by INFORUM
North Dakota Legislature: Measure would set statewide sex ed standard
February 1, 2011 at 6:00 pm in INFORUM
BISMARCK – Whether the state or local schools should determine what students are told in sex education was at the heart of a debate Tuesday.
North Dakota lawmakers are considering a bill that would set a statewide standard for abstinence education. Continue Reading&
As far as I can see, this legislation wouldn’t mandate abstinence-only education, but it still makes some rather offensive and unverified statements. Here’s a link to the actual bill: http://www.legis.nd.gov/assembly/62-2011/documents/11-0467-01000.pdf
“A mutually faithful monogamous relationship within the context of marriage is the
expected standard of human sexual activity”
Whose standard is this? You could say that currently a large percentage of the American population feels monogamous relationships are the norm, but unless you start bringing religion into the discussion (which you shouldn’t) I do not think you can state it is an “expected standard” nowadays for people to save themselves until marriage.
“Sexual activity outside the context of marriage is likely to have harmful psychological
and physical effects”
What a baseless statement. This is supposed to be public education based on FACT and SCIENCE, not opinions. Unless this bill also mandates those statements have to be backed up by credible sources of information I strongly oppose this.
“Bearing children out of wedlock is likely to have harmful consequences for the child,
the child’s parents, and society;”
Wow. I’m kind of speechless on this one. This is very offensive, and I’m not even in that kind of situation.
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I’m all for showing people data so they can make an informed decision. So if they have some peer-reviewed, relevant data that suggests unmarried parents harm society I’d approve of their showing it. While they’re at it, though, they should also show the data on divorce rates, the increasing irrelevancy of marriage, and the success rates of abstinence-only education. They should probably also point out how that definition defines all homosexual relationships are harmful to children and society, too, since statistically they’ll have at least one in most classrooms. That way the kids can know how much merit to weight to each of their options.
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just go the the Federal dept of social services site or the ND social services site or Child psychology periodicals. This is not even open for debate the data showing that children in single parent homes are more likely to live in poverty, suffer neglect, be abused is mountains high. If you cant find it you are not looking. Does that mean you can take a single parent family and say you are bad? No of course not.
as for abstinence-only education that is NOT what this bill does. It only requires that abstinence education be included in sex education programs.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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“Does Single Parenting Negatively Influence Academic Achievement?
At present, research does not provide a definitive answer to this question. In some ways, children in single-parent families are at greater risk than children in other types of families. Even when they have the same academic abilities, children in single-parent families are three times more likely to drop out of high school than children from two-parent families [13; 15]. Because they are the primary and frequently sole source of financial support for the family, single parents have less time to help children with homework, are less likely to use consistent discipline, and have less parental control, and all of these conditions may lead to lower academic achievement [1; 9; 13]. Among children in single-parent families, those from mother-absent households earn lower science grades than children from father-absent homes. No matter which parent is missing, children from single-parent families generally find it more difficult to connect with school [9]. ”
http://library.adoption.com/articles/single-parenting-and-childrens-academic-achievement.html
That seems pretty definitive to me.
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Is it true because you believe it to be true? Or is it true because you have plenty of data that’s been independently confirmed and peer reviewed?
The world is quite small through eyes of one man, but through the eyes of the people becomes much larger.
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The proportion of single-parent households in a community predicts its rate of violent crime and burglary, but the community’s poverty level does not.
Source: D.A. Smith and G.R. Jarjoura, “Social Structure and Criminal Victimization,” Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency 25. 1988.
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Well, there’s a great idea! Tell teens to abstain from sex! Why, oh why didn’t we think of this earlier?
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All of the things they are saying are true. Whether the truth makes you uncomfortable or not is not the point. It’s about time someone stood up and not only stated the plain facts but is going to do something to correct these problems…if only in little ‘ole North Dakota.
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“In a study of 700 adolescents, researchers found that “compared to families with two natural parents living in the home, adolescents from single-parent families have been found to engage in greater and earlier sexual activity.”
