An incident on Facebook has prompted me to speak out (or blog out...whatever).

There is a time and a place for humor and it takes a certain level of maturity to determine when it's appropriate. A recent news story about a teacher sexting one of her students has got a few people laughing, because, apparently, teachers abusing their position is funny.

I fail to see how this is even remotely amusing.

For years there has been this crazy double-standard where teacher-student relationships have been concerned; Van Halen even released a song about it in the 80's; but I fail to see why society seems to deem it acceptable for a female teacher to carry on a relationship with a male student but there is outrage when a male teacher has the same type of relationship with a female student. Both situations are illegal and immoral. Teachers (whether male or female) are in a position of trust and authority; both considered aggravating factors during sentencing, btw; and to use that position in order to facilitate an illegal and/or immoral action is disgusting. And to laugh about it is dangerous.

With regards to this, one individual suggested that "that's society," as if, because society laughs it off then it's somehow appropriate to do so. And that's the crux of the problem, right there. If society is suggesting that this behavior is laughable, then why is it criminal? And if it's criminal, then it shouldn't be laughable.

Someone else suggested that laughter helps to ease the situation and laughter helped ease the pain of the death of a loved one. Laughing about a serious abuse of position (that involves child sexual abuse -- which, let's be honest, is what a teacher sexting a student is) is inappropriate. Laughing at the death of a loved one would also be inappropriate. But laughing about the good times you had with that loved one would be perfectly acceptable.

If this attitude "is society," then it's time for society to get a clue. Grow up people, because children learn their behaviors from adults.