Replies to '10/07 The Latest Debates'

That is why it is called a PUBLIC school...God should have no place in it.   

There are many religions that go to PUBLIC schools...some believing in God, some not, some believing in another diety or none at all.   

And kids aren't committing suicide because condoms are being distributed in schools.  They are committing suicide because NO ONE IS TALKING ABOUT IT!!!  (ie. where to go for help...what to do about the feelings that I am having...)  School becomes a perfect place to address these issues because you can reach such a large number of students; however, parents must be involved too.   

And it isn't like schools are GIVING condoms to every kid.  They are available for students, but they are not pushed upon every child with the assumption that they will naturally be having sex because they are a teenager. 

Education is KEY!  Ignorance is not an excuse.  "Just Say No" has been proven to fall on deaf ears.  I think abstinance needs to be one part of sex education, along with other options for those students who will not follow that philosophy. 

I volunteer at an after school program in Washington, DC.  Most of the youth I work with come from single parent families and do not spend a lot of time with their parents (because the parents work).  The Junior High and High School age youth are very sexually physical with each other most of the time.  It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what they are thinking.  These youth are not getting the information they need at home to make an informed decision and often the school is the only source of information.  It is very important to me that all of these youth are able to continue their education without the concerns of raising a child.  I speak very candidly with the youth about sex and the consequences including STD's and children.  I do not personally provide condoms to youth, but I do not have a problem with schools making them available to the youth as long as education accompanies them. 

I think a lot of people are unaware of what goes outside of their own homes.  Just because you plan to educate your child on the dangers of sex does not mean that all children are given the opportunity to learn from their parents.  I think the most important thing is that the youth are educated so they can make the best decision for them. 

Amen! 

Why are so many kids committing suicide? Well I have my own theory and it has nothing to do with handing out condoms. A lot of kids who kill themselves these days are taking drugs of some sort, yes, including prescription drugs for "psychiatric problems." Ritalin and Prozac are sold in schools between students as though it were an illegal street drug, sometimes they get snorted to achieve a high, and even those who take these drugs as prescribed often experience overwhelming agitation and suicidal drug induced urges. Yes, God can help us stay well. We should rely more on natural and safe methods of child rearing, child feeding and bonding, parenting, and counseling. How do we give the best to our kids, help them grow up happy, help them feel secure, keep them free of harmful influences and urges? I believe that our quick fix solutions to our problems and challenges is interfering with our well-being, and that if we invested the time and energy into doing everything we can do to make sure our kids are happy from conception to age 18 and beyond, we would be a lot better off.  