Source: Carol W. Metzler, et al. “The Social Context for Risky Sexual Behavior Among Adolescents,” Journal of Behavioral Medicine 17 (1994).
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“Fatherless children are at a dramatically greater risk of drug and alcohol abuse, mental illness, suicide, poor educational performance, teen pregnancy, and criminality.”
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Center for Health Statistics, Survey on Child Health, Washington, DC, 1993.
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Researchers in Michigan determined that “49 percent of all child abuse cases are committed by single mothers.”
Source: Joan Ditson and Sharon Shay, “A Study of Child Abuse in Lansing, Michigan,” Child Abuse and Neglect, 8 (1984).
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In a study of 146 adolescent friends of 26 adolescent suicide victims, teens living in single-parent families are not only more likely to commit suicide but also more likely to suffer from psychological disorders, when compared to teens living in intact families.
Source: David A. Brent, et al. “Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in Peers of Adolescent Suicide Victims: Predisposing Factors and Phenomenology.” Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 34, 1995.
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Boys who grow up in father-absent homes are more likely that those in father-present homes to have trouble establishing appropriate sex roles and gender identity.
Source: P.L. Adams, J.R. Milner, and N.A. Schrepf, Fatherless Children, New York, Wiley Press, 1984.
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Even controlling for variations across groups in parent education, race and other child and family factors, 18- to 22-year-olds from disrupted families were twice as likely to have poor relationships with their mothers and fathers, to show high levels of emotional distress or problem behavior, [and] to have received psychological help.
Source: Nicholas Zill, Donna Morrison, and Mary Jo Coiro, “Long Term Effects of Parental Divorce on Parent-Child Relationships, Adjustment and Achievement in Young Adulthood.” Journal of Family Psychology 7 (1993).
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Children of never-married mothers are more than twice as likely to have been treated for an emotional or behavioral problem.
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Center for Health Statistics, National Health Interview Survey, Hyattsille, MD, 1988
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In a longitudinal study of 1,197 fourth-grade students, researchers observed “greater levels of aggression in boys from mother-only households than from boys in mother-father households.”
Source: N. Vaden-Kierman, N. Ialongo, J. Pearson, and S. Kellam, “Household Family Structure and Children’s Aggressive Behavior: A Longitudinal Study of Urban Elementary School Children,” Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology 23, no. 5 (1995).
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“The economic consequences of a [father's] absence are often accompanied by psychological consequences, which include higher-than-average levels of youth suicide, low intellectual and education performance, and higher-than-average rates of mental illness, violence and drug use.”
Source: William Galston, Elaine Kamarck. Progressive Policy Institute. 1993
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Among black children between the ages of 6 to 9 years old, black children in mother-only households scored significantly lower on tests of intellectual ability, than black children living with two parents.
Source: Luster and McAdoo, Child Development 65. 1994.
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The children of single teenage mothers are more at risk for later criminal behavior. In the case of a teenage mother, the absence of a father also increases the risk of harshness from the mother.
Source: M. Mourash, L. Rucker, Crime and Delinquency 35. 1989.
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The relationship between family structure and crime is so strong that controlling for family configuration erases the relationship between race and crime and between low income and crime. This conclusion shows up time and again in the literature.
Source: E. Kamarck, William Galston, Putting Children First, Progressive Policy Inst. 1990
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The likelihood that a young male will engage in criminal activity doubles if he is raised without a father and triples if he lives in a neighborhood with a high concentration of single-parent families.
Source: A. Anne Hill, June O’Neill, “Underclass Behaviors in the United States,” CUNY, Baruch College. 1993
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Among fathers who maintain contact with their children after a divorce, the pattern of the relationship between father-and-child changes. They begin to behave more like relatives than like parents. Instead of helping with homework, nonresident dads are more likely to take the kids shopping, to the movies, or out to dinner. Instead of providing steady advice and guidance, divorced fathers become “treat dads.”
Source: F. Furstenberg, A. Cherlin, Divided Families . Harvard Univ. Press. 1991.
