Sex! And social ills...
Posted by Codejoy Thu, 18 Oct 2007 18:51:00 GMT
Now that I got your attention with the Sex part, I would like to share a discussion I had with a friend this lunch hour. On the news was a report of a middle school offering the pill to students without parent consent. He asked what I thought of it, and I said I think its great! But I retracted quickly stating, I think the pill is the wrong thing to offer, ESPECIALLY without parent consent as it is a drug, it changes a woman’s body. Though in that same sentence I told him that I thought they should offer condoms in school. Well this is where the discussion started. I wish I could transcribe it word for word, but now it being almost an hour ago I will just state meat of the whole thing.
Essentially, my friend had a huge problem with the idea that schools would offer condoms even without the parents consent. I thought it was a good idea and a step in perhaps bringing down teen pregnancy. His argument was that its not the job of the schools (And there by the government and taxpayers) to be telling kids what to do. To me just offering a way to do something they will probably do anyway safely was a great stop gap measure for a growing problem, and in no way is suggesting or telling kids how to behave. He insisted this isn't the case, and that schools shouldn't do that as their only job is to teach kids reading, math, science etc. While agree with him that schools only job should be that, in reality it isn't. A lot of kids go to school for 8 hours a day to get away from their crappy family lives, so schools have taken on a role unfortunately which they originally intended to do.
He tried to use the argument that if they legalized weed then schools should provide weed to students cause "They are going to do that anyway", another analogy he used was putting brochures for Christianity and denominations within the counseling office as well, which he knew I would disagree with. I'm curious what others, that is you all think? No right or wrong answer, but just curious. I guess his biggest argument is that it takes away any and all say of the parent and government especially schools shouldn't do that. He also thinks its schools saying its okay to do stuff behind the parents back. I just don't see it that way. Thoughts???
Boils down very simply for me: .1st: Parent/student interaction education-- YES This is the most important part 1st: Sex Education-- YES 2nd: Oral Contraceptives-- NO 3rd: Condoms without knowledge: NO (that is right, I say no. However, if the parents are informed that the condoms will be available, then YES). The key is communication with emphasis on education. As I'm sure Ro knows all too well, it's damn hard to get some parents involved and in there to learn. I DON'T have an answer on how to fix that: only the certain knowledge that it must be fixed. As a parent with a pre-school age child, who will likely be going to public schools, the whole situation scares the hell out of me. But I plan to be involved and educated every possible step of the way. No easy answers, but what I said above are my opinions. I wish I had a way to make them reality. Pax, N.
I think education also is the number one thing, I wish it wasn't easier said than done.
let me start by saying that i LOVE this discussion! ok lets get started: Shane, your friend whom you had this discussion is firstly what i like to call a "slippery slope asshole". these are the same jerkoff's who think that letting gay people get married is the first step to interspecies love! you might laugh, but ask your friend you might be surprised. I personally think Ro is dead on given the idea of oral contraceptives. it would seem kind of shortsighted of the schools to think that pregnancy is the only issue of concern. and as far as offering WITHOUT the parents consent, the terrible truth is even with parental involvement, kids are going to have sex. So saying that they have to jump through hoops of fire (i.e. forging a permission slip) is just silly. Coming from someone who DID have parents who were involved and chose to be an asshole anyway, i can speak with some amount of experience here! Nelson, there ARE easy answers here: Parents are increasingly more and more un-educated and schools are indeed where children spend more and more time each day. I have some more, well.... draconian ideas regarding deadbeat parents and their deadbeat spawn, but thats best left for another day i think.