YOUNG KIDS AND TEENS HAVE SEX!  THIS IS A REALITY.  IF THEY CAN NOT GO TO THE STORE, OR GO TO THE PARENT BECAUSE OF EMBARRASSMENT OR ANY OTHER REASON, WHY WOULD THEY GO ASK A TEACHER OR A NURSE, COUNSELOR FOR A CONDOM IF IT WILL GET RIGHT BACK TO THE PARENT.  THEY WON'T!  THAT IS ANOTHER REALITY.  MOST KIDS AND TEENS ARE NOT COMFORTABLE WITH TELLING THEIR PARENTS THEY ARE HAVING SEX BECAUSE THE PARENT USUALLY FLIPS OUT.  AND IN THAT THE KID OR TEEN DOES NOT GET THE CHANCE TO COMMUNICATE.  ONLY THE PARENTS.  THAT IS NOT COMMUNICATION, THAT IS DICTATION.  I UNDERSTAND THAT PARENTS WANT TO PROTECT THEIR KIDS AND TEENS FROM THESE THINGS, BUT IGNORANCE AND TELLING THEM NO THEY CAN'T IS NOT PROTECTION.  CONDOMS ARE!  I UNDERSTAND THAT THEY ARE NOT ALWAYS 100%.  I MYSELF AM A WALKING ADD FOR BIRTH CONTROL DOES NOT WORK 100%.  I WAS ON BIRTH CONTROL WITH THREE OF MY FOUR CHILDREN.  I HAD TWO OF MY KIDS NATURALLY, WITH NO PAIN MEDS DURING LABOR.  YOU SAY YOU WILL NOT SEND YOUR KIDS TO A PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM THAT "CONTRADICTS TEACHINGS AT HOME".  WELL THEN YOU BETTER SEND THEM TO AN ALL GIRLS OR ALL BOYS PRIVATE SCHOOL.  BECAUSE IT ISN'T THE TEACHERS THAT CONTRADICT THE TEACHINGS AT HOME.  IT IS THE STUDENT POPULATION AND NATURAL CURIOSITY.  AND AFTER ALL LETS BE HONEST WE LIKE SEX WHY WOULDN'T THEY.  AND YES PARENTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR KIDS.  BUT WHAT YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND IS ONLY TO A CERTAIN POINT ARE WE AS PARENTS RESPONSIBLE.  THEY KIDS HAVE 99% OF THE RESPONSIBILITY WHEN IT COMES TO SEX.  NO MATTER HOW MUCH WE MAY HATE TO ADMIT IT, IT IS THE TRUTH.  KIDS AND TEENS I BELIEVE SHOULD HAVE A RIGHT TO PROTECT THEMSELVES, AND THEIR LIFE'S.  CONDOMS IS ONE WAY TO PROTECT THEIR OWN LIFE'S.  WE AS PARENTS SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT AND RESPOND AS SUCH.  I AM ALL FOR PUTTING CONDOMS IN SCHOOL.  BY MY FRESHMAN YEAR IN HIGH SCHOOL ALL THE GIRLS I NEW HAD, HAD SEX ALREADY.  EVEN THE GIRLS WHO HAD GREAT PARENTS, AND PARENTS THAT HAD TALKED TO THEM ABOUT ALL THE RISKS INVOLVED WITH SEX PROTECTED OR UNPROTECTED.  PARENTS THAT BOUGHT THE TAPES AND GOT THE PAN-FLITS AND RESEARCHED THE INFORMATION FOR THEIR KIDS.  TOLD THE KIDS WAIT UNTIL MARRIAGE THIS IS WHAT CAN HAPPEN, AND NO DON'T DO THIS.  THE KIDS DID IT ANYWAY!  IT IS A SOBERING REALITY THEY WE ALL NEED TO FACE.  IT WILL NOT HELP TO HAND OUT PERMISSION SLIPS AND HAVE A TEACHER CALL YOU EVERY TIME THEY PICK UP A CONDOM.  I GUARANTEE THAT IF YOU HAVE A 14-15 KID THEY HAVE ALREADY HAD SEX.  EVEN IF THEY DON'T WANT TO ADMIT IT TO YOU.  AND THEY PROBABLY WONT ADMIT IT TO YOU.  MY MOTHER WAS ALWAYS OPEN WITH ME.  GAVE ME THE RISKS, BOUGHT THE TAPES, DID EVERYTHING SHE WAS SUPPOSED TO.  IN FACT I WENT THROUGH SEX ED. CLASSES FROM THE TIME I WAS IN 5TH GRADE UP TO MY SOPHOMORE YEAR IN HIGH SCHOOL.  BUT SHE ALSO ALWAYS GAVE ME THE OPTION TO COME TO HER IF I FELT THE PRESSURE WAS ON TO HAVE SEX OR IF I FELT I MIGHT HAVE SEX.  I WAS ON BIRTH CONTROL BEFORE I EVER HAD SEX.  IN FACT I WAS ON BIRTH CONTROL 6 MONTHS BEFORE I EVER HAD SEX.  MY MOTHER GAVE ME THE OPTION TO PROTECT MYSELF.  SHE ALSO GAVE THE NEIGHBORHOOD KIDS THE SAME OPTION.  KIDS WOULD TRY TO GO TO THE STORE TO BUY CONDOMS AND CASHIERS THAT FELT THEY WERE TO YOUNG WOULD NOT SELL THE KIDS CONDOMS (MIND YOU THERE IS NO AGE LIMIT ON THE PURCHASE OF CONDOMS).  SO THEY WOULD COME TO OUR HOUSE AND MY MOM WOULD TAKE THEM DOWN THERE TO BUY CONDOMS.  SHE GAVE US A WAY TO PROTECT OURSELVES.  SHE DID NOT MAKE IT OKAY TO HAVE SEX, WE MADE THAT DECISION ON OUR OWN.  EVEN WHEN WE HAD PARENTS TELLING US NO AND THAT IT WAS NOT OKAY.  AND BEFORE YOU DOWN MY MOTHER ABOUT BUYING CONDOMS AND TAKING THE GIRLS TO GET BIRTH CONTROL, SHE NEVER ONCE TOLD US IT WAS OKAY.  SHE ALWAYS TOLD US WE WERE TO YOUNG AND NOT READY FOR WHAT SEX COULD BRING OUR WAY, BUT SHE GAVE US THAT RIGHT.  THE RIGHT TO PROTECT OURSELVES FROM STD'S, AND PREGNANCY.  I AWARD MY MOTHER FOR THIS AND HAVE THE UP MOST RESPECT FOR HER AND SO DID THE REST OF THE TEENS THAT SHE PROTECTED.  I AM PROUD TO SAY THAT MY MOTHER DID THAT FOR US WHEN SHE COULD HAVE SAID NO AND LEFT IT JUST TO US.  SHE IS A GREAT MOTHER AND MY HERO.  SHE MADE THE CHOICE TO DO WHAT SHE DID BECAUSE HER PARENTS DID NOT GIVE HER THAT OPTION.  INSTEAD THEY BEAT HER UP AND KICKED HER OUT AT 16 WHEN SHE GOT PREGNANT WITH MY SISTER.  SO WHAT IS THE ANSWER?  PROTECT THE KIDS OR JUST BEAT UP AND KICK THEM WHEN SOMETHING HAPPENS BECAUSE A PARENT DID NOT GIVE THEM THE OPTION TO PROTECT THEMSELVES?  PARENTS PROTECT YOUR KIDS GIVE THEM THE OPTION TO COME TO YOU WITHOUT RECOURSE, JUDGMENT, OR DISAPPOINTMENT.  LET THEM KNOW THEY CAN COME TO YOU FOR WHAT THEY NEED AND THAT THEY CAN DEPEND ON YOU TO GET THEM THE PROTECTION THE SO DESPERATELY PLEA FOR.  PUT THE CONDOMS IN SCHOOLS.  THE KIDS HAVE THE RIGHT TO PROTECT THEMSELVES.  I PLAN ON DOING THE SAME FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD KIDS THAT MY MOTHER DID FOR US.  IT IS NOT THE PARENTS RIGHT WHEN IT COMES TO CONDOMS.  IT IS THE KID/TEENS RIGHT.  PARENTS YOU DO NOT HAVE A SAY IN WHETHER YOUR KID HAS SEX OR NOT ONLY THE KID DOES.  IT SUCKS TO HAVE TO ADMIT IT BUT THAT IS THE WAY IT IS.  LIKE IT OR NOT.  I WILL GIVE MY KIDS BIRTH CONTROL AND CONDOMS AND I WILL GIVE CONDOMS TO KIDS OR TEENS WHEN THEIR OWN PARENTS PEOPLE THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO PROTECT THEM REFUSE TO.  EVERY TIME YOU REFUSE A KID OR A TEEN A CONDOM YOU REFUSE TO PROTECT THEM.  THEY WILL HAVE SEX ANYWAY.  LET THEM AT LEAST TO HAVE THE PROTECTION THEY NEED.   