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Ok nice job on the citing, absolutely much more powerful information when a respectable resource is cited. One thing though, many of these studies are 15-20 yrs old.
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That’s true, many of them are from the ’80′s or early ’90′s. It doesn’t make them untrue does it? See my later post about teen pregnancy rates and single parent children. Those numbers are from 2005. Perhaps you’ll appreciate them more.
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Feel free to browse more, I think I have posted enough citations. There are lots of studies that talk about the advantages and disadvantages kids in single parent homes face.
http://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&q=single+parent+research&as_sdt=0%2C35&as_ylo=&as_vis=0
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Thanks for the links. I don’t dispute any of the information you have posted. Considering half of marriages end in a divorce, I find this information troubling. My hopes would be a more current study would indicate some improvements. I believe the teen pregnancy rate has decreased in ND.
Do you think programs such as Head Start will aid in a better future for children in single parent homes?
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I don’t really know about Head Start. I think it would be better for there to be fewer 1 parent homes. I’m not sure how that gets done. It is a cultural problem we have, and it doesn’t lend itself to a government solution. I’m not sure what the answer is. But I know the answer is related to individual responsibility, and not social massaging by government bureaucrats.
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Heather Mac Donald
Chicago’s Real Crime Story
Why decades of community organizing haven’t stemmed the city’s youth violence
“The next stage in black family disintegration may be on the horizon. According to several Chicago observers, black mothers are starting to disappear, too. “Children are bouncing around,†says a police officer in Altgeld Gardens. “The mother says: ‘I’m done. You go stay with your father.’ The ladies are selling drugs with their new boyfriend, and the kids are left on their own.†Albert’s mother lived four hours away; he was moving among different extended family members in Chicago. Even if a mother is still in the home, she may be incapable of providing any emotional or moral support to her children. “Kids will tell you: ‘I’m sleeping on the floor, there’s nothing in the fridge, my mother doesn’t care about me going to school,’ †says Rogers Jones, the courtly founder of Roseland Safety Net Works. “Kids are traumatized before they even get to school.†Some mothers are indifferent when the physical and emotional abuses that they suffered as children recur with their own children. “We’ve had mothers say: ‘I was raped as a child, so it’s no big deal if my daughter is raped,’ †reports Jackson.”
http://www.city-journal.org/2010/20_1_chicago-crime.html
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It is unfortunate that progressive interest groups get in the way of protecting the truly unfortunate. The children suffer… Why? Because we can’t offend our biggest voting bloc.
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Siouxforever: THANK YOU for posting sources, and not just one, but many. That honestly does help change my perspective. I still believe it is offensive and rude to insinuate that having a child out of wedlock automatically means your kid is probably at a disadvantage. However I will accept, given those stats, that children are generally better off in two parent households.
With that said, I would give this bill an OK to pass if it actually stipulated the education must include sources of information to back up those educational statements, just like the ones you provided.
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This is nuts.
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The Republican Party appears to have become the party of promoting their religion. Fiscal conservatism has been abandoned. We see plenty of this kind of stuff come out of Bismarck, but I highly doubt we will see much in the way of fiscal conservatism in the next couple of months. Plenty of money will be thrown around.
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Where have you been, Simple? Ronald Reagan used the Moral Majority to springboard into popularity back in the ’80′s! This is nothing new. The rest you are correct about.
Republicans like to force their religion on others, its just business as usual.
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What, more Government Interference from Republicans? Guess they lie when they say less government.
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Who votes for these guys? Please stop your encouraging them.
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The MAJORITY votes for these guys and they are representing North Dakotans very well. The only people who seem irritated by our elected officials doing their job are the ones of questionable morality (and most of them live in Fargo.) Don’t worry, we responsible, mature adults will keep common sense and rules alive and well in ND.
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Sure the majority of VOTERS, but in no way the majority of North Dakotans. Before you ask, NO I dont vote, tried that once, realized an overwhelming amount of voters at the booths were damn near senile, not a battle I want to wage.
