Letter to the Editor
Dance battle
Published Monday, October 13, 2008
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To the editor:
To quote a line from a movie, “There’s trouble in river city, there’s trouble and it starts with the letter D” as in teen dancing. The Rapture Index has gone through the roof since the head of the West Valley High School PTA’s expose on “grinding” and “freaking” dance styles among our more depraved youth.
I remember when the twist arrived on the scene. Hyper-Christians screamed that it was going to destroy the morals of our youth and dances should be eliminated. It was followed by the mashed potato, locomotion and other lewd dances that turned teens into slathering, hormone-exuding sex monsters. I cannot believe that 50 years later, our teens have to fight the same battle against prejudice and alarmism.
To date, I have seen no statistics that show an increase in teen pregnancies linked to a high school dance. Today’s dance styles may be seen by some as exciting and arousing.
If this is the case, these people need to look within themselves to see why this is so. Everyone is entitled to believe in the myths they choose. Everyone is not entitled to impose those myths and belief systems on others. When the hyper-religious talk of “good, clean fun” they are undoubtedly imagining a rousing Bible discussion or defacing Buddhist statues or something.
When they start trying to impose their values and morals on others they become no different than Islamic, Hindu, Buddhist or environmental extremists, only their methods and words vary. It all leads to intolerance, prejudice, and ultimately violence — both physical and spiritual.
PTAs in our schools have much more pressing concerns they should be paying attention to — teen drinking, rampant drug use in our schools, gang recruitment and unauthorized cell phone use. Instead, the WVHS PTA has narrowed its laser-like focus on the issue that could destroy our society and children: dancing. Our kids have few recreational (no pun intended) outlets in this town. Let’s not allow a vocal minority to even further limit these opportunities in the name of their definition of “clean fun.”
Community Discussion
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"Clean fun" huh? My daughters are no where near old enough for high school dances yet... However when the time comes, no boy rubbing his "junk" against my daughter will be considered clean fun by me.
Ps. That has nothing to do with my religious beliefs.
I do not think two teens doing the dances you named is even close to the "dry humping" on the dance foor they want to do today!
Dancing is a lot healthier (and safer) way to have fun than many of the less legal ways to have fun that they might otherwise experiment with.
I thankfully am old enough to have missed this new type of "dancing" but my youngest sibling was not. They once told me that they thought it shouldn't be allowed to save the other teens from having to watch people emulate sex in public. I have to agree with her.
Thom...I have been known to agree with you on a lot of your posts (especially when it comes to driving), but I think you're off on this one. Have you ever seen what happens during some of these dance moves? Have you ever really watched it closely? If so, would you really not care if your daughter was engaging in this? I have a high-school age daughter...I would not be able to tolerate seeing these "dance" moves. I can't stand with you on this one.
Since when have Hindus or Buddhists forced their beliefs on anyone?
this is no where near the same thing as the twist or locomotion. perhaps they should have stopped those kinds of dancing back then. look where this progressive attitude has led to. what will the next generation call dancing? i shudder to think.
teenagers need to be led and given direction by adults. they don't need to be allowed to run free like wild animals. each generation the teens resent adult control on their behavior. but when you become adults yourself you will see the wisdom of why you need such.
Thom foote,
and you have no right to impose your deviance on others based on your irreligion.
Umm...I believe you are not quoting "The Music Man" correctly, or maybe you are confusing it with "Footloose."
To quote: "With a capital T that rhymes with P and that stands for pool." As in billards.
The musical "The Music Man" had nothing to do with dancing being evil. It is the story of a con man who attempts to sell a small Iowa a bill of goods for a boy's band and ends up discovering a faith in himself. That faith is enough to change him from a lying do anything salesman to a better person and a productive member of society.
I assume your point has to do with the recent uproar in the FDNM opinion letters over the deplorable condition of dance styles...
Just make sure the kids do the Safety Dance (remember that dumb song?). An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of procreation.
Christian or otherwise, I don't think any parent would want to see their children dancing in this manner.
Sorry, but it is called "freaking" and "grinding" for a reason.
This type of dance has nothing to do with dancing. This is not the twist or the hand jive.... If you are not sure what exactly you are writing about maybe you need to watch MTV's Spring Break special or something of the sort and be educated!
This was one issue I actually agreed with the FNSBSD on. Thanks!
I remember once a kid blew up a condom and bounced it around an all student assembly at while I was in high school (Eielson). The solution the school came up with at that time was to not have anymore all school assemblies for the rest of the school year. It seemed to help morale of the school greatly.
The next sign of getting your "freak" or "grind" on at a school dance should result in the cancelation of all remaining dances at the school, including the prom.
Okay a poor attempt at sarcasm, but man I think there are plenty more things to be concerned about. I would guess that most of the students dancing that way are already sexually active. So maybe PTAers should be more concerned about what's going on under their own roofs when "Mom and Dad are not home."
I understand the point that this dancing sets a bad example for younger students, but I also think that teenagers tend to rebel when told specifically NOT to do something. Honestly, I'd rather have my kid get their grind on at a school dance rather than at a warehouse party in Aurora, or at the movie theater.
I think it would be good to have informational booths on sexually transmitted diseases, or statistics on teen pregnancy set up at these dances, instead of trying to ignore the fact that some, if not most, people lose their virginity in high school. School is about education right?
Actually from what I heard the warehouse party had pretty good security and was alcohol/drug free. Probably safer than the football game, some out of town parents house, or a local motel.
