Florida non sex education

Mike,

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but this is nothing more than one more pathetic example of certain types of people who are totatlly unencumebered by the philosophy that knowlege is power.  The proof is in the pudding all around us.  All we have to do is look. 

I'm sure that sooner or later, we will see something @ it in yet another stupid side bar story in the news.  "Criminal" is just the leading edge of descriptions.  Unfortunately, I fear that the situation will only get worse.  JATFUR.

RichK

Yet another wonderful story of the government getting involved in family affairs.  Unfortunately, this generation is screwed, maybe literally.  According to this story, the government will teach students about condoms and what they're proper usage, how to avoid hiv and std's.  After this is taught, maybe they'll start to hook students up on blind sex dates just for the extra learning exp.  If the government must be involved, students (Kids), need to be taught abstinence, they also need to be told how bad their life will suck if they impregnate or get pregnant.  Basically, teaching needs to be about how bad pre-marital sex is and what the negatives are b/c there are no positives.  But if the generation (not everyone) before me would step up and be forceful parents on this subject, then the government would not need to be involved. 

Finder, did they have sex ed. when you were in hs?  

When I was a youngin, I believe they called it health class. The boys and girls were separated and the class involved everything from hygiene to std’s to how babies are made and more. I have no objection to health/sex education in schools.

I also don’t put a lot of stock in surveys, specially when your dealing with teens that can be pranksters, and may be inclined to answer questions in a silly manner just to get a laugh. Teens have a tendency to say things just to spark a reaction and laugh.

I personally find it hard to believe that a large percentage of the teen population in Florida or the Nation as a whole for that matter, would actually believe these notions.

I say yes to health/sex education in our schools. But cringe at anything the government says they will handle for me, and better then me, when it comes to raising my children or anything concerning my personal life.. I feel at the end of the day the parents are responsible to make sure their children are properly informed and prepared for the world ahead of them. Morals and values are learned at home, including the ramifications regarding sex, birth control, std’s, , and un-planned parenting.

If this survey is a true reflection of what our teens truly believe, we as parents better take a real hard look in the mirror, there lies the blame, we are the cause.

TRUTHHURTS

Foxx;

You have to remember where I said I was from. I was not raised in the Bible Belt. I was raised and educated in the NE. Yes we did have sex education in HS. We had 3 days of Phys Ed per week. The other two days were 'Health'. It covered everything from personal hygiene to what a condom was for and how to use it.

Gosh they even taught us where babies came from and how they passed from the womb through the birth canal. We even learned that contrary to popular belief, breasts are not a sex organ. They are mammary glands. Meant to feed a child. Those heathen yankees even had pictures in the health books. Illustrations, but pictures none the less.

Of course the practicum was in the back seat just like it is today. The difference was we had the brains to protect ourselves. You see in those days, at least where I was from, when a girl got pregnant she was out of school. It was a lot more devastating to her than it was the guy. Sexist, you bet, but that's the way it was. There was a reason they were called 'shotgun' weddings.

Foxx, you sound way too intelligent to be so naive as to actually believe what you said. Can it really be a bad thing if a person is taught to protect themselves from getting HIV or an STD? I feel that perhaps your perception of reality may have been stymied if you think telling someone not to have sex is going to stop them.

Unfortunately the 'family' that you seem to know about is not the norm. What you see here in quiet Clay County is the other side of the coin. This is not the bucolic WASP world you think it is. Your circle of friends and companions is just a very small part of the US as a whole.

There were two stories today about 14 year old girls having babies. One was stillborn and left in a trash can on an airplane and the other was killed when the mother tried to flush it down a toilette. Do think maybe they had ever been told not to have sex?

How many people do you think are out there that are Grandparents at 30 years of age? Think about that for a moment. 30 years old and a Grandparent. Do you think that maybe the mother that had a child at 15 told her son or daughter how hard that was?

This is not going to go away with wishful thinking and burying your head in the sand and preaching abstinence. The church might be able to help with this if everyone was a devout church goer. They are not! And wishing that they were and telling them that if they were it would be better is not a solution. It just isn't going to happen.

We have schools for a reason. To teach. Let them do what they are trained to do. We spend millions on sports in school to teach 'life experiences' so that they will be better citizens. Let's spend some time and a little money teaching them how to protect themselves when they do what they are going to do no matter how many times you tell them they shouldn't.

This is NOT about God or Christ or the church or salvation or morals. It is about protecting the health of our youth.

Mike Heemer

M

Finder 

I'm not saying sex education is a bad thing.  But it's like csi or court tv now trutv, teaching te criminals how to avoid certain practices.  Students or at least most don't see this as education or education on how to avoid, it's a guide book for having safe sex which i don't think should be practiced until marriage, otherwise sometimes babies end up in trash cans b/c they don't want to tell their parents.  I've beenin these classes and apparently so have you students couldn't care less about the educational part except for how to avoid diseases and babies while having sex.  Most students wouldn't know who the vp of the us was if his first name wasn't dick.  See, it's selective hearing not so much about being a learning exp. 

This is not going to go away with wishful thinking and burying your head in the sand and preaching abstinence.   