Just a few recognizable problems with the older voters, many of them have less than a High School education, most of them are party line followers, and then of course back to the senile part. Sorry grandma and grandpa, I know you love your country but things have gotten complicated.
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Ah, yes, that’s where Obamacare comes in.
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I’m old enough to remember back when, when both parties were principled. At one time Republicans stood for “getting government out of our lives” and fiscal responsibility. That has gone the way of rotary dial phones and doctors making house calls. We send a message in Washington. For crying out loud folks- as “how I sit” suggests, WHY do we keep sending this crew to Bismarck????????
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meant “sent”-sorry
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Of course the need for public education provides the opportunity for government to intervene and politics to become involved with the curricula. If that bothers you then you should support greater freedom of school choice.
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State government, butt out. Once again you are intruding on personal lives and local control. What about less government do you not understand? All you are doing is feeding dollars to your opponent in the next election. We won’t forget.
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Yes, Megan, and those single parents happen because we tell children that God will provide… will keep them from getting pregnant… will keep them from getting STD’s… instead of teaching them how to take care of themselves.
THEN we shame them into giving birth when they don’t meet our unreasonable expectations and succumb to natural sexual impulses.
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I seriously doubt that the first thing single parents are thinking when they’re making the baby that will not have a Mommy and Daddy Married and living together is “Gee, I’m going to do have unprotected, premarital sex because God will provide.” Utter B.S.
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They do teach abstinence, Glen. No teacher encourages a 14 year old to go have sex.
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You are right very few, there has to be at least one, encourages students to have sex. In fact most say nothing about it over concerns of false allegations. I am really amaized that you could object to adding to the sex education requirements.
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I object to
#1 Non educators, specifically political legislators, dictating what is taught to my children.
#2 Religion being forced into my childrens schools.
Please, give me the name of the “At Least One” who encourages the students to go get pregnant and have STD’s, that’s absurd. I have every confidence my childrens teachers are responsable and take good care of my children.
If not, me and my school will take care of the isolated individual, to draft full legislation dictating what ALL children are taught based upon ONE exception is… you must be kidding.
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What if a parent were to object to non-educators deciding curriculum changes in history classes? Or science classes? Would that also bother you? Does it bother you that economics isn’t taught at a high school level? Does it bother you that kids aren’t learning about the Constitution? Or does it bother you how historical events like the Great Depression are taught through a progressive lens?
Perhaps the state should not be involved in education at all. The politicization of education has been going on since education has existed. Real education would teach kids how to judge differing arguments, not present them an argument an tell them to memorize it.
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Yes, I am very happy that this bill is not intent on eliminating current sexual education topics (like birth control). And I have absolutely no problem with including abstinance as part of the overall curriculum. My point is that this bill takes things a step too far by insinuating things like having children outside of marriage is typically harmful. Those kind of statements aren’t backed up by solid proof, just a couple of legislator’s opinions based on personal opinions or anecdotal evidence.
If this bill were to also mandate that those statements must include sources showing the peer-reviewed studies that back up that information, I would not have an issue.
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That isn’t true Dent D. I have posted many references of studies that show that single-parent kids have all kinds of problems. I could post hundreds of them! It is just an inconvenient truth I guess, and unfortunately it affects those the most who are voters of the Democrat party. Look, I understand you don’t want to offend those people who share your political ideology, but truth is truth, and unfortunately there are children who get hurt because of that ideology.
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Siouxforever, I am neither a Democrat nor a Liberal. I am also not a Republican or Conservative. I replied to many of your sources further above this post, and given what you provided I agree to an extent.
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Remember all these stupid bills coming out of the Republican Legislature when it comes time to vote. The further right one is, the less in touch with reality one is.
What next, a bill to mandate dress length?
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How about one that mandates us to buy health insurance…
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Did they miss the part about the stork?
Hot debate. What do you think?
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They do teach the children to not grow cabbage in their patch…..
Hot debate. What do you think?
