Get real people! If condoms offend you, then don't go geocaching with your kids! Geeesh!


 

Condoms do not offend me. Sex education presented to other peoples' children against their wishes offends me.

 

Putting a condom in an extreme environment like that is pretty much asking for a teen who finds it to pocket it and try to use it later.

 

The last thing the world needs is more teenage parents. Especially teenage parents who didn't want to be parents. Or more teens with AIDS.

That condom you left in a cache is very likely to break, resulting in just that.

 

If you want to help educate young people about sex and AIDS, my suggestion is that you volunteer at a local organization, like Planned Parenthood. They can always use more volunteers, and it's clear that it's a subject you are very enthusiastic about.

 

When it's time to grab some condoms and show my kids how they work, I want *fresh* ones from the drugstore, not probably-crappy ones from some random cache somewhere. This is because I love my children and want them to actually practice safe sex, not tragically dangerous sex with a condom of unknown vintage.

 

I will say that in terms of my own caches, if I found condoms in there once, I would probably just remove them, but if I found condoms in there again, I'd probably archive that particular cache.

 

Shannah


 

I agree with you. It is not about sex education, and I would never place or use a condom (for sex) that came from a geocache, but a condom may come in handy on the trail. Right? I just feel that folks are overreacting to this topic; especially in these modern times. Kids see more sex on the TV than they will find in a geocache. Besides, sex education "on the spot", at a cache site, in a forest full of birds and bees cannot be that bad, can it? Thanks to Bill Clinton and the media, second graders now know what BJs are. Condoms, bullets, religious flyers? Deal with it and move on is what I'm trying to say here. There is a risk factor when finding any geocache, it will increase as more folks gain interest in it. Prepare yourself for it. Besides, how can one police one's geocache? Face the music, kids are BOMBARDED with sexual images everywhere they go. Educate them and there will be no worry.

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I don't think that it is a particularly good idea to put condoms in caches, but I don't see what the big deal is about it. If you don't think it's a good trade item, don't trade for it. I don't think condoms will be The End of Geocaching As We Know It.

 

I don't understand the vehemence in reaction to this issue. Methinks the cacher doth protest too much icon_wink.gif. Clearly it is not simply a question of condoms being an unclassy trade item. I wouldn't presume to accuse people who leave religious tracts in caches of cowardice because there was no one around to see them do so. C'mon, no one would walk up to a stranger's child and offer them a McToy, either. That's a specious argument. I also wouldn't archive a cache simply because someone left a trade item in it I didn't approve of.

 

By the same token, I don't buy the argument that you should leave your kids at home due to the risk of seeing a condom in a cache. Condoms are on visible display in my local chain grocery stores, and I take my child grocery shopping with me. What is there to fear?

 

--

"I looked for it and I found it

Miles Standish proud:

Congratulate me" --R.E.M.

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quote:
Originally posted by Jamie Z:

You have got to be kidding me. Her entire arm, encased in a condom? This is almost good enough to test myself. Er, if the idea of doing that wasn't so bizarre.

 

Jamie


 

I kid not - I wouldn't have believed it unless I saw it myself. She may have been using one of the "extra thick" condoms, but I'm pretty sure it was just a run-of-the-mill, normal thickness condom. I wouldn't try it with a lubricated condom though - might be rather messy. icon_biggrin.gif

 

And to possibly correct my previous post, I think it may be 15 liters of air, not gallons. I can't locate the exact amount at the moment, but liters sounds more reasonable.

 

As far as the original question for the topic goes, I don't have any particular problem with people putting condoms in caches, I just have a problem with people trying to use them for their manufacturer-intended purpose after they've been sitting in a cache. The risk of breakage during use is just too much for them to be considered safe to use. As for putting water in them, I don't care for the taste of latex in my water... and I'm not even going to think about water from a lubricated condom.

 

----

When in doubt, poke it with a stick.

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quote:
Originally posted by GatoRx:

quote:
Originally posted by Jamie Z:

You have got to be kidding me. Her entire arm, encased in a condom? This is almost good enough to test myself. Er, if the idea of doing that wasn't so bizarre.

 

Jamie



 

Sounds like standard UK issue size. icon_wink.gif

 

Nil Satis Nisi Optimum

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quote:
Originally posted by CharlieP:

Besides having to explain them to the kiddies, they have both political and religious connotations for some folks - a bad combination.

 

FWIW,

CharlieP


 

All kidding aside, the elements would make a condom weak. Very dangerous to use.

 

leathermanani.gif

If you do not extend your expectations unto others, you will not be disappointed by the stupid things they do.

Mokita!

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quote:
I once had one fit approx 3 gallon (I did not measure, but it looked about like a 5 gallon jug- don't correct my math) before it broke.

 

Once back in college we hooked a condom up to the faucet of the bathtub. SLOWLY filling it...

Just about filled 1/3 of the length of the tub before it broke. My guess was that it cleared 5 gallons easily. Quite a splash when it popped, too!

