YouTube Child Abuse

[webmdave]

I have mixed feelings about this recent video posting to YouTube, because a child this age really has no idea what she's talking about. However, I see kids every day in advertising, promoting all sorts of products, and that seems to be OK with everyone. I've also seen children this young giving wonderful testimonials in churches, and that was always cheered and applauded as a fabulously positive thing. I've even seen some young kids preaching before, and at the very least, most Christians I knew thought seeing a kid preach was extremely cute.

 

Bill O'Reilly got all up in arms about this short YouTube video, I think, because he was mentioned by name in it. So, in response, he called in an expert on his program to accuse the girl's parents of being child abusers. I'm not sure if that's slander or not, but, regardless, I don't recall O'Reilly having a conniption about the emphatic and emotional testimonials given by the overly excited, evangelically zealous children in the Jesus Camp movie. Perhaps using children to promote a message designed by adults is only a questionable practice when anti-religious rhetoric is involved?

 

I think this is a controversial topic. The gloves are off. What do you think?

 

 

 

http://exchristian.net/exchristian/2006/12...hild-abuse.html

[Dave]

I'd agree with about 90% of what she said on the O'Riley segment. The thing is that if she was in the hands of religious nuts and was spewing religious propaganda, no allegations of abuse or anything else would have come up. It's the message they disagree with and want to attack the messenger but they can't since she's only 7.

[LostOrFound]

Personally I don't like children being used by adults to promote the adult messages, period. I don't think that what these parents did is any worse than what the christians are doing with their children BUT it isn't better, either. Both are wrong, wrong, wrong.

 

That said, Bill OReilly and his guest should come down equally hard on the christians who do the same thing. But, of course, that's never gonna happen.

[Antlerman]

I really don't see this as abuse, any more than having your child acting to sell a product on national television for some major corporation. The point is those who "use and exploit children" to their own ends are the politicians. This bit was to make an artistic sort of response to that exploitation by having a "child" herself respond to this political propaganda that uses and exploits them. It makes a strong point in an entertaining way. It was an effective skit. Their accusation against the parents being "sick" and abusers of their child with no data more than an ideological rub against them, is itself offensive.

 

O'Riely is a ratings driven sensationalist and there is little substance to anything he says. He is not an idealist, he is a media whore and himself exploits everyone for his own agenda of himself.

[leftofpunk]

goddamn that was funny

[Naughtyhamster]

I thought that kid chatting about politics and religious violence was cute, but not child abuse. This video reminds me more of those public service announcements where someone uses kids but without all the touchy feely stuff. It seems more like she was reading from a script and getting all dramatic rather being brainwashed into saying that stuff. Way different than Jesus Camp where the kids' eyes were glazed over like meth addicts' eyes, and they were all moving like a swarm of bees in a hive (no self expression or questioning things here).

[LostOrFound]

It seems more like she was reading from a script and getting all dramatic rather being brainwashed into saying that stuff. Way different than Jesus Camp where the kids' eyes were glazed over like meth addicts' eyes, and they were all moving like a swarm of bees in a hive (no self expression or questioning things here).

 

 

Excellent observation and point.

 

Note how O'Reilly made the derogatory statement about her parents without them being present to defend themselves. That left the impression that they are really off-the-wall nutcases when in reality they may well be upstanding, responsible citizens and parents - who knows for sure? Not very "fair and balanced."

[LosingMyReligion]

She is adorable! LOL

 

And she was 100% right.

 

Had she been talking some shit like, "Yes Jebus loves me" Bill O'Racist would have applauded that. However, he wants her silenced because she represents a new generation that won't be a fundie nut job.

 

His actions are based in fear not on any sort of concern for the child's welfare.

 

Anyway, kudos to her parents. Thankfully some rational people are reproducing.

[Alice]

I think the only worrying aspect of this video were the comments on the news programme. The 'expert' was one of the scariest women I've encountered in a good few years and the comments by the presenter about the little girls parents were really disturbing.

 

Most children will emulate their parents, there will only be harm for this little girl if her parents love and acceptance are tied up in her continuing to express their beliefs irrespective of her own once she has formed them.

 

I have taught my children something different to the main thrust of this particular child's message - not to apportion blame for violence to either religion or rap music but to oppression - whatever guise it turns up in.

 

I have the great priviledge of not really knowing what Fox News is!

[Legion]

I didn't like this video. I can't quite put my finger on why though. I just didn't like it.