A friend of mine posted a link from a website bashing Nicki Minaj’s cover to her newest album. My friend was on point in how the website was very hypocritical in bashing Minaj’s willingness to be objectified yet the website had numerous other links and pictures of other women being objectified. The debate also turned the way of those men with young girls and how we raise them to not only be the object of a man’s desire but reach for more. This got me to thinking – where does the blame go? Is it men that objectify women or the women who allow men to objectify them?

Frankly, there is enough blame to go around. Our society has become overly sexualized and it is running rampant. Yet, we have all taken part of this behavior. Therefore, how can I honestly look at Ms. Minaj’s pictorial and bash her when I support her music by listening to it? Or how can I turn my nose up at strip clubs when they used to be an every weekend occurrence? Why, after I’ve been Born Again do I suddenly become judge?

I believe the truth points to how we as humans want to help others to not go down paths we’ve already explored and where we have experienced devastation. It is a noble effort but judgmental nonetheless.

Now that I am a father to my daughter I do think twice about what influences my daughter and son have in their lives. I do hope to raise them in a way that is responsible yet free. Allow them the opportunity to experience life on their own with the hope they make good choices that do not haunt them for life. And even through all of this my own daughter still might end up on the cover of Rolling Stone with her ass out; and then again, maybe not. I can only do my part in steering and directing the path of my kids to the best of my ability. And that is grand.