Dakota Fanning Depicts the Loss of Innocence in Independent Film, Hounddog

This morning I read an article from the New York Times about the controversy of a rape scene in the independent film "Hounddog". The scene features 12 year old Dakota Fanning's character Lewellyn, being lured by a teenage boy with Elvis Presley tickets, and subsequenltly raped. The film was scheduled to premiere Monday morning at the Sundance Film festival. In addition to the rape scene, Dakota Fanning's character is sexually and emotionally abused by other adults in her life. Her character, Llewelyn, also heads down the path of being an abuser, as is often the case with abused children. "Hounddog" depicts the lives of abusers and victims, and the vicious cycle of violence that is so prevelant in American society today.

Online petitions called for the directors arrest with accusations of sexual exploitation of a minor. The conservative critics are in an uproar over the age of the actress, not the content of the film's message. Miss Fanning remained clothed and is not seen nude during the entire shooting. According to the district attorney from Wilmington, N.C., no crime was commited. The independent film's director, Deborah Kampmeier, assured the media that Ms. Fanning was treated more than appropiately. Apparently, even Dakota was taken aback by the uproar. After all, this is just a character in a story, not a living child.

I thought about how I feel about a film that graphically depicts the abusive experiences of a 12 year old girl. I agree that the images and implications are disturbing. They definitely push to the limits of being acceptable. But if the law is not broken and the guidelines are not crossed then by all means it should be shown.

A film that exposes America's ugly side is a good thing. We need to push the escalating violence in our culture to the foreground. This particular issue of sexual exploitation is irrelevant compared to the reality of abuse in our homes. Violence and abuse are part of our society. We want to believe we are the most righteous nation on the planet. We are not even close.

I wonder what it is that really set off this maelstrom. Could it be that conservative America has their collective heads in the sand? Is it easier to live with ourselves and our country's moral decline if we refuse to see the reflections of our own shortcoming? I don't believe this is even about the protection of minors from sexual exploitation. I feel this is a refusal to acknowledge the realities of average American life. God forbid we see ourselves as anything less than perfect.

Every 20 seconds a child in this country is abused. The majority of abuse doesn't come from strangers. It comes from the people they should be able to trust most. Priests, teachers, doctors, family members, even one's own parents. When will we be enraged over the abuse of the kids next door? Where are the online petitions to arrest the teacher who seduces a young student? Why aren't we disturbed by the thousands upon thousands of children who go to bed hungry every night in our own town? What about the millions of little ones who are born to people who have absolutely no business raising children?

Like the naughty child who points out someone elses transgressions to deflect attention from his own, America needs a spanking. We need to be exposed to our own realities. At least that way, when the spanking finally comes, we'll know why.