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What are these clowns going to come up with next? Maybe a bill requiring a one year waiting period and mandatory counseling to get divorced?
Oh wait. Never mind.
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4Gs — God, Gays, Guns, and Gynecology — the so called “social issues” that republicans manipulate to convince working people to vote for them even though their vote is against their fiscal interests.
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A fun thing to say I suppose, but of course nothing accompanying your comment to substantiate your claim.
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The description of the bill in the article seems to state that schools will be forced to teach sex education ONE way and ONE way only: abstinence. I just can’t imagine any government would have their heads in the sand so deep that they would truly enforce something like this.
Yes, we should teach that abstinence is an option, and that it is the ONLY way to protect 100% against unwanted pregnancy (unlike birth control options that only offer up to a 99 percentile of protection and depend greatly on the user’s adherence to using it correctly). Although schools should promote abstinence, they also need to educate our youth about protecting themselves against STD’s (which can be transmitted even if you abstain from actual intercourse), and also teach other methods of birth control and how to use them CORRECTLY.
We can’t just assume that in our sexual, media-driven society that preaching abstinence will automatically erase unwanted pregnancy and unsafe sexual activity in our youth.
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No offense, but how do you suggest they teach how to use birth control CORRECTLY?
Instructional videos? Live demonstrations? Baggies and bananas?
Hot debate. What do you think?
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No offense taken — typically the methods and curriculum used to teach kids sex ed varies from school district to school district. I’m not arguing against abstinence being toted as the main method of preventing unwanted pregnancy and healthy lifestyles, I’m just saying that kids also need to be educated on birth control and safe sex IN ADDITION to the abstinence option. I’m simply against abstinence-only curriculums and the article and bill seem to be unclear on whether or not they are pushing for abstinence-only or rather just pushing abstinence as the PRIMARY goal of teaching sex education.
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Those work, but to tell the truth,simple communication about relationships and how to respect someone of the opposite sex goes a long way too.
When a child understands that sexual fulfillment is more than “Bumping Nasties”, they will start to conduct themselves with more personal respect and not take risks.
Here is a FACT KP, coming from someone who has children that age. They already know what a penis is, and how it interacts with a vagina. Just last night I was watching a movie ALL kids that age have already seen with my kids, “White Girls”. They have a scene in it where they are having a slumber party, and they pull out a huge gelatinous “marital aid” and practice oral sex with it.
The kids know the body parts, and they know how they function; they see it in the media from a VERY young age. What they don’t know is how to use them with respect, and what can happen if they DO use them.
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I know all about what teenagers know, having raised 3 of them.
My point was more tongue-in-cheek. If they do try to teach these kids in a meaningful manner, you know there will be some parents howling bloody murder about it.
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Yeah… you can’t make everybody happy, thats for sure. I believe thats what religious private schools are for… those people who want their children properly endoctrinated.
If they want to shelter their children from the adult world, perhaps they should explore those possibilities, for me, I raise my children to live in that adult world and shield them from nothing.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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I seriously doubt that any teenager today, anywhere has not heard about delaying sex until marriage. Realistically this doesnt happen, I am sure that some people do wait until marriage but not the majority. Sex education needs to include ALL the correct information so people can make informed decisions about their actions and their future
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We could always go about this the “Mean Girls” way and say “If you have sex, you WILL get STD’s and you WILL die.” That might scare people haha
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Thats the underlying message of Absitinence only, and I don’t want that taught to my children either.
Sexuality should not be something one fears, it should be something one explores with someone they trust…
They don’t learn trust if they are told they will die if they have sex.
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It’s a movie. Get out a little.
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Handing out condoms hasn’t worked. How about we try abstinence? It works every time it is tried.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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Abstinence has been taught in the schools now for decades, and the teen pregnancy rate has been skyrocketing. I realize the rock you live under doesn’t have much view, but you really need to take a look out from under it.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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Condoms have been known to break, too.
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A couple of votes down for condoms breaking? Don’t they?!
