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   February 20, 2008

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This month I’m going to do something that I have not done in any of my monthly letters over the years, or in any other forum, for that matter. I’d like to share with you a brief passage from a book project that is very much still a work in progress. I have often shared chapters and excerpts from my published books, but the following passage comes from a volume that is still in the early stages of gestation. I have hinted about this latest endeavor, Bringing Up Girls, for the last several years, and you may have heard me talking about it. I’m currently in the California desert, slaving away on my Mac laptop and pouring over more than 3,000 pages of research and notes. My broadcasting team is coming out, along with guests, to prepare programs for our listening audience. We have a small studio here in the desert that is equipped with a high density-telephone line, called an ISDN, that is surprisingly effective. It is amazing what is possible electronically in this day. Writing this particular book has been one of the most complex projects I have ever worked on. I have spent more than two years researching, reading and exploring the topic already. So much important new information has been generated in my academic field, which is child and adolescent development, and I wanted to do my homework before writing. Mothers and fathers of girls need all the help they can get in light of the challenges that the culture is imposing on the home. I’m hoping to finish the manuscript this summer, with an eye toward releasing the book in 2009. My deepest appreciation goes to my patient friends at Tyndale House publishers, who have allowed me the time necessary to conduct research for the book and get everything just right. It’s been a daunting task. You may recall that my earlier book, Bringing Up Boys, endeavored to explain what makes boys “tick” and outlined some of the cultural obstacles young males face in our modern world. It sold a million copies in the first year. Upon the book’s release, I immediately began hearing from parents asking, “What about a volume dedicated to girls?” At the time, I was convinced that the challenges facing boys in the 21st century were of greater concern and significance than those facing girls. Now, having researched the issue extensively, it is clear that girls are in as much trouble as boys. Their parents face the overwhelming task of trying to help them navigate through the cultural wasteland. That’s what Bringing Up Girls is about. I’m passionate about this project, and anxious to share my thoughts as the manuscript continues to take shape. Here, then, is a very brief teaser from the first chapter of Bringing Up Girls. Parenting Girls

 
   
   
   
   
   

OH, NO - Sex Toys   Feeling lonely in the Lone Star State this Valentine's Day? You'll be glad to know that the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals hasjust overturned a statute outlawing sex toy sales in Texas. According to a law on the books since the 1970s, the sale, promotion, donation or lending of "obscene devices" was punishable by up to two years in jail. And all it took to "promote" was a goodie drawer of six or more. The statute was seldom enforced. But the owners of two Austin sex shops, as well as a retail distributor doing business as Adam & Eve, claimed it hindered their business and deprived potential customers. The state argued that it had a moral basis for maintaining the law, "discouraging prurient interests in autonomous sex and the pursuit of sexual gratification unrelated to procreation." The 5th Circuit, however, found that sexual privacy supersedes that morality. The court cited Lawrence v. Texas, the 2003 U.S. Supreme Court decision that struck down bans on consensual sex between same-sex couples. The 5th Circuit, siding 2-1, said it is unconstitutional to punish individuals selling sexual devices, since those devices are typically used in the privacy of people's homes. Alabama and Mississippi now remain the only states where sales of sex toys is illegal, though several other states have restrictions. The defenders of those laws say it would be dangerous to make sex toys more easily accessible. They note that sexual addiction is a recognized mental disorder, and they worry that sex toys may encourage that. So has Texas opened up a Pandora's box here? Or has the Lone Star State simply opened its mind? US Supeme Court "A Texas-Sized Standoff Over Sex Toys; In the wake of Lawrence ruling, Supreme Court to determine whether to take up state ban on adult aids" "" SCOTUSblog" has posted a copy of the cert. petition at this link

  
   
   
   
 
         
Centers for Decency is apart of a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization which encourages, motivates, educates, and equips the family and community in morality and decency offering information, articles, volunteers to make the difference, with conference speakers thereby battling the pornography and obscenity. If you appreciate our focus and hard work, send any dollar amount for donations or creative gifts to Centers for Decency, 1415 S. Voss Road, Suite 110393, Houston, Texas 77057 or call 713.266.2715.