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billege · 01-24-2005, 11:31 AM

Abstinence only education has never really been about education, or facts. It's been about beliefs.

It's been about scaremongering, it's been about distorting facts until they fit, it's been about parents terrified of their own sexuality, and even more scared of kid's sexuality. Abstinence only education is more about shutting your eyes and repeating "there is no boogieman," and hoping it all works out. Abstinence only education has been about bad logic, half logic, and outright lies. It's about a lack of trust in children, and in parents themselves to make the right decisions.

Teaching abstinence is not wrong, but the way it's been taught is totally fucked.

Sexuality is still such an odd subject for us Americans. We soak ourselves in it, and we're scared shitless about it. We reject it, and embrace it. Full of contradictions we are.

Anyway.

Life is about informed choices. Abstinence only education does not lead to that.

Kids and adults have to be involved in sex education. Those parents terrified to talk about it, need to seek classes themselves. The importance of talking to your kid about smoking/drinking/drugs is advertised in several forms of media. I don't see any ads about how important talking to your kids about sex is. Do you?

When parents don't actually talk to their kids, assuming they have any knowledge to pass on, you get a reaction. Sometimes that reaction, by people who are just DYING to push sex ed in your face (for whatever reason), start teaching 3rd graders about intercourse. Then the story makes the news, and the Christians (primarily) freak out.
(Remember, most religions just LOVE persecution, they've been built on it; and, I don't think they can exist without it. So, you "persecute" them and they just get stronger.) Anyway, the sexually repressed majority freaks out. "You can't teach sex to 3rd graders, perverts!! etc. etc. etc." Then the pendulum swings. (duh.)

When that big brass bob swings back against the sex educators (who can get a bit overzealous themselves sometimes) we end up in the dark ages where "if you tell kids about condoms they'll run about mad having orgies!!" seems to carry weight with whole school boards. Those boards are made up of regular people btw, they're not politicians (well, on a small scale they are...) but by and far, school boards are you and me, and they have a lot of power when it comes to what kids do and don't see.

You freak out the parents, you push too hard, and they push back. You end up teaching abstinence only. It's not about cramming the facts about anal sex into 3rd graders heads, and it’s not about teaching them "sex is for marriage" then hoping it all works out. Like once you're married you're magically sexually astute, and able to handle it.

It is about teaching kids, roughly when they reach puberty (what? call it 8th grade?), about reality. Not "sexual" or "abstinent" reality, as life is not that black or white. It's about telling kids "here's how it works biologically."

"Your body can do this, and it's the most amazing thing a human body can do."

Once you've laid out for the little kiddies how tab A goes into Slot B, you've got the groundwork down. Now it's time to teach them what kind of responsibilities go with that. That's when you do have the classes, hand in hand, contraceptives/abstinence/OPTIONS. Real options.

In a public school, you don't cater to the 3423 religious variations. You look at the public health situation, and you remember you are the government, running a public school. You teach biology, life impacts, sexual realities (condoms/diseases/babies), and you teach abstinence as one of the many options a person has. Communicate to your parents, here's what we'd like our class to be like. I'd say have classes at school preceding your children’s classes, for parents to attend, but I'd bet you'd see about 30% parent participation. If that.

Life is sexual, and teaching everyone to pretend it's not real until marriage, is such a cop out. Pushing sex onto non-sexual children is the advancement of an agenda, and it's cheap also.

No one is really worried about the kids here. It's about pushing agendas.

The kids are losing.

01-24-2005, 11:31 AM	#9 (permalink)
billege Watcher Location: Ohio	Abstinence only education has never really been about education, or facts. It's been about beliefs. It's been about scaremongering, it's been about distorting facts until they fit, it's been about parents terrified of their own sexuality, and even more scared of kid's sexuality. Abstinence only education is more about shutting your eyes and repeating "there is no boogieman," and hoping it all works out. Abstinence only education has been about bad logic, half logic, and outright lies. It's about a lack of trust in children, and in parents themselves to make the right decisions. Teaching abstinence is not wrong, but the way it's been taught is totally fucked. Sexuality is still such an odd subject for us Americans. We soak ourselves in it, and we're scared shitless about it. We reject it, and embrace it. Full of contradictions we are. Anyway. Life is about informed choices. Abstinence only education does not lead to that. Kids and adults have to be involved in sex education. Those parents terrified to talk about it, need to seek classes themselves. The importance of talking to your kid about smoking/drinking/drugs is advertised in several forms of media. I don't see any ads about how important talking to your kids about sex is. Do you? When parents don't actually talk to their kids, assuming they have any knowledge to pass on, you get a reaction. Sometimes that reaction, by people who are just DYING to push sex ed in your face (for whatever reason), start teaching 3rd graders about intercourse. Then the story makes the news, and the Christians (primarily) freak out. (Remember, most religions just LOVE persecution, they've been built on it; and, I don't think they can exist without it. So, you "persecute" them and they just get stronger.) Anyway, the sexually repressed majority freaks out. "You can't teach sex to 3rd graders, perverts!! etc. etc. etc." Then the pendulum swings. (duh.) When that big brass bob swings back against the sex educators (who can get a bit overzealous themselves sometimes) we end up in the dark ages where "if you tell kids about condoms they'll run about mad having orgies!!" seems to carry weight with whole school boards. Those boards are made up of regular people btw, they're not politicians (well, on a small scale they are...) but by and far, school boards are you and me, and they have a lot of power when it comes to what kids do and don't see. You freak out the parents, you push too hard, and they push back. You end up teaching abstinence only. It's not about cramming the facts about anal sex into 3rd graders heads, and it’s not about teaching them "sex is for marriage" then hoping it all works out. Like once you're married you're magically sexually astute, and able to handle it. It is about teaching kids, roughly when they reach puberty (what? call it 8th grade?), about reality. Not "sexual" or "abstinent" reality, as life is not that black or white. It's about telling kids "here's how it works biologically." "Your body can do this, and it's the most amazing thing a human body can do." Once you've laid out for the little kiddies how tab A goes into Slot B, you've got the groundwork down. Now it's time to teach them what kind of responsibilities go with that. That's when you do have the classes, hand in hand, contraceptives/abstinence/OPTIONS. Real options. In a public school, you don't cater to the 3423 religious variations. You look at the public health situation, and you remember you are the government, running a public school. You teach biology, life impacts, sexual realities (condoms/diseases/babies), and you teach abstinence as one of the many options a person has. Communicate to your parents, here's what we'd like our class to be like. I'd say have classes at school preceding your children’s classes, for parents to attend, but I'd bet you'd see about 30% parent participation. If that. Life is sexual, and teaching everyone to pretend it's not real until marriage, is such a cop out. Pushing sex onto non-sexual children is the advancement of an agenda, and it's cheap also. No one is really worried about the kids here. It's about pushing agendas. The kids are losing. __________________ I can sum up the clash of religion in one sentence: "My Invisible Friend is better than your Invisible Friend."