Or, Much Ado About Nothing!
I got exactly one complaint about a story in last week’s issue, and the basis of the complaint, by a Baptist Youth Pastor, is so eye-rolling in its cluelessness, you’ll begin to understand why some kids are so screwed up.
Let’s start with the story, and then the complaint:
Down Under
Remington is introducing its Bikini Trim and Shape electric razor in the U.K. The razor, which was previously introduced to the U.S. market, is specifically designed for women to use to shape their pubic hair. According to the company, their market research found that 79 percent of women shaved off part or all of their pubes, and 36 percent trimmed their hair into a specific design, such as a heart or their partner’s initial. (PA) …In block letters, or Braille?
Complaint (Singular)
(In more ways than one!)
That one complaint came from Jeff, a Youth Pastor at a First Baptist church in Washington:
I am totally offended by this article. What purpose does it serve? I subscribed to your newsletter under the belief that you were a Christian organization sharing bizarre but true stories. I have occasionally used a story as an illustration during a youth lesson and directed my students to your web site. I am now shocked and embarrassed by what I have directed teenagers to. These teenagers trust me and look to me for spiritual guidance, not for stories concerning peoples private body parts. Church leaders are in a constant battle with the internet and entertainment industry for the attention of the people God has put in our care. When I find something enlightening and uplifting to pass on to my students I do so hoping it may direct them away from some of the negative influences of this world not to articles about pubic hair. I hope I never see another article like this in your newsletter.
After I stopped rolling around the floor laughing like a maniac, I researched Jeff’s subscription: when he wrote, he had been a subscriber for more than four months, so he should have been quite well versed in what True is about — weird-but-true news items that illuminate The Human Condition. (Duh!)
Frankly, I think the concept of women shaving their lover’s initials into their crotch is reasonably weird, especially since “R” (my initial) would be pretty hard to do well.
Anyway, how could someone read True for more than four months and not understand that “ThisisTrue.Inc” isn’t a Christian missionary organization?! In his very first issue, the headline of the week was “Whoopee? Oopsie! Honk If the Dealership Used Your Car for Sex”!
Since then, the stories in the free edition have included:
- High School staff says principal threatened to kill them, broadcasted gospel music and sermons from his office, claimed the school was possessed by demons, bragged of having a weapons cache and threatened suicide.
- A story about a new coffee house in Alabama called “Bad Ass Coffee Shop” that caused outrage over its name. Many reader letters followed about that, as well as another story in the same issue about a restaurant called “C.O. Jones” (cojones — get it? If not, their slogan “Ballsy Mexican cuisine” ought to help), whose owner called the name “a great marketing tool.”
- 15-year-old patient hires a prostitute to visit him in the ward of a children’s hospital. (Oh yeah, that’s an uplifting, churchy item!)
- Southwest Airlines fires flight crew for making flight “out of uniform” (if you know what I mean — nudge-nudge, wink-wink!)
- And …well, you get the idea. Not to mention various letters from readers about my Get Out of Hell Free cards and related items, which some fundamental Christians have condemned as “anti-Christian” (and others have embraced with wide grins, from Free Methodist ministers to priests at the Vatican).
Naturally, there were scores of other, less controversial stories during that time. In short, True covers the full gamut of human weirdness, including sex.
Nope: Not a Church Bulletin!
So how in the world could a youth pastor think that True is a church publication? Because he doesn’t read it. He’s going around telling his teens (who, he may be shocked to learn, also have “private body parts” and, I’m sure, many of whom shave unwanted hair) that this is a great publication.
And you know what? It is! That’s why many hundreds of priests, ministers, preachers and other men (and women) of the cloth subscribe, including many to the expanded Premium edition. They get to stay in touch with what regular people are doing out in The World, and they get real life examples of lessons learned (or not!) to use in their sermons.
Not to mention they get to be entertained in the process.
And yet, when the guy finally does read an issue, he has the gall to complain to me that he made an error in assuming that this is a church bulletin?! Even though he’s read it closely enough now and then to have “occasionally used a story as an illustration during a youth lesson”? Astounding.
The Real “Bottom” Line
Here’s a guy who thinks he’s “watching out” for today’s youth, yet so irresponsible that he doesn’t have any clue about whether a publication he’s been recommending is sacred or secular. Yeah, there’s a role model for you.
What do you want to bet that the teens in his group laugh at his cluelessness behind his back as much as I am? Except I do it in front of his front — I sure hope he has all of his parts covered.