Don't forget the "dirty dancing" craze in the 80's. Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey were the ruination of a generation. Every generation tries to out-do the last, and every parent thinks what their kid is doing is worse than what they did. It's dancing. Get over it. If they aren't in a large group dancing, they'll be paired off in their cars parked somewhere doing much worse.
I don't believe Mr. Foote has actually seen a couple "grinding".
They call it "grinding" because the couple "grinds" or rubs their private parts against one another. If you saw a couple "grinding" in public, I would venture to say you would find it inappropriate. It comes close to violating city code.
The PTAs for every school continue to try to keep our children safe.
Explain to me how someones daughter (with her thong and butt crack hanging out) grinding on someones son's groin area (when all their pants are sagging down to their knees) is dancing???? Sounds more like one thin sheet of material away from having sex to the beat of some song while others stand around and watch.
maybe someone should offer the kids an alternative dance ???maybe at a baptist church?
AKbychoice writes: "Don't forget the "dirty dancing" craze in the 80's. Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey were the ruination of a generation."
No kidding. I was dragged to that movie by a young lady I thought I was interested in. Awful. Both the movie and the date. Don't know if it was the "ruination of a generation,", but it was certainly the ruination of one night in my life.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSKeuLRKk...
justasking writes: "maybe someone should offer the kids an alternative dance ???maybe at a baptist church?"
And this is an improvement? All they teach you at the Baptist Church is that you never wave to your fellow churchgoers when you see them at the liquor store and the strip joint.
Hey DenaliGuy, Thanks for the link. Absolutely perfect for this discussion.
Hank Thompson had a similar song on his final album before he passed on. It was called "The Night Miss Nancy Ann's Hotel For Single Girls Burned Down." Fire hits the local house of ill repute, and all the upstanding citizens come dashing out the door. Reminds one of the moral guardians of this town in far too many ways.
"And this is an improvement? All they teach you at the Baptist Church is that you never wave to your fellow churchgoers when you see them at the liquor store and the strip joint."
and to not have sex standing up as someone may think you are dancing!
This has nothing to do with religion. It has to do with a decent, wholesome environment for young people. Teens have raging hormones, we all know that, and while a certain amount of flirtation and self-expression is normal, kids should be able to attend a school dance and have fun without being thrust into an overtly sexual atmosphere. Most people want their teens to abstain from genital sexual expression while they are in high school, to avoid overpowering emotional entanglements, diseases, unwanted pregnancies, etc. And allowing a big group of kids in scanty attire to dance in super-seductive ways is not at all prudent. It's dumb. The PTA and school are right to put limits on this since teens still need a good deal of guidance. Yeah kids will balk, and sure they should have some input, but adults are adults and should be in charge. Keep the atmosphere in our schools safe please.
as a recent grad of WVHS, and one who just missed this new dance policy institutionalization, i'm inclined to agree with thom on his main point. we have far greater problems at west valley (and lathrop and north pole and eielson) than how student are dancing. this new policy is one of the most ludicrous wastes of school time, money or concern i've ever seen. my graduating class went from approximately 400 student to just over 200, and we're worried about a certain style of dancing? for god's sake, figure it out. we should be more focused on, say, the drop-out rate than the way in which successful students (or at the very least student who are still enrolled in school and have their academics up to a point where they're allowed to attend a dance) are dancing.
i understand the "moral" principles behind this policy, but they seem so silly and trivial when we have such a large number of greater concerns. grinding is much safer than what kids are going to do now that they can't have fun at dances. adults don't seem to get it--grinding is not purely sexual, but no one is going to believe that.
if you don't want your kids dancing that way (fbksmom), then don't let them go to dances. and no one is forcing them to get "freaked" on.
and i would like to apologize if that last paragraph sounded harsh. i'm just trying to say you don't have to let your children attend these dances. and if they do attend, it's up to them if they want to participate in this style of dance or not. no one is forcing them to, and yes, there are other styles of dancing prevalent at these functions
Have you ever BEEN to a Baptist church, Alaska_Curmudgeon?
You should try it. You might be pleasantly surprised. Or shocked. Shocked at how wrong you are.
I've been to a Baptist church..was raised a baptist..and I know how WRONG the baptist are.
Thanks Denali Guy. I always liked that song and hadn't heard in quite some time.
I heard Bin Laden does this dance all the time.
But seriously...
"Most people want their teens to abstain from genital sexual expression while they are in high school..."
What the heck is "genital" sexual expression? As what opposed to "regular" sexual expression?
"to avoid overpowering emotional entanglements, diseases, unwanted pregnancies, etc."
Because these things are all caused by dancing, right? I mean no one had any of these things forty or fifty years ago when you had the much safer, cleaner kinds of dancing?
Face it little Johny and Tammy are going to have sex and experiment whether you like it or not. You can either guide your children and teach them right from wrong so they make the right choices or you can try and hide real life from them and cause to become repressed, sad, individuals. This just sounds like another case of parents not wanting to fess up and take responsibility for their kids. It's easy to blame yourselves for your kid's short comings but it's even easier to blame something else.
But hey. You all seem to think Johnston and Palin are such a great couple! I guess, you'll all have a nice talk with your kids about what great role models they are. I mean having a baby out of wedlock before you're even 20, dropping out of school. I'd love for my kids to emulate them!
The moral hypcrisy displayed on this website is hilarious.
*hypocrisy
"You should try it. You might be pleasantly surprised. Or shocked. Shocked at how wrong you are."
I'm sure I'd be shocked at how much more ridculous it is than I could have ever imagined. Look at what great people the Baptist Church has given us...
Wesboro Baptist Churchm anyone?
But akflower, I'm sure they're just an extremist group and not representative of the religion as a whole, right?