AND WHEN IT COMES TO GOD...............NOT EVERYONE BELIEVES IN "GOD".  I DO NOT BELIEVE IN GOD.  IF MY CHILDREN DECIDE THEY WOULD LIKE TO THAT IS THEIR CHOICE.  I HAVE NO SCIENTIFIC PROOF OF GOD, I DO HOWEVER HAVE SCIENTIFIC PROOF THAT CONDOMS CUT DOWN ON PREGNANCY, AND STD'S.  I DON'T GO TO CHURCH I DON'T READ THE BIBLE, AND I DON'T BELIEVE WE ARE JUDGE IN THE END BY ONE MAN.  SORRY BUT THAT IS NOT MY BELIEF.  I WILL NOT BE CONVINCED OTHER WISE.  SORRY WE CAME FROM PRIMATES THAT HAS BEEN PROVED SCIENTIFICALLY.  WHEN YOU CAN SHOW ME PROOF THAT CONDOMS GIVEN OUT FREELY WITH NO RECOURSE OR JUDGMENT DOES NOT CUT DOWN ON STD'S AND PREGNANCY THEN I WOULD AGREE BUT THIS IS NOT THE CASE.  IT IS CALLED REALITY AND PEOPLE NEED TO FACE THE FACTS THAT KIDS AND TEENS ARE HAVING SEX.  THEN MAKE THE CHOICE, DO YOU WANT YOUR SON OR DAUGHTER INFECTED WITH HIV/AIDS OR PREGNANT BY THE TIME THEY ARE 15.  I WOULDN'T HOW ABOUT YOU? 

A BREASTFEEDING MOTHER OF FOUR, 

HENDERSON, NC 

BORN AND RAISED IN PHOENIX, AZ