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according to the CDC the teen pregnancy rate is DROPPING and has been for years. Please get your facts straight.
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Glen, I gave your comment a thumbs up just because of the fact that everyone that posts on here thinks that their way of life is THE way of life and that they are right regardless of the facts. It’s what we get for living in North Dakota.
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Really, though, because these standards are set state by state, a state by state statistical analysis is best. North Dakota has the 4th best teen pregnancy rate in the nation. In addition, most of the states with the worst pregnancy rates are “bible belt” states with abstinence only laws, such as texas and south carolina. And while their pregnancy rates are declining, they aren’t declining nearly as quickly as states with non-abstinence only states.
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Exactly, tell a kid it is bad and what do you think they want to do? DEFY THE RULES! I mean it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that out… Look at alcohol and weed… people tell kids all the time these are bad, but has the usage of those gone down? Heck no. Point proven. The government in NoDak needs to stop getting involved in people’s lives as much as they do..
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State by state comparison: Percentage of children living in single-parent homes and teenage pregnancy rate.
District of Columbia 61% 165
Mississippi 48% 85
Louisiana 42% 70
New Mexico 41% 93
South Carolina 40% 79
Alabama 39% 73
Arkansas 38% 80
Delaware 38% 83
Florida 38% 77
Arizona 37% 89
Georgia 37% 80
North Carolina 36% 76
Rhode Island 36% 62
Tennessee 36% 79
Missouri 35% 63
Nevada 35% 90
New York 35% 77
Ohio 35% 62
Oklahoma 35% 76
Texas 35% 88
Kentucky 34% 66
Maryland 34% 65
Michigan 34% 60
Hawaii 33% 71
Illinois 33% 67
Maine 33% 43
California 32% 75
Indiana 32% 62
Pennsylvania 32% 53
West Virginia 32% 62
Montana 31% 56
Oregon 31% 57
Virginia 31% 60
Alaska 30% 61
Connecticut 30% 57
Kansas 30% 60
New Jersey 30% 68
Vermont 30% 40
Washington 30% 59
Wisconsin 30% 47
Iowa 29% 51
Massachusetts 29% 49
Colorado 28% 69
South Dakota 28% 51
Minnesota 26% 43
Nebraska 26% 50
Wyoming 26% 65
New Hampshire 25% 33
North Dakota 25% 45
Idaho 24% 55
Utah 18% 47
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If you plug these numbers into a scatter graph you will find a clear correlation between higher teen pregnancy rates and a higher ratio of children living in single-parent households.
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Wow! Utah has hardly any kids living in broken homes with a single parent. I wonder why that is…?
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Let’s examine this a little more. Why exactly do southern states have such high rates of children living in single parent homes, and high rates of teen pregnancy? Let’s break the statistics down by race, and see what happens in Mississippi.
Children in single-parent families by race (Percent) – 2009
Non-Hispanic White 27%
Black or African American 74%
American Indian S
Asian and Pacific Islander S
Hispanic or Latino S
Total 48%
As you can see the large majority of children in single parent homes are black kids. Why is that? Perhaps we could lower the teen pregnancy rate the most by changing our welfare state policies that have decimated families since the great misnomer, the Great Society.
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Yep, zardoz, works every time — just like when King Canute tried to stop the tide coming in!
Tell you what zard — you stop make these sorts of absurd statements, and I’ll refrain from making comments about abstinence and priests.
A deal?
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I always ask the question: if your child was having sex with someone who had aid’s, but said they were using a condom to be “safe” would you be worried. So far no one will answer that because it undercuts their faith in latex.
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Maybe nobody answers you because your questions are red herrings or straw man arguments. Write something that shows a rational connection to the topic and you might have more responses.
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Amen.
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just, no. They don’t answer because they would end up admitting that I am right. Remember, I am always right.
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That is what you get when you vote the T-baggers into office.
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Amen, pander to the lunatic fringe, and thats what you get.
