4A | WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 2019 | COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL
Cottage Grove Sentinel
116 N. Sixth St.
Cottage Grove, Ore. 97424
NED HICKSON , MANAGING EDITOR |
Opinion
541-902-3520 | NHICKSON @ CGSENTINEL . COM
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Boosting a daughter’s self image by going
for bust sends the wrong message
While Franklin’s
head from the luggage
parents said their “gift”
machine, Jenna will be
is meant to boost their
happy — and confident
daughter’s self-esteem,
that she can lose her par-
I don’t think going for
ents in a crowd, which
When I first read
bust is the answer. Even
is really what the whole
about Jenna Franklin, the though Kay and Martin
thing is about.
British girl whose parents Franklin are cosmetic
We still have two teens
gave her $8,000 breast
surgeons themselves, and at home. I can tell you
implants for her 16th
say they only want the
the things that either em-
birthday, I was shocked
by the notion of a father
From the Managing Editor’s Desk
willing to be part of any-
Ned Hickson
thing that would make
his teenaged daughter
more enticing to teen-
aged boys.
best for their daughter,
power or implode their
Back when I was
they have to see how
self-confidence — and
looking ahead to my own the need for self-image
what they identify as be-
daughter’s sweet 16, I be- “improvements” won’t
ing important to them —
gan saving up for a spe-
end there.
can literally change from
cial birthday ensemble
It’ll be a tummy-tuck at moment to moment. On
that included sheet-metal 17, then higher cheek-
more than one occasion
pants and a turtleneck
bones and a thinner nose I have started a harmless
sweater made of chain-
for her 18th birthday.
conversation over break-
link. And possibly a
At 21, she can get those
fast on, let’s say… why
makeup kit to go with it, pouty lips she always
I like Fruitloops… and
depending on whether
wanted, and maybe a
found myself the unwit-
she wears her metal visor little eye work. Perhaps
ting participant in a what
up or down.
touch up those pointy
felt like an interview with
I had no doubt my
ears she used to get
Gary Busey.
daughter would thank
teased about in grade
Between the Molotov
me later for adding a
school. Eventually, it will cocktail of hormones
degree of difficulty to the be time to tighten that
coursing through their
courtship process, which sagging 23-year-old chin. veins, the constant flux of
would eliminate those
Then finally, when
influences in their lives
who weren’t persistent.
she’s completely unrecog- thanks to social media,
Or, at the very least,
nizable and can’t pass
the tether of cyberspace,
those without a blow
through airport security and the occasional friend
torch.
without an X-ray of her
you wish your child
never met, the road our
sons and daughters must
navigate to define them-
selves is full of swerves
and near misses.
It’s our job as parents
to not only be there on
those rare occasions
when they actually stop
to ask for directions, but
also to close the road
when we know they don’t
have the skill to navigate
what’s ahead.
Is a 16-year-old capa-
ble of understanding how
her body will change and
how breast implants will
impact those changes?
As parents, we need
to recognize this and
intervene when it comes
to decisions that have
long-term consequences,
even when our kids don’t
agree or understand.
In all honesty, I’m
glad the situation with
the Franklins arose. It
has prompted me to try
even harder to ensure
my daughter’s self-confi-
dence and self-image are
grounded in who she is
— not how she looks.
Besides, I’d also like to
avoid the cost of breast
implant surgery; the fact
is, I’m flat busted.
nhickson@cgsentinel.com
HOW TO CONTACT YOUR REPS
Oregon state
representatives
Oregon federal
representatives
• Sen. Floyd Prozanski
• Rep. Peter DeFazio
District 4 State Senator
PO Box 11511
Eugene, Ore. 97440
Phone: 541-342-2447
Email : sen.fl oydprozanski@
state.or.us
(House of Representatives)
405 East 8th Ave.
#2030
Eugene, Ore. 97401
Email: defazio.house.gov/
contact/email-peter
Phone: 541-465-6732
• Rep. Cedric Hayden
Republican District 7 State
Representative
900 Court St. NE
Salem, Ore. 97301
Phone: 503-986-1407
Website: www.leg.state.or.
us/hayden
Email: rep.cedrichayden@
state.or.us
• Sen. Ron Wyden
405 East 8th Ave., Suite
2020
Eugene, Ore. 97401
Email: wyden.senate.gov
Phone: (541) 431-0229
• Sen. Jeff Merkley
Email: merkley.senate.gov
Phone: 541-465-6750
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