As I told Jeff on Tuesday when I replied to his note, the only way for him to “never see another article like this in your newsletter” is to unsubscribe. As of this writing, he’s still on the distribution list.
Hello? “Duh” indeed.
I’m extremely confident that the comments on this page will be illustrative — from both sides of the altar.
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I have to comment about Jeff’s letter. It is this attitude — that body parts and sex is not to be talked about — that has allowed pedophile priests (and others) to get away with their crimes for so long. The young victims have been taught not to say anything about such matters. They believe they are to blame for what has happened to them. Whatever damage they may have suffered from molestation is greatly increased by feelings of guilt and the inability to express what they feel. Because even talking about it would be wrong!! And the Church would rather put more children at risk than admit that a priest could do such things!!!
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Wow: what a great point. In a separate message, Leni noted that he is close to such a victim, so he unfortunately knows what he’s talking about. -rc
This is a great point and I’m glad it was at the top of the list of comments. I married someone who was a victim of this exact same issue. She is still dealing with it decades later. So, Jeff has no sympathy from this quarter and maybe, he will learn something from this (though I have my doubts).
Not all ministers are morons, believe me. I was ordained over 4 years ago and I have still as yet to mistake any humourous newsletter for a “Christian organisation sharing bizarre but true stories.”
This stellar example of a truly pompous buffoon is a perfect illustration of why more and more people are turning away from traditional “mainstream” religious organisations these days. Then again, you must also add to the equation the fact that he’s a Youth Pastor in a First Baptist church, perhaps the most anal-rententive and uptight of all Christian sects; remember why Baptist ministers and churches won’t permit their members to make love standing up…they’re afraid it’ll lead to dancing!
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Heh! Well, not all FBC types are anal-retentive and uptight, Gary — one of the best responses to Jeff’s letter was from Walter, the Senior Pastor of a large First Baptist church in Florida, who simply ordered a two-year Premium subscription upgrade, carefully writing on the “company” line on the order form “First Baptist Church”. I sent him a note thanking him for the subtle and sublime gesture I got in response to Jeff. His response: “You’re welcome. Keep using your head!” -rc
I just wanted to tell you how much I adore This is True, and let you know that I am a minister that works with adolescents on a daily basis. I was enchanted by your response to Jeff the youth pastor who was so mortified by your mention of unmentionable body parts. In my dealings with teens, I’ve come to realize that sex occupies 97 percent of their daily cognitive expenditures with sleeping, breathing and eating taking up the latter 3 percent. Any “Youth Pastor” who is not equipped or unwilling to broach frank discussion of sex and body parts when the subject comes up is missing a great opportunity to bring his message in a healthy manner.
I am pleased to say that I have directed some of my kids to your website and we frequently talk about the subjects you present. It’s a great laugh usually, and it’s good to see the kids understand how dumb people can be sometimes! We are constantly checking our decisions against the bar you have set by asking ourselves, “Would my response (to a given situation) get me featured in This is True?” It ranks right up there with WWJD in terms of effective self discipline! Thanks for all your great work, and don’t worry about self-righteous, pompous oafs like Jeff. …Not that I’m being judgemental or anything.
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Certainly not! Perish the thought. -rc
Replying more to Randy’s comment on your post — I’m surprised you didn’t go for the obvious pun there: “Parish the thought”.
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Ah well, I can’t come up with them all! -rc
“In my dealings with teens, I’ve come to realize that sex occupies 97 percent of their daily cognitive expenditures with sleeping, breathing and eating taking up the latter 3 percent.”
Er… I haven’t been a teen in a long time, and that still applies.
BTW, my email address for this newsletter starts with an abbreviated form of its title: “tit@…”.
You have a very rare ability to depict human weirdness in the most strange situations with perfect common-use language, and I found almost incredible that anyone could get offended by any article. In fact, sometimes I think that you actually clean up the original text for a better language. I agree with you in the conclusion that this Jeff guy hasn’t really read True as it deserves to be read: Entirely from cover to cover… errrrr I mean, from page down to page down until the very end of it, and with a nice sense of humor, being prepared to read some of the most strangenous (and funny) stories on human behavior.
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Alas, I clean it up more than I want to. Thanks to slimy spammers, if I so much use the word “naked” in a story (as in “The astronomer noted the star could be seen with the naked eye.”), a huge number of issues get bounced as “spam” because of the “dirty word” included. It’s pathetic that I can’t use normal words because they’ve been declared “dirty” thanks to being included in so much porn spam, but I’ve seen the filter reports from reader’s mail systems! -rc
Artificial stupidity strikes again!
