11/1/98

Dear Mr. Starr:

I have a few questions I hope you can answer. "Mom, what is a semen stain?" "Mom, what is oral sex?", or perhaps, "Mom, why is Ken Starr telling the whole world about the President's affair with Monica Lewinsky, shouldn't it be private between him and Hillary?"

So, Mr. Starr, how would you answer these questions if they came from the mouths of your 8 and 10 year old daughters? These are questions that I never imagined would come up. Yet, I have been forced to answer these questions as well as many many others. I am what many would consider a liberal mom. My children know where babies come from. They also know what a penis is and also what a sexual relationship is. These are issues that we have discussed as they have come up, and when I felt that my daughters were mature enough to understand the answers. I make sure I know what my children watch on television and, also make sure to know what they are reading.

As careful as I am, they of course have still been exposed to the intimate details of the President's affair. In reality, it is impossible for them to not hear about it, isn't it? As I have had to answer these questions from my daughters, I find myself asking one a question:, "Mr. Starr, why are you telling the whole world about the President's affair with Monica Lewinsky, shouldn't it be a private issue between he and Hillary?"

When young children start asking questions about penis', semen stains, and extra-marital affairs after watching Nickelodeon, we all have to ask ourselves, "what is the real cost of "your" investigation?" Is it worth the innocence of our children?