Three Arrows--For Our Young Archers- The Black Corner

While many young men have been enjoying their summers, some interesting items snaked their way across my desk from many an MSM website involving female teachers and male students. Now, for those who may have tuned in late and assumed that its not ‘that big a deal’ to hear about older women/younger men, I’d just like to point out that it USED to not be that big a deal…until the older women turned out to be the teachers of the younger men and the dating arena turned out to be your son’s classroom or high school cafeteria.

With the nation’s retailers heavily involved in selling the back-to-school set everything from notebook paper to backpacks, one could say that this issue is being overlooked. This school year, I would heartily advise many among the brotherhood to teach their sons, and ANY young male whom they may know about the dangers of this issue BEFORE it explodes into a scandalous explosion of guilt, shame, and a very adult courtroom setting.

BLAMING THE VICTIM:
I find it interesting that the defense being raised by some smart lawyers in some of the latest school scandals is the following: the ‘adult’ female teacher was somehow ‘seduced’ by the minor male student. In other words, the victim--the under aged minor male student--somehow managed to ‘seduce’ his older, female, adult, certified, veteran teacher.

An adult is SUPPOSED to know better, right?

Not so! To hear some of these oversexed authority figures talking through their lawyers in the press, these female stalkers are stating in public that it’s their student’s fault for the illicit relationship.

Check this potential scenario out involving YOUR son: “Furthermore, your honor, with his ‘bedroom’ eyes, and his ‘urban’ cool, 15 year old Johnny manage to ‘talk’ his adult, female teacher…into various and sundry steamy after class rendezvous. Oh yes, judge, Johnny forced me to use my credit card to buy him a new car, and forced me to give him the key to my house for our afternoon teaching ‘sessions’.”

NOT A FANTASY--BUT A NIGHTMARE!
You can hear my answer coming on this: BALDERDASH!

Stay with me on this, brothers. YOUR SON may be the one on the receiving end of such a statement, regardless of how far under ‘the age of consent’ he may be.

Many of us have seen in the MSM how ‘independent’ modern women are supposed to be. After all, many a brother has been told, either in song or in person, that ‘sisters are doing it for themselves’, right? It is indeed a curious sign of the times when women who have allegedly been ‘liberated’ are getting caught with their fingers (and other assorted body parts) with and by some of their under aged male students are trying such SAD excuses. These same adult sisters--black and white--are also getting caught with motel receipts, on store and mall video security cameras and--in one particular case--in police wiretaps fawning over their teen male ‘lovers’ to the willing exclusion of their OWN husbands and children.

I find it more curious that the MSM admits that female teachers who seduce male students are treated differently than male teachers who seduce female students. To hear the media state it, Male teachers are treated as ‘brutes and animals’ while the female teachers are treated as having ‘issues’ or ‘problems’.

It truly boggles the mind.

TALE OF THE THREE ARROWS:
In order to keep your sons, nephews--or their friends--from being in a police line up on this matter, as a public service for the protection of our boys, I’d like to present three items of teaching that older brothers should be teaching to our young men. They come from the Book of Proverbs and they are three arrows that ALL young men need for the road of life. They MUST be applied right at the heart of evil.

The FIRST arrow, let the younger brothers know that there ARE some females they need to stay AWAY from, regardless of their age. The very real dangers of boys being stalked by older women in positions of authority, be they administrators, classroom assistants, or school teachers is no longer a joke. Anytime a girl--or a woman--tries to ‘smooth’ their way into a young man’s life through expensive presents, inordinate amounts of attention, threats--or even bullying--young brothers NEED to make tracks to the highest ranking MALE authority figure whom they trust in the school setting.

Solomon made this point very clear to his son…and FUTURE brothers coming along. The Book of Proverbs urges young men to not only be wise, but pursue wisdom and understanding at ALL costs, and STAY AWAY from dangerous situations.

STILL MORE WISDOM AHEAD:
The SECOND arrow, WATCH what they say--especially about sexual matters. Too many young brothers underestimate the power of the opposite sex, and base their ability to ‘cope’ with girls and women based upon what they have seen in some of the Hip Hop and Rap videos that criss-cross our airwaves. We older brothers have to let our younger men KNOW that talk about sexual matters with members of the opposite sex, no matter how innocent, can ‘fan the flames’ of passion, and give the wrong impression to individuals, especially women who may be out for more than casual conversation.

Don’t let an adult female, especially a married adult female--regardless of how ‘cute’ it may sound--get you talking about sexual matters and your sexual experience, my young brother. That’s personal and restricted information…period.

Ready for the last arrow?
The THIRD arrow is clearly marked ABSTINENCE! Simply put, Solomon and a lot of other brothers in the Bible made it plain about waiting to get married BEFORE getting involved in long term sexual relations with a woman.

I realize that this is not a popular arrow, but it is a NEEDED arrow. And, if MORE of the brotherhood were honest with our younger men, WE would stave off some future heartache.

For an older woman to ‘bed’ a teenage boy is setting him up for some adult problems, ranging from Statutory Rape, to adultery, to sexually transmitted diseases. NOT to mention long lasting damage to his reputation.

Why this type of column, and why now? Let’s just say that its time that more of the brotherhood get back into the wising up of some of our young brothers for yet another school year. Not all of life’s lessons can be learned out of a school book or in a classroom. It takes the ‘pulling aside’ of younger men by older men and the exchange of wisdom for true survival.

Hell hath no greater statistics than uninformed young men.

MIKE RAMEY is the author of THE MANHOOD LINE. A monthly, syndicated column for men, written from a biblical, business, and common sense pers ective. Email and Bmail welcome to manhoodline@yahoo.com.