I post a lot of antivaxxer debunkings on Christians Against Covid Denialism and Facebook blocks some of them because they can’t distinguish between debunking a falsehood and stating a falsehood.
Even the Christians Against Covid Denialism Facebook group once got banned for spreading antivaxxer misinformation when its purpose was indeed the OPPOSITE of that!!!
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I found the same thing when I posted some meme, pointing out the falsehoods. They of course made it a click-to-see image and gave me a slap for posting such nonsense. Is it any wonder that it’s SO hard to counter the damage Fecebook does? -rc
If I wasn’t a poor small town preacher in debt up to my eyeballs I would upgrade to the Premium edition. Like Jeff, I have used some of the material in sermons. (I am a United Methodist minister.) Of course there are other stories that I have not used, for obvious reasons! I am constantly amazed at how out of touch so many who share my profession appear to be with reality. It seems that many would prefer that the whole world simply pretend that stupid, even bad stuff does not exist. But it does. Reading This is True both entertains me and reminds me how strange people can be. I see my job not as a “policeman” ordained to condemn others, rather as a messenger who simply shares in both word and deed the love of a God who, by the way, I am convinced has an incredible sense of humor!
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Note: Several readers have come forward to give Preacher John a gift subscription to the Premium edition after reading that letter. What a different example they’re providing — and living — compared to Jeff! -rc
I find your publication really interesting and funny. It makes me smile at the way we humans can be so weird, uncanny, obsessed, funny, and just plain human. As a future priest of the Catholic faith these stories are good for my understating of human nature and the all important task of coming to terms with people just like me who struggle day in and day out with their idiosyncrasies. Sometimes we take ourselves way to seriously in terms of our human nature, which is really so very fragile and prone to foibles and failings. This is True enlighteners me each week regardless of the content, providing evidence to me that we really do need God to save us from ourselves! Keep up the good and funny work.
I’m also one of many ordained ministers that receive your publication (and have since ’96 or ’97). Hey, I’ve been offended by some of the stories, but I know that’s absolutely no reason to end my subscription or to get bent out of shape. Well, once I did get bent out of shape, but I didn’t write to whine (at least I don’t think I did) or unsubscribe.
Honestly, this publication is just too good to leave. I hopped on the subscriber list under recommendation by a youth minister, who said up front that this was not a “Christian” publication, but said that he gleaned many good stories from here that he used for his youth meetings. And no, it was not Jeff from Washington! This is True is one of only 4 newsletters that I’ve gotten regularly since that ’96-’97 time period. You are among that group with a political newsletter, a general computer newsletter, and a sermon newsletter. Looking at that list, you can see why I need your newsletter… for comic relief!
This is one of the perks of True: not only do we get humorous, interesting, bizarre, or even infuriating stories but the occasional outbursts of people who just don’t get it. I refer of course to Jeff, the youth minister and how easy it was for you to call him out on his lack of logic. Such is life. Keep at it, Randy, you’re doing fine work.
I am also a youth pastor. And like Jeff I use This is True with my youth group. Unlike Jeff I use it every week as a crowd breaker. The youth have the ability to find good and wholesome material on the internet along with all of the Spank Me sites out there. I have told them about This is True and some of them visit the site. Especially if as the youth pastor I decide not to read every story involving Road Cone Romance (they love the Sundays that I forget to read through This is True beforehand). I appreciate Jeff’s concern, but our job is to prepare people to deal with life in a Christ like fashion. Plus God made pubic hair!
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The “Road Cone Romance” story Tyson refers to was about a guy who police in Scotland arrested after he tried to have sex with a red traffic cone — in the middle of the street. I would have loved to have been in the pews when he was reading that one cold. Who says church is never fun!? -rc
You handled Jeff’s criticism with much more diplomacy than I would have been able to muster. How rude of people to put the blame on others when they are the ones who have made a mistake! If he was concerned that the material would not be appropriate for his young charges, then he should have researched the publication before having used it! I’m afraid that all “Jeff” achieved in writing you that nasty letter was making my sides hurt — from giggling at your responses — and making himself look…a little less than on top of things. (I might remind “Jeff” of what “assuming” does….)
I’ve been a subscriber for probably over a year now, and you never fail to crack me up! Keep up the good work! (I also admire you for, you know, that “diplomacy” thing. I never was good at that, myself!)
