The state of Maryland fears that applying sunblock to a child's back is pedophiliac foreplay, so it's requiring summer camps to get parents' OK for the disgusting practice. Logically, the camps should also need advance consent to hold a child's hand for the purpose of removing a splinter, and to lift drowning children out of the water.
According to the Washington Post, the parental consent policy replaces a zero-tolerance rule against sunblock:
The [original] guidelines said, “Camp staff should limit touching the camper as much as possible. Under no circumstances should campers assist each other in the application of sunscreen.” The policy also prohibited camps from supplying sunscreen to campers.
...
The rules were aimed at protecting children from inappropriate touching at camp, but they came as the federal government campaigns for parents to get more serious about protecting children against damage to skin the sun’s rays can inflict.
Health officials had argued that their motivation was strictly about safety. “Our intention is certainly not to discourage the use of sunblock,” Mitchell said. “It’s really to walk a fine line between protecting kids’ skin and making sure they feel personally safe.”
I'm dubious that kids actually feel "personally safe" when they're away from home and the only adults around treat them like they have the plague. Encouraging the fear of even the most benign touch from another human being seems like good training for future serial killers.
There's also the question of whether kids are allowed to apply sunblock to each other. To be on the safe side, you'd better advise your prepubescent son to run away screaming if a girl asks for help with her back. Otherwise, he might have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
In photo: Maryland-approved sunblock applicator, at left.
Comments