'Grey' gives girls mixed messages

Newspapers, magazines, TV and people you come in contact with wherever you are have all talked about the book "Fifty Shades of Grey." I have not read the book, nor do I intend to. But it's pretty much impossible to not know what it's about. It has been called "mommy porn," but you can bet not just mommies have read it.

I taught young "at risk" teens for over 20 years. Many of the girls were living in fear of stepfathers, friends or family with all kinds of abuse issues. They dealt with guys who abused them physically, emotionally and sexually, and bore the scars that went with it. Yet people are talking about the male character in this book as though women really desire domination by a man like this.

Don't we teach our girls to be aware of date rape? We women talk about equality with men; that we don't want to be treated as objects to be used, that girls are valuable and should be treated as such. And isn't bullying the buzzword right now? How do all these things relate to this book? We sure are giving out a lot of mixed messages here. Am I the only one who's upset, sad and even angry about this?

CHARLA ZUHLKE

Modesto