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Huh: I could use a bunch of different words to describe my reply, but “diplomatic” wouldn’t have occurred to me. A number of people wrote to say that I shouldn’t get so “upset” at such letters. Upset? Not in the least! They’re incredibly funny, as you point out, and it’s downright fun to write the responses. But enough people have written me to say that I shouldn’t get “upset” at letters from “idiots” that I wrote a (short) response to them some time ago. -rc
I suppose the church won’t allow us to initialise the title of your publication either?
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Heaven forbid! -rc
What vacuum is this guy living in?? I’m a Christian Youth Counselor in California. I teach my kids that we do not live in a Walt Disney, Mary Poppins, gingerbread house kind of world. Stuff happens. And sometimes it’s funny, ironic, or downright maddening and unfair! I’ve never used one of your stories as an illustration, but I think I will now. There is so much injustice in this world.
What I also teach my kids is that some people are stupid. Not ignorant, but just plain stupid. They have just enough sense to get up in the morning and after that, it’s all over. This sounds like Jeff, the Youth Pastor in Washington. I’m glad my kids don’t go to his church.
If Jeff’s offended by stories of pubic hair, how would he react to literature about sexual positions and praising breasts found in most churches? I refer to the book in the bible, Song of Solomon, which is a multi-dimensional poem comparing God’s love for us with the fervor of the wedding night. Many Christian sects are boring and even irrelevant because they don’t have the guts to let their hair down with simple things like relevant music. Nor can they face real life issues in front of their people, who are searching for the very real-ness being avoided. That item — about the shaver and your tagline — was one of the funniest things I’ve ever read. By the way, I’m 50 years old, a former Baptist but still Christian, and I can still fire off the old rocket boosters. Now, where to get that shaver….
There are days were I don’t want to open my email for fear of seeing yet another panic stricken letter from my clients (I work as a grant writing consultant), but I really do love seeing This is True! I had to shake my head about the youth pastor who complained that you’re not a Christian organization. Right on with your assessment! I can’t believe he was sending his students to your site without even knowing what your site was about. Further, how can he not know if he’s using your stories in his discussions? At least he’s sending them to a place where they’ll be challenged to think.
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That would probably be his worst fear: that his kids might learn how to think rather than blindly obey his fevered vision of Baptist dogma. -rc
Pastor Jeff has a series of problems that I’m not about to go into (although a copious list of them could be compiled alphabetically, categorically and in order of importance). Thank God (no pun intended) he wasn’t subscribing when that kid got busted by his high school principal on Halloween for dressing up like the vagina. People that criminally stupid should be illegal. Jeff, this planet ain’t big enough for the both of us. Be off by sundown.
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That story, complete with photo, is here. -rc
Many years ago an Italian student won first prize for such a costume at the Venice Carnival. The next year he caused a scandal when he protested being disqualified for dressing as a penis!
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Well, everyone knows that vaginas are art, and penises are obscene. -rc
I get really uptight when I read stupid comments from ministers of religion who complain about real life happenings. People who believe that when you’re dead you live forever; people to believe that after three days of being dead you can come back to life; people who believe that stuff and then have the gall to complain about Harry Potter being “evil”. Come on now. Believe what you want to, but don’t try and make me believe it too.
Re after three days you are dead.
If you read the full history of the Spartacus slave revolt you will find that those slaves who survived the revolt and its final battle were all crucified in 71 BC.
Many of those survivors were old and injured but the instructions of the court were that all were to be crucified and if any died in less than seven days then the team that crucified them was to be crucified as well for incompetence.
Those crucifixions were 100 years before Christ was crucified and the Romans had probably “improved” the process in that time to ensure that the “criminal” lived longer. Small injuries that you could not scratch or swat the flies off were also a regular feature.
The Romans were also known to have corrupt officials — no doubt including some who would fake a death certificate in exchange for some silver.
You will also find that the full details of how a crucifixion is carried out ARE known despite all the various church videos that claim the opposite.
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“Cruel and unusual punishment” has a long and inglorious history. -rc
You wrote: “Frankly, I think the concept of women shaving their lover’s initials into their crotch is reasonably weird, especially since ‘R’ (my initial) would be pretty hard to do well.” Now, if that isn’t an invitation, I don’t know what is. I hope you share the responses to that challenge! (If the stats in the latest Playboy are correct, 60+% of women will need to let it grow out before attempting the new shave….)
