From Miss P. Hare Sir: Having read the correspondence following
Dr Linklater's article, as well as the article in Radio Times about Claire Rayner, I feel that the subject needs pursuing further.
Miss Rayner bases her argument on the statement that many people masturbate, and from this that masturbation is desirable, even beneficial. She advises infants that they are unlikely to succeed in becoming sexually adjusted in later life unless they adopt this practice. I cannot follow the logic of her argument: it is as if nosepicking, thumbsucking and other human frailties should be included in school curricula on the basis that we have all of us at some time done so!
Miss Rayner spends much time and energy directing the attention of young adolescents to greater sexual activity and even sexual perversion: "... I do have to be careful with the words I use and call cunnilingus and fellatio 'inventive kissing' "(Radio Tunes 11-10-73). She also does considerable harm to family unity and stability by advising youngsters who are at odds with their parents that the fault lies with the parents and rarely with the child. This is indeed subversion of the parental role, at a time when it is needed more than ever.
Miss Rayner's attitude is incomprehensible unless we accept her own words (surely the Radio Times cannot have completely misquoted all she said!): that her own adolescence was a mess and that she has never forgiven her parents. This explains much, but makes one have serious doubts about Miss Rayner's suitability as a counsellor of young adolescents.
P. M. Hare 21A Norton Rd, Letchworth, Herts.
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