 

You would think college kids would find better things to do with one, huh?

 

homer.gif

"Just because I don't care doesn't mean I don't understand."

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That's fine if some people don't have control over their children's lives. In this house, we do. Condoms are not advertised on the Disney Channel, nor the Discovery Channel. Nickelodeon did not once feature the antics of Bill Clinton in his Oral Office. So there. That shoots the "every kid knows...." theory right in the foot. No further argument necessary; that was quick. icon_wink.gif

 

I understand crossed-wires and patience, so I'll try again. We do NOT (read that again, until it becomes more clear) icon_wink.gif have a problem with the intention of condoms. We appreciate what they are and their purpose. What we do have a problem with (focus on this, because it's our argument - you were mistaken on what you thought we had a problem with) icon_wink.gif is that YOU are deciding what our kids should know (big mistake), when they should know it (big mistake) and in what manner they should be educated (three big mistakes).

 

Please don't assume that every child in America watches prime-time television, comes from a broken home, and/or goes to a liberal school. Many kids are home-schooled, and their parents do not run around with condoms and make a laughing matter out of them. These parents are likely to impose upon their children the proper use, place and timing of a condom. Irresponsible parents who would choose to teach their kids that a condom left outside for months is "safe sex" may do so in THEIR house, and I won't interfere, nor will I drop perfectly good condoms in their mailbox.

 

Somebody commented about my "handing my kid a condom" statement from earlier. No, a happy meal toy is NOT the same thing. My argument holds perfect water. icon_wink.gif Please don't decide what my reaction would be if you handed my daughter a toy, vs. if you handed her a condom. The fact that you would do neither is impressive, but trust me... There is a definite difference between the two, and more light would be shed upon that difference if someone really wanted to test the matter. icon_wink.gif

 

Some folks just can't stand to think that some parents might actually have control over their children, and have not surrendered that control to society, or the system. Golly gee, Wally, we just might turn out young teens who actually know how to make ethical decisions on their own! You see, rather than point out condoms, and their "appropriateness" in having sex, I choose to point out the teenagers walking their infants to the continuation school in our neighborhood. I note how cold the babies feet must be in the winter, especially if we can see them. I note how cold the baby must feel, as we can see his/her whole head; it's not wrapped. I tell my daughters that this is what can happen when a young girl has sex before she is old enough to work. I ask them, "Wouldn't you rather be more prepared? It's awfully mean to a little baby to walk him in this freezing cold with so little clothes on. Do you think that little girl is ready to be a mother?"

 

You see, the REAL world can be used as wonderful educational tool - but it hits home when the "commercial" is a walking, tangible girl in our neighborhood, not some canoe tipping its oar up to the booming voice of Trojan Maaannn. icon_wink.gif

 

I tell my girls that a condom helps prevent pregnancy and the spread of diseases, but it's no guarantee. One mistake, and they can be that girl with the baby, on her way to a special school. We don't glorify sex, we show what can happen if you're not ready for it.

 

Trust me, I don't need the shallow educational "intents" of a "geocacher" to "teach" my daughters what years and years of parenting are supposed to achieve. The fact that anybody thinks they can achieve this "enlightenment" is proof enough of their parenting habits, and they are in stark opposition to my habits, which involve a bit more effort than a careless toss of a soon-to-be worthless condom into an ammo box in the woods.

 

Shannah- Nice for you to speak up! I will not allow others to decide what/when/how my children should be educated, and it's nice to see another be as vocal! What's even nicer, is that we haven't resigned to jumping through the parenting hoops others seem resigned to accept. STILL nicer is that you are here in the S.V.! I've seen some of your logs, and maybe one day our families will cross paths on a hike!

 

Grandmaster Cache

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We do NOT (read that again, until it becomes more clear) have a problem with the intention of condoms. We appreciate what they are and their purpose. What we do have a problem with (focus on this, because it's our argument - you were mistaken on what you thought we had a problem with) is that YOU are deciding what our kids should know (big mistake), when they should know it (big mistake) and in what manner they should be educated (three big mistakes).

 

I doubt that the true intentions of people who put condoms in caches are to educate children. I think, for some bizarre reason, they think they're being helpful. It's a misguided effort considering the weather conditions that these condoms are put through.

 

I'd suggest that anybody who finds a condom in a cache remove it so that somebody doesn't use it by mistake.

 

quote:
Please don't assume that every child in America watches prime-time television, comes from a broken home, and/or goes to a liberal school. Many kids are home-schooled, and their parents do not run around with condoms and make a laughing matter out of them. These parents are likely to impose upon their children the proper use, place and timing of a condom. Irresponsible parents who would choose to teach their kids that a condom left outside for months is "safe sex" may do so in THEIR house, and I won't interfere, nor will I drop perfectly good condoms in their mailbox.


 

Ick. I am actually very offended by being stereotyped this way. I don't think this is even remotely appropriate for this forum.

 

NomadRaven

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