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So far, none of my fairer-sexed readers have sent a photo of their attempt. I’ll consider posting any that do come in if they give permission for me to do so. They’ll get extra points for Braille, of course! (No, I’m not blind, but a number of my readers are.) -rc
I suggest that you send that tag line to Remington’s marketing department. It may be market niche they haven’t seen.
(And apologies if someone has already suggested that — I am supposed to be on my way to work right now, but could not resist reading this story, so I have only skimmed the comments.)
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I’m pretty sure they’ve seen the page by now. -rc
I’ve been a subscriber since the early 90s. I don’t remember exactly when and it was under a different email address. I’ve used this one since the mid-90s. I am an ordained minister and rather conservative. Do I approve of everything you write? Well, maybe some pushes things a little, but that’s OK. I think too many folk think everyone has to conform. I suspect no one has ever accused Randy of having difficulty thinking outside of the box.
I’ve written before and will repeat, keep on keeping on. You may have pushed the limits but you do so in a humorous manner that makes people think and I shared some of your humor with my children when they were still in grade school. They also find you funny. This world is a crazy place with a lot of different views — you help expand horizons. Thank You!!!
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Thank you, Don. Accepting the challenge to think makes the world a better place. -rc
This story made me go back to watch Ray Steven’s “The Mississippi Squirrel Revival” (YouTube) again 🙂
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For others: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K16fG1sDagU -rc
The Youth Pastor should actually be grateful for this God-sent test put on him to evaluate the strength of his faith to remain on the correct path of life. Complaining about it is like showing that his faith is just not strong enough and makes one wonder if he is in the right shoes to be teaching his students. Complaining about it is also like using a cheat paper to pass the test.
“They’ll get extra points for Braille, of course!”
This just begs for a response: “Let your fingers do the walking”
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+1. -rc
Ok, so he’s trying to tell you how and what to write? I wonder where he would fall on the idiot scale. I’m catholic and I find your stuff funny AF. Let me reiterate, FUNNY AS FUCK.
I hate it when people are too stupid to recognize actual talent. Like they say, can’t fix stupid. Keep the newsletters coming, and ignore the haters!
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Knowing your background, I appreciate your comment all the more. Preach it, brother! -rc
But if it’s not a church bulletin, how can it provide a card for getting out of Hell?
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Special powers. 😉 -rc
One would be tempted to ask him for his church bulletin, and then write him “shocked” that there aren’t weird but true news items and there is too much Jesus talk.
In absence of the reaction, is the next best thing.
But will Remington offer great commercials like this classic?
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That there’s competition in the space says a lot! Loved the subtlety that by the end of the commercial, her kitty has been shaved bald. (I mean the cat, you pervert!) 😀 -rc
“Frankly, I think the concept of women shaving their lover’s initials into their crotch is reasonably weird”
Actually, I think it’s both romantic and thoughtful. It’s not as permanent as a tattoo, so while it is easier to get rid of it also does take effort to care for it regularly and keep it properly shaped and trimmed. Like a literal hedge, actually. lol
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Indeed it is romantic and thoughtful. It’s also reasonably weird. -rc
I misread the caption as “The Missionary Position” thinking that was the title of the publication that is “Not a church Bulletin” instead of Missionary’s position… Then I read the link and found you are referring to your newsletter.
I can not imagine why he’d think this is a “Christian” publication… Other than you publish truth….
Had to word this post carefully.
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Just for the record, I posted the link to this page on social media today, which led to this wave of comments. -rc
Just curious, after 18 years, is he still a subscriber?
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I recall checking back some months later and he still was, but since I dumped the list and made everyone subscribe again in 2010 (when I switched mail platforms), he would have had to make a conscious effort to stay on (if he was still there in 2010), and then the only way I’d know is by looking up his original email address from that letter and see if that was there, and frankly I find it unlikely enough to make the effort. And I’d never know if he used a different address. -rc
You could point him to the Get Out Of Hell Free cards.
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I did! -rc
“How dare you publish what you clearly state you publish, sir? How *dare* you?!!”
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I guess I’m just devilish. -rc
The world is full of lightweights.
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Mental, spiritual, educational, and moral. -rc
I question that the writer has actually _read_ True all this time. Many of RCC’s closing comments are meant to 1) be funny, 2) rile the reader, 3) ding one or more of the subjects of the article, 4) otherwise provoke thought. Quite often, they’re muted puns or subtle irony, and not infrequently have a slight bend in them. The “bend” (my word for this style) sometimes digs at sexuality and related subjects but in a hint rather than an explicit reference. How could someone miss that? The mind boggles…. Anyway, Randy, please keep up the good work!
