I’m so glad you finally made it to our blog! I thought you were going to skip us as you’ve posted this response on every other romance writer’s blog about Fred Head. I don’t suppose you are reading the responses, though, because you are still referring to “abtinence education” as “absence education.”

To me this isn’t a political issue. I am not FOR Susan Combs or against Fred Head. I just want an apology for having my work slandered as pornographic.

I can, however, give my opinion as a citizen on sex education and romance novels. As a public school teacher for 9 years I saw what’s really going on with the youth of America and sex.

They are having it.

I taught an 8th grader in 1996 who had a baby. I taught am 11-year-old 6th grader in 2004 who was having sex already. I am all FOR abstinence education. I’m not a politician or a researcher. I don’t know if abstinence education works, but what we are doing now isn’t working. And what we are doing now is showing kids TV shows and movies and celebrities who glorify sex as a pasttime and something to do to make you cool. There is no romance in sex. No emotion.

Believe it or not (and if you read romance, you will belive it), romance novels are one of the few forms of entertainment that are not promoting this kind of attitude. Romance novels are about two people falling in love, becoming better people because of that love, and making a lifelong commitment to each other. They’re about fidelity, true love, romance, and yes, the physical expression of that love. There’s nothing wrong with to adults making love, and if we are going to give our kids models for what type of behavior we expect in society, I think romance novels are perfectly acceptable.

That being said, romance novels are for adults. But then so are rated R movies and many cable TV shows, but kids do get exposed to that.

So in my opinion, there is no hypocrisy in the fact that Susan Combs wrote a romance novel and advocates abstinence education in schools. I write romance novels, and I advocate abstinence education. I’m not having it “both ways.”

Concerned Citizen, please reply.

Dear Mr. Head,

I am a British romance writer [and counselor] who is proud of her art. I have just read several writing blogs regarding your recent comments and visited this link: http://www.votefredhead.com/susan.html. I’ve read the selection of Ms. Coombs work that you posted. I can’t see anything pornographic in it all! In fact, it sounds very tame to me.

It appears that you are not living in the real world. What made you read her book in the first place? Did you want to put her down? You’ve done yourself a great disservice.

I’m wondering if this campaign of yours is more to do with your own issues rather than those of Ms. Coombs? You are exhibiting signs of PROJECTION in my professional opinion. It might be an idea if you spoke with a counselor on why you have reacted the way you have to the author’s prose.

Sincerely,

Lynette Rees

Dip. Couns.

Fred Head is clearly stating the facts.

Please debate how you can write a book of this nature and then took a public position of sex education (ABSENCE ONLY) bill. Can’t have it both ways.

Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves’ eyes within thy locks: thy hair is as a flock of goats, that appear from mount Gilead.
****
Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, and thy speech is comely: thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate within thy locks.
***Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins, which feed among the lilies.
Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense.
Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee.
***
Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits.

This, of course from The Song of Solomon.

They had something on the news the other day about a teacher who was fired because she took her students to a museum where they saw naked sculptures.

Why is the body and natural sex something some people are so afraid of?

If Sue Combs had written a gory thriller would she be under the same scrutiny?

Anyhow, I think Mr. Head has lost more than just the woman who read romance votes, I think he might have lost their ever loving husbands as well. I know it wouldn’t be smart for my husband to support such a fellow after such comments.

As for Mr. Head — I think he has a serious case of cranial rectosis. If he was a fictional character, we’d write him off as TSTL (too stupid to live).

Taking a stand against Sue Combs on this “issue” was a dumb move…good grief, the National RWA Headquarters are in Housten!

I question his smarts, and a lot of other things about his so-called “family values” platform.

Kathrynn