Rants

From time to time, I suffer from “rant-itis.” I will hear, see or experience something that will get me so irritated that I just have to do something.

A few years ago, it was Lisa Marie Presley. She had been asked to testify before Congress about children and psychotropic medication. Her only expertise was her involvement with the Church of Scientology and its campaign to spread misinformation. I wrote to every member of the Congressional committee, corresponded with a local radio show host who was preparing a show on the topic, and even got a letter printed in People magazine. I still get the shakes when I see her on a talk show.

Now, I have a new rant. Last weekend, we took the boys to a Bulls game. Son #1 has started playing in the jr. NBA this fall and they played games on the United Center floor prior to the game. It was a great day until…the Luvabulls started dancing. Definitely not family-friendly entertainment! Son #2 called them “the icky girls in their underwear.” They basically performed a pole dance (sans pole) and gave the entire stadium a lap dance. I was horrified that I was exposing my boys to something so provocative and sexually explicit. Throughout the game, I felt a rant building. I went home and wrote a letter to the Chicago Bulls organization. I am also going to send a copy to a variety of media outlets, as well as the Illinois Attorney General.

The irony of the situation is that on Saturday AM, Husband and I had been researching Internet filters. The boys have started using their computer more and we want to limit the type of the information that they can access, as well as monitor the people with whom they can communicate. The images that they were exposed to at the Bulls game were a perfect example of something that we would seek to block by the Internet filter.

I am not sure if my letters will do any good, but I sure felt better after I wrote them!