I guess he liked the title so much that he thought he didn’t even need to bother actually reading it: “Everything I believe is ‘True’ too, so this guy must believe everything I believe!”.
I think you may be spot on, Steve. I have noticed people in my area of life who maintain a subjective reality that must be constantly maintained in order to keep it prominent, pretty much anything that appears to agree is snatched up for support. Often without more than a cursory inspection, if that much. A declaration like “This is True” would fit right in there.
Wait, he didn’t write to you to demand his money back, and he didn’t even unsubscribe? So he wrote to you essentially to demand what you should or should not publish? And he stayed subscribed in order to ensure that you complied? To protect his reputation because he had recommended your newsletter to others.
Wow, who thinks they have the power to demand what others should do or say? This attitude of control is what disturbs me the most about “Jeff” and his role leading youth.
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Good point, though he wasn’t a paid subscriber. -rc
This attitude of controlling everything in people’s lives is what ultimately propelled me to leave the church and all its fakery for good at the age of 50. Today I’m no longer a Christian, but agnostic, I no longer pray, but still meditate, and as Christopher Hitchens famously said, I now believe in free will because I have no choice!
Bear with me, this is going somewhere: It took me quite a while to transition my world view and beliefs completely away from the church. I had to restart my career, rebuild relationships (some were lost forever) and ultimately discover there is indeed a rational (as opposed to divinely commanded) basis for morality.
This was a time of great uncertainty, of waking up disoriented as it were, and in this time “This is True” was one of the few things that remained constant, and that I retained after scrutinizing everything in my life more closely from a different perspective. What a joy to examine the human condition, be entertained at the same time and be able to sometimes even laugh at ourselves! Thank you Randy.
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I’m quite gratified if reading True helped you clarify your thinking. That’s what I strive for. -rc
The NEW testament provides some excellent guidance for all mankind.
I gave up on churches over 60 years ago when as a teen I ended up in hospital for weeks and the only reading material allowed was the bible. After reading it from cover to cover three times I could see all the hate and control in the old testament and how in the new testament Jesus rejected many of the old testament teachings.
Naturally I also saw how the churches cherry picked mainly old testament crap to brainwash its victims (sorry I mean members) and used these cherries to differentiate them from the other businesses (sorry I should have said churches) that they are in competition with to raise money — 90% for the church and the rest to do showy things that “prove” how good they are.
I think rabid “Christians” should be made to hand write the new testament 20 times — by the end of that they would probably have a better idea of Christ’s teachings.
To me the modern Faith Hope and Love is not what Christ taught in his parables on the Good Samaritan or Last Supper. He taught Faith Hope and CHARITY. Something certain “Christian” politicians voted down at every chance.
I just want to point out — as someone who has worked customer service before — getting something for free has never ONCE stopped an entitled customer from demanding their money back!
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I actually offer double their money back for free subscriptions. -rc
Some advice to the pastor: Just because you are offended does not make you right.
If my memory serves me right, this isn’t the first time a reader had to learn by reading something you wouldn’t see in the church bulletin in your newsletter. I’m a Christian, but I’ve also been around the block (and around much of the world) a time or two.
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And definitely not the last. -rc
“Youth pastor” and ignorance walk hand-in-hand through the valley of shadow, holding stupidity up as a shield of virtue.
My fear: Imagine the young minds he’s already warped.
It just hit me that this is from twenty years ago…which means this guy was preaching to my contemporaries.
For the record, I was a subscriber to This Is True myself at the time (my dad had forwarded me a couple, which I’d used as springboards to find articles for “Current Events” at school that weren’t just whatever was above the fold on the front page of the local paper, and I eventually subscribed myself when I realized it was free…at age ten, so around early 2000) and on more than one occasion printed out a copy of the week’s newsletter to take with me to my own Youth meetings at church. I don’t remember specific conversations relating to any articles, but considering one of the things I do remember is the pastor sitting down with us at a meeting and outright telling us, “I have a bowl of condoms in my office. If you need some, you come and get some, no questions asked, and that’s for any of you. If you’re going to be fooling around, I want you to be safe about it,” I’m pretty sure they would have been exactly what you intend your articles to be — thought-provoking.
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Fabulous! -rc