One Million Moms (there's probably not really a million of them) is an organization that confuses me very much. The organization was created as a project of the American Family Association to, supposedly, give mothers an opportunity to "stand against the immorality, violence, vulgarity and profanity the entertainment media is throwing at your children." In the past they've focused their disgust on various media outlets, television program, etc. Most recently, they began a boycott of JC Penney department stores because they hired Ellen DeGeneres as their spokesperson.
This time, they're upset because Toys 'R Us is selling an Archie comic book featuring a "Just Married" gay couple on the cover (pictured). These moms don't want to have conversations with their children about sexual orientation when they're too young to understand. They are super angry that these comic books are sold near the checkout registers and are visible to customers with children. They are outraged that children are being exposed to same-sex marriage in a toy store.
They claim that toy stores are not the right place for them to be confronted with questions from their children about topics that they feel they're too young to understand. They think that Toys 'R Us is being irresponsible.
I say "Good for Toys 'R Us and Archie Comics" for taking a stand.
"We stand by Life with Archie #16. As I've said before, Riverdale is a safe, welcoming place that does not judge anyone. It's an idealized version of America that will hopefully become reality someday. We're sorry the American Family Association/One Million Moms feels so negatively about our product, but they have every right to their opinion, just like we have the right to stand by ours. Kevin Keller will forever be a part of Riverdale, and he will live a happy, long life free of prejudice, hate and narrow-minded people." - Jon Goldwater, CEO of Archie Comics.
The problem isn't Toys 'R Us or even the children … it's the moms. It's the moms that are afraid to have conversations with their children that should be very simple and matter of fact. A good parent should have many difficult conversations with their child before he or she is grown.
"Well, honey … sometimes a woman marries a man. Sometimes a woman marries another woman and sometime two men get married. It really doesn't matter as long as they love each other." Kids understand this. Why don't their moms?
Being a parent is not easy. Moms that concentrate their energies on shielding their children from the realities of the modern world do them a great disservice. I understand that instinct sometimes tells us to preserve their innocence for as long as we can but, eventually, the children of these million moms will have to live and function in our society … our actual, factual society. The one in which same-sex couples get married.
If One Million Moms doesn't like the way Toys 'R Us does business they should shop elsewhere. That's how it should be. When will they learn that their boycotts and their crying don't work? I think it's safe to say that Toys 'R Us is thrilled by the free publicity that the moms are generating and that those comic books will quickly sell out. I bought one.
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