Question relating to friends in relation to something that I witnessed.

[Hototo]

I got into a heated debate today about one of my friendships.

I am friends with a 11 year old girl whom I've been friends with for 2-3 years now. I know her through one of my best friends sister. My friend, including his family (including her mother and their extended family), knows that I am friends with her. This is a point of much laughter and joy among "the community" since we both like cutesy anime, cutesy anime clothes and drawing. Her parents / my friends are quite alright with this (far as I can tell of course) though they consider it funny and "send out smiling love my way" when I think of their opinion regarding my friendship with this person.

She is currently trying to earn sufficient money to purchase tickets and the necessary clothes for a convention while I'm trying to procure sufficient money for soft plushy swords that I can give out to my entire group of friends so that we can practice some non lethal combat techniques such as boffing : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foam_weapon

She comes from a single parent home and thus doesn't have sufficient money so she asked me to help her collect bottles for the extra cash.

The heated part of the debate was when I was talking with my father about this and if it might be possible to procure some other work for her that doesn't involve touching cans left around by other people in even remotely unsanitary conditions, other work such as painting fences and/or gardening work. None was available, and more to the point, he got incensed at me to such a point that he said I should not be friends with this person and that its a matter of time before the police intervene, which caused me to go ?_? and ask him if he only thinks with his ding-dong and if his mind needs some work.

It got progressively worse after that.

Until:


I left after he refused to admit that what he said was hurtful and that he has no right to dictate whom other people can or cant be friends with.

There are many possible questions and a wide range of potential thoughts in relation to this that I have swirling around so I'm going to "ya'll" for feedback.

My point in talking about her to my father was not to introduce anyone but rather to inquire if some minor labor was available for her so to encourage trust and faith in other people and in the ability of other selves to provide opportunities for self improvement and financial gain if required. And was thus unprepared for my father to attempt to control whom I may or may not be friends with.

My feeling on this is that it is morally repugnant and wrong on every level to try to dictate whom someone else can be friends with and is a sign of a deep underlying fear.

Thoughts on this whole thing, feel free to be as upfront as any of you may want to be.