The American Red Cross

22 April 2010

Book vs. Websites, what works best?

I read an article this morning about a guy who created a website that gives men information on how to hook up with a woman from Thailand for sex. The man's name is Kenneth Ng and he happens to be a professor at California State University at Northridge.

Kenneth used to be a blogger attached to a site that was run by a bar in Bangkok. Well Kenneth posted a comment giving advice on how to pick up girls praying to the Muariti Shrine, and that it was a good idea because Buddha works in mysterious ways.

Now regardless of how true or funny the comment was, the bar took his blog down. Then came the website, bigbabykenny.com/.

An obvious issue with the site, professor at a univeristy or not, is "should this guy be allowed to advise men about sex tourism on his site".

Kenneth's final quote of the article is, “The job of the university is to expose students to the world – not just a politically correct view of the world and not just the good parts of the world,” he said. “If a student reads that [site], I personally think it’s good for them. They learn about something out there; maybe they disapprove of it and they don’t think it’s good.”

His website and other websites like this seem to want to make others aware and not hide whats true. Whats really out there. Interesting approach, but what are the real pros and cons to it. And is there some sort of hidden agenda that could do anyone any good?

I have also come in contact with a book that I think goes well with the story. I've mentioned it before, it was written in 1912 by a Chicago doctor named Carle C. Quale. The name of the book is Thrilling stories of white slavery.

The book is just what is says, stories about white slavery or forced prostitution or sex trafficking or what ever you can call it these days. The stories come across as being real and even emotional. The author trys to hit home with a crime that most don't believe still existed back then. I just chuckled because that was 100 yrs ago.

One thing that Carle tries to do is compel you to act against this crime, but to also educate others that you love. One Quale quote is, "Will your conscience as Chrisian men and women permit you to stand idle and let the unfortunate victims cry in vain for help?"

Another is, "Virtue does not mean ignorance; for ignorance is the very thing that creates the White Slavery."

Now, we've seen some material that we may or may not have known was out there. You can probably call it educational material to a degree, but I'm guessing most people will pay attention to content when they go through this stuff. I don't think the problem is content so much as its how we use each one of these resources to our benefit.

Assuming everyone knows right from left, can you take each piece of material and use it to benefit your child's upbringing? Lets make it any child for that matter. And by your child's upbringing, I mean can you point out those vital pros and cons that exist in each and allow them to make a quality decision based on the information(not content) provided? If not, then I suggest you stay away whichever my become a distraction to you to try to pull this off. Maybe book sets you off, but the websites just aren't your thing, then don't force it, but don't lose an opportunity to see things for what they really are either.

From what I can see, both websites have 'perspective' about travel to asia and about it's prostitutes, but they also show how these individuals view sex and relationships and even life. Some good, but most I believe can't be duplicated without problems.

And the book? If it was good enough for back then can it still give insight to the same topic with today's audience? I think so. With that I also think that to much of anything can take away from it. But I think the real problem will be denial. If people deny that this could exist in America or in their town, its gonna be too easy to say, "it won't happen to me". These people probably won't read the 89 page book, so forget about suggesting it to someone they love. But can this help with making a quality based decision when it comes to strangers, sex and relationships? You bet!

My questions to you are, "are you willing to use these websites to educate your children about whats out there when it comes to sex? Could you suggest the book as a must read for children before they leave craddle? And if you couldn't do one of these or either, then why?