Thursday, June 24, 2010

MA: Where the Rubber Meets the Swingset...

Mass. school district under fire for condom policy
PROVINCETOWN, Mass. — A new policy in a Massachusetts public school district that makes condoms available to all students, even those in elementary school, is drawing criticism from some who say it goes too far.

Provincetown School Board Chairman Peter Grosso says because there is no set age when sexual activity starts, the committee decided not to set an age for condom availability.

What I find especially interesting is that I need to write a note to have my 9 year old bring Children's Tylenol to school if he has a headache, yet he can go right to the school nurse and get a condom without so much as a call to mom & dad. Given that most elementary schools only go to fifth or sixth grade, where kids are 10 - 12 at the oldest, it's puzzling why the Provincetown School Board felt the need to include elementary schools in the free condom distribution. These are kids that, by and large, are below the age of puberty in all but the most advanced cases, and have no biological need for birth control.

Of course, this has nothing to do with biology. It's all about the school district deciding - in its all-knowing and all-powerful fashion - that it knows better than mom and dad and will handle the kids' upbringing as they see fit. They're imposing their laissez-faire attitude towards sex - the "kids are going to do it anyways" claptrap - on kids as young as 6 or 7 in the interest of, well, I can't figure it out. I honestly don't know what they think they're doing here other than making a big splash in the news - the small minority of sexually active grammar school school kids who actually *need* condoms has got to be so far outside the bell curve as to be statistically zero.

But it makes good headlines - shakes up those MA puritans, don't you know. The blue bloods will cluck their tongues and make disapproving noises, while the edgy hipsters will flock to the town for daring to stand up against the evil oppressive patriarchy that keeps sexual freedom under lock and key. But then, hey, what do I know? I'm only the dad of two elementary school kids who obviously wants to control his kids' bodies by denying them access to birth control. Should their school decide to follow suit, I'll be the first one there to raise holy hell (and quite possibly starting a torch-and-pitchfork concession stand).

And I'd question the parenting skill of any parent who didn't want to have some modicum of control over their grammar school aged children...

That is all.

7 comments:

Sevesteen said...

They will GIVE them condoms--but not teach them gun safety, right?

Michael W. said...

Just change the name of the street that the schools are on to Firestone Drive because that is where the rub*ers will meet the road.....

Julie said...

insane ... my 8 y.o. wouldn't have a clue what a condom is - which i think is quite OKAY really ...

Mike W. said...

Wait, so they're giving condoms to kids who can't even use them yet?

Wonderful use of school resources and your tax dollars!

With this kind of stupidity I half expect to find out they're all latex.

Borepatch said...

But then, hey, what do I know? I'm only the dad of two elementary school kids who obviously wants to control his kids' bodies by denying them access to birth control.

Open the PC Dictionary to the entry for "Patriarchy", and you'll find your picture.

Oppressor.

Jake (formerly Riposte3) said...

"yet he can go right to the school nurse and get a condom without so much as a call to mom & dad."

The problem with that is that if the kids who are sexually active know the school will call mom & dad if they ask for a condom, the kid won't ask but will most likely have sex anyway (if he was actually going to at all). They're not going to the school because they think the parents are going to approve, you know.

"These are kids that, by and large, are below the age of puberty in all but the most advanced cases, and have no biological need for birth control."

I don't know about that district, but there are places where pregnant 12 year-olds are not unheard of. I was shaving by the time I was 12, so it's probable that I was biologically capable of getting someone pregnant by that age.

I'm not trying to say your overall point is wrong. This is one of those subjects where I can only say that I don't have enough information to have a truly informed opinion. I'm only saying that there are valid counters to your arguments.

"And I'd question the parenting skill of any parent who didn't want to have some modicum of control over their grammar school aged children..."

That is something I can agree with 100%. I'll go even further: parents need to try to make sure their kids will be willing to talk to them about sex. If they don't, the kids will either go somewhere else for information or be completely repressed and ignorant about the subject when they need the knowledge. Neither is a good thing.

Mikael said...

I'd feel slightly tempted to tell a bunch of kids to go to the nurse for free baloons, and blow them up and bring to the classrooms.