You're right and i'm not, but the way its curently taught is not helping hell if you go down to the health dept they'll give out free condoms, why shold it even be an option and why should we be giving our students the lay out for all options toavoid unsafe sex, you're just asking for more sex practices and pregnant students.

BTW, i in no way meant to offend you or make you feel stupid.

As a side note

I can't remember his name. But does anyone remember all the hubub about that college professor that was speaking to H.S. kids, and was encouraging the kids to take drugs, have sex (straight and gay), and take drugs and have sex.

This is what can happens when you leave it up to others to teach your kids what you should be teaching.

TRUTHHURTS

I guess in the end it comes down to a moral issue for me, which helps the situation none.  In all reality pre-marital sex, safe or not will never end. But if we are to make an effort, then something has to change, b/c the current tell them what they want to hear not what they need to hear system is not working.  Maybe we'll never impose a logical change and that is why this country will end up in the same trash can as an innocent child, what say you?

Foxx;

I haven't been in a Florida school so perhaps I missed something. You indicate that the schools have sex education other than abstinence: what they want to hear not what they need to hear system

According to the article that is not true. because of Florida's abstinence-only sex education,.

You state: the way its curently taught is not helping and that is the point.

The article stated that the schools would continue to teach and stress abstinence but would add to the curriculum.

One question. You state: why should we be giving our students the lay out for all options to avoid unsafe sex, you're just asking for more sex practices and pregnant students. Isn't that a contradiction? Safe sex = more pregnancies?

One last point then I'll leave it alone. You state: having safe sex which i don't think should be practiced until marriage, There is the crux of the entire matter. That is your morality not everyone else's. It is not reality. You said yourself that sex outside of marriage happens and will not stop.

If you know it is going to happen and you know that unsafe sex can spread disease and cause unwanted pregnancies why not mitigate the problem with education? It is not condoning it is preventing.

Foxx there are places that have free clean needle swap programs for drug users to help stop the spread of HIV/AIDS, this place can't even bring itself into the 20th century and teach something other than abstinence.

Mike Heemer

I grew up in a part of the country where sex-ed was taught from many angles: Catholic Priest, Protestant Minister (can't remember, maybe Metodist?),  and Planned Parenthood came to our Health class. I think that a well rounded approach is best.  If I recall, our parents could receive the materials in advance, attend the health classes, and have the option of opting us out of part or all of the program.

Sex-ed and Morality are TWO different subjects. I am secure enough in the upbringing that we have given our children that they will (hopefully) follow the moral. religious, and spiritual path that we have taught them.  We are quite conservative, active church members.

However, I am a realist--with AIDS/HIV and STD's, children in grade school having sex, the grahic influences of the media, make abstinence based sex-ed foolish at best.  Most likely just plain dangerous.

The last time I checked (about 2000-2002) the highest rising aids/.hiv population in Duval County was white women between the ages of 18-25.  Scary.

One question. You state: why should we be giving our students the lay out for all options to avoid unsafe sex, you're just asking for more sex practices and pregnant students. Isn't that a contradiction? Safe sex = more pregnancies?

 No, safe sex does not necessarily mean more pregnancies.  But i guess what i'm trying to get at is the student's perception of sex ed classes, if that could change then we'd be moving along.  If we could stop with this crap of, if you're going to have sex be sure it's safe sex, then we'd be moving along.  Start a little younger and instill in a generation that sex (when you're not ready to have sex can produce astronomical consequences).  I'm saying that we should not be teaching our children to have sex, and that's all thats being taught overall, go ahead have sex, just be sure it's safe.  It shouldn't be an option.  The abstinence programs, the sex EDUCATION is fine, but we can't be telling our students to just go have sex indirectly as long as it's safe.

Safe=Sex=Potential problems that could have been avoided.

Foxx;

Did you click the link and read the article. It doesn't sound like it! Your argument is way off point. It sounds like you are aguing for argument's sake because your religious background won't let you do anything else.

They are proposing a bill that would require a more comprehensive approach, the report said.

It would still require teaching abstinence but students would also learn about condoms and other methods of birth control and disease prevention.

Start a little younger and instill in a generation that sex (when you're not ready to have sex can produce astronomical consequences).  

That's all we've been doing for years and it hasn't worked. 

Mike Heemer

It would still require teaching abstinence but students would also learn about condoms and other methods of birth control and disease prevention.

That's what i'm saying, it's like we're giving up.  Here are the ways to prevent pregnancy and disease, go have fun!

Not arguing for argument sake, if that was the case i would have stopped threading long ago.

Since 1965 the public school system has been teaching about the so called safe sex, health education, human growth and development and what other names yo want to call it, but in that period of time sex among teens have increaed by 78%, sexual crimes have increased by 80%, teenage pregnacy has increased by 92%. Since 1972 after Roe vs Wade and abortion was made legal abortion on demand has contributed to killing of over 15million babies, and to the death thousands of women from post abortion complications. Before abortion on demand was made legal only 70 women had been reported as dying from back alley abortions. If the government will only mind their own business and allow parents to do theirs then these %'s would not be this high just like any business when it isn't working it ust go out of business or find something that works in order to saty in business. The government needs to get out of the sex education business and get back to the education we as parents have sent our children to the public schools.