"The birds and the bees" have become "the vegetables and the non-traditional families."
The Montgomery County [Md.] public sachool system yesterday announced the three high schools and three middle schools that will participate in a pilot program for a sex education curriculum that has riled some parents and activist groups throughout the county. Bethesda Chevy-Chase High School in Bethesda, Seneca Valley High School in Germantown and Springbrook High School in Silver Spring will take part in the high school course in which 10th-graders will be shown how to put condoms on cucumbers.Martin Luther King Middle School in Germantown, Tilden Middle School in Rockville and White Oak Middle School in Silver Spring will participate in the middle school curriculum in which eighth-graders will learn that homosexual couples are the newest American family. School system officials have noted that some schools were unenthusiastic about testing the new curriculum, which also will teach students to "develop" a sexual identity...
This is interesting enough, but this quote near the end really caught my eye:
"I think it's great. It sounds like a representative sample," said Christine Grewell, a parent and organizer for Teach the Facts.org (TTF), which backs the curriculum...TTF and other curriculum supporters say the new course introduces information about homosexuality that students will find out regardless of whether they are taught about it. They have said morality has no place in the debate.
1. If student will find out about these things, regardless of whether they're taught, why teach them?
2. Why doesn't morality have a place in the debate? Is that because these programs don't consider themselves capable of addressing that, or because they want to present the idea that sex and morality can be completely separated?
3. Why is the procedure of putting a condom on a cucumber considered a "fact?" Is this just an admission that the public school system is producing kids who won't be able to read condom package inserts when they get older?
4. Why do these programs assume that the same parents who are wholly responsible for teaching morality are also incapable of teaching these "facts?"
This particular quote from TeachTheFacts.org is stunning:
Across the nation and in our own back yard, religious extremists are attempting to impose individual religious beliefs on all of our children, and to dictate what our children learn about themselves, their bodies, and about the people around them.
Um, isn't that actually, "religious extremists" are trying to control what their children learn? How did all of their children become TTF's children?
TTF also has a "vigilance" blog, which links to the eighth- and tenth-grade curriculums. I note with interest that TTF, which apparently said morality has no place in this debate, supports an eighth-grade program covering the following:
* Explore how cultural and family values affect relationships and marriage * Explore the effect of family stress and divorce on the family and society * Analyze the influence of peer pressure and other factors on an individual's decisions regarding sexual behavior * Analyze consequences of sexual activity * Discuss how family values, culture, religious views, and other factors influence family planning
Morality-free discussions of the influences and consequences of sexual behavior and family planning? Good luck with that.
Update: This was left in the comments section:
Kimberly,Posted by kswygert at March 9, 2005 04:39 PMMost intelligent people recognize that not all of what they read in the media is true. [Which is why I used the word "allegedly," but never mind.] Sometimes, you hear reports about aliens being spotted in supermarkets. The quote about morality attributed to TTF, has about as much factual basis as those alien "sighting". The report, made that up.
I do apologize for undermining your argument. Have a great day.
Maryam Balbed
Co-founder, TeachTheFacts.org