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You mean the tea baggers who obliterated your party and turned it into the laughing stock of politics? Is that the one…I forgot…remind me again how you did last election. I love to see libs that are too stupid to learn from their mistakes.
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What I can’t stand are the folks who claim to be in favor of small government, & then support things that take decision making control away from individuals & families to give to the State. Ho about a little consistency.
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I sure miss Mr. Rambo. Did he get censored again? Anybody know?
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How long will it take to accept the fact that your children will be sexually active and that it’s only a matter of time? Abstinence only programs are a J-O-K-E. I take it back. Teaching kids that solely that garbage is anything but funny.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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Best incentive to decentivise (is that a word?) young people from having sex is to remove the social safety nets for those who do.
They want to have sex? Then let them deal with the consequences of their actions.
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Its not the governments business to tell anybodys children about sex.
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Sex is still somewhat taboo in our country and young adults love to push the boundaries of what is perceived to be acceptable behavior. The more we openly discuss subjects, the less taboo they become. We must allow open and honest discussions within the learning environment, just keep personal religious choices out.
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Don’t personal religious beliefs then become taboo?…
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In 1939, the Freudian, Otto Rank, in a book called “On Education” wrote that when children ask where do babies come from they are really asking “why do I have a body”. That question is a deep philosophical/existential question that cannot be answered while having a body. They are not asking about the mechanics of sex but that is what we give them as though we are giving the answer they want. The sexual mechanics answer actually increases teen sexual activity when it is meant to decrease it.
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The best way for kids to learn about sexuality and their body is from their parents telling them the truth.
Show them books on evolution. That’s the truth.
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Oh yeah, its probably a good idea for parents to tell their kids we are primates and that human primates, which we are, are very sexual. Probably one of the most, if not the most, sexual primates there is. Research it if you don’t believe me. This will probably help your children to understand why they have sexual feelings and tell them how to protect themselves, emotionally and physically. Its the least you can do as a parent.
The government (institutional schools) should stay the heck out of it though.
Thank you.
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So you say GBA “the people” should stay out of it as in “it takes a village to raise a child”.
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Okay Spearman, so if I’m out and about with my wife and children, don’t tell my children any mumbo jumbo about Allah, or Jesus, or whatever created everything and that if they have sex out of wedlock they will burn in hell for eternity because of it. And I won’t do the same to your children, or even tell them the truth that we are primates and as such are extremly inclined to be sexual and because of that to be carefull. Unless you want me to.
I think we can agree on that.
Thank you.
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Why do we even worry about teen pregnancy rates? Is it the governments business who is having babies and who isn’t? I would guess the governments interest is based on welfare policy.
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It takes a family to raise a child Spearman. Families come in all ways. Adopted, mom and dad, or grandparents, single parents, widows, widowers, aunts uncles, sometimes a neighbor or other person who decides to become family.
The village thing…I don’t buy it.
The family thing…totally agree with it. People need to open their eyes and not judge cause families come in all different ways. I’m just happy when a kid has a family that loves them, no matter how that comes to them, even if its just one parent.
As far as the governments interests in supporting single parents, I agree with you Soux-you-are-not. Tax payers shouldn’t have to foot the bill for welfare checks to single parents. I honestly think not having welfare would curb single parenting, girls would think twice before putting themselves to possibly getting pregnant. On the other hand, get laws off the books where single moms can’t sell homemade cookies out of their own kitchens, or cut hair, and so on to make some money and be with their kids so they don’t have to get checks from the government to pay for the daycare while they work for some big corporate power. Get feudal corporate government out of small business in other words.
Radical, I know.
Peace everyone.
Thank you.
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Religion should be taboo. It’s obsolete, probably created as a means of controlling the population when policy enforcement was inadequate. How do you control the masses? You scare them into following your rules. Like some parent scaring their kids into behaving saying that santa will not bring them presents unless they are good.
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Progressive ideas should be taboo. They haven’t been working since 1913.
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I agree S. Forever.
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Haha, you probably agree with both of us!
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Religious… not religious…can’t we all just get along?
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