We got some feed back on the post about the Sex Ed Bill.
Red Clay reader Porter Jennings took issue with my characterization of the bill as leftist:
"The bill gives parents the choice of what kind of sex ed their children get at school, comprehensive, abstinence only, or none.
That doesn't seem like such a leftist idea.
Why are you against letting parents decide what kind of sex education their children receive?"
I am glad you brought up the idea of parental choice. The devil is in the details.
Despite Jennings regurgitation of the left's talking points, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and assume that he may not be aware that under current statute, local schools systems can and do already teach so-called comprehensive sex ed; AFTER a public hearing and a recorded vote by the elected school board.
Now, why would this process need to be changed? Apparently, when sufficient light is shed on the topic, local school boards have a hard time imposing their will on the community when the board's views are out of step with the local community.
Sure, you can get it passed in Orange County or Wilmington, but how about Iredell or Catawba?
This bill will side step the democratic process and push an agenda from liberal areas of the state into conservative areas.
Additionally, the default language that is in dispute is to include children in comprehensive education if their parents fail to return the permission slip. So much for honoring the wishes of the parent.
so let me get this straight.
You think that the only way an individual parent should be able to choose what kind of sex education his or her child gets is to convince the school board to vote for it?
In other words, parents have to bow to the wishes of the government and cannot choose the sex ed curriculum for their individual child unless they convince the government to change its mind?
Why isn’t it better to let parents choose the sex ed program for their child, not the school board?
and remember no regurgitating.
A parent can chose any level of sex ed for their child in their own home. If you live in Burnsville or Spruce Pine and the school board that is democratically elected chooses not to have the values (or lack thereof) of Asheville and you want to make sure that your child has comprehensive sex ed, then man up and do it yourself. Do you really need government to do it for you?
This is a way to side step the LEA’s and the local voters that don’t want comprehensive sex ed.