Sex education could be a felony

A Wisconsin district attorney is urging schools to drop their sex-education programs, warning that the teachers involved could be arrested if they follow a new state law requiring them to instruct students on how to use condoms and other contraceptives.

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The state law, called the Healthy Youth Act, took effect in March. Starting this fall, it requires schools with sex-education courses to teach students medically accurate, age-appropriate information, including how to use birth control and prevent sexually transmitted diseases. It also requires the classes to include information about how to recognize signs of abuse and how alcohol can affect decision making.

Parents will be permitted to remove their children from sex-education classes, as they could under previous state law. Schools also will be allowed the choice of whether to offer sex education, but must notify parents if they decide not to.

A Wisconsin district attorney is urging schools to drop their sex-education programs, warning that the teachers involved could be arrested if they follow a new state law requiring them to instruct students on how to use condoms and other contraceptives.

Quote: Originally Posted by lone wolf

What's the obsession with religious right and why do you always steer threads there? Did they see through you? Reject you? Did a Republican steal your girlfriend? Why are you so rabid?

Quote: Originally Posted by karrie

Well wolf... only a religious person would notice conflicting laws and attempt to warn people of them. And only the religious would write those two laws... attempting to educate minors... and attempting to prevent people from contributing to delinquency of minors. Totally smacks of religion on both accounts.

Quote: Originally Posted by Cliffy

It would eliminate most teenage pregnancies and the need for most abortions.

Quote: Originally Posted by Cliffy

Throughout the history of the human race, until rather recently, we were married and had sex at puberty. Since the industrial revolution, or thereabouts, we decided to prolong youth. In some regions we aren't considered adults until 21. How did this happen and why? Is it because we have been able to artificially extend life of most adults or is it that we don't want our children to enjoy sex like we did? What are the ages when our hormones are at their peak?

Quote: Originally Posted by CDNBear

Did any of you actually read the letter, or are you just reacting to the charged headlines?

Quote: Originally Posted by wulfie68

I read the letter and I can almost agree with some of it, but on the other hand a lot of it does seem like a zealot using his office to enforce his moral code on others.

I don't think kids should be having sex in their early teens, I think responsible parents should promote abstinence, but at the same time, I KNOW (having been there myself) that things will happen and kids will want to experiment and push the boundaries. When they do, I'm a firm believer that the better informed they are, the better off we ALL are. As a parent, when the time comes I hope my son will come to me with his questions but if he doesn't I would far rather him receiving classroom instruction than being totally ignorant of the risks he is taking and the steps he can take to minimize those risks.

The DA's comments about sex with under aged individuals seem heavy handed and alarmist to me: does he really think every 18 year old kid who bones his 16-17 yr old girlfriend is a sex offender (or the reverse in those cases where the girl is older)? His comments about proper instruction in contraceptives being contributing to delinquency also seem ludicrous to me, and to be honest I'd love to hear him try to explain his reasoning to a jury if he was ever to prosecute a teacher for following their mandate under this law.

SJP's comments about this being an "only in America" thing are true to the extent that in the US county DA's are elected and thus are more politicized pretty much by default, but for all his grandstanding about the backwardness of Americans, he lives in a province that doesn't believe that a person is a full adult at 18... or else why isn't the drinking age 18 in Ontario? And wasn't SJP one of those lambasting the Canadian Women's Hockey Team for "breaking the law" and letting 18 yr olds consume alcohol?

Some consistency of position from him would be a welcome change, but I don't really expect it, given his fixation on trying to attack the USA, Alberta, the Conservative Party and anyone else who says or does anything he doesn't agree with...

Quote: Originally Posted by TenPenny

There are many oddities in law. In several states in the US, there is such a thing as a tax license for illegal drugs; you can apply to have the tax license for illegal drugs. It does not, however, permit you to have illegal drugs, which are still illegal. All it means is that, if you are caught in possession of illegal drugs without the tax permit, there's one more offense you can be charged with.

Quote: Originally Posted by CDNBear

I completely agree, also having read the letter. I would go so far as to admit, he makes a reasonable case. In so far as the laws contradicting each, which is no excuse to break one of them. The legislation needs to amend that. Although, I did catch how in the letter Southworth eludes to the legislature amending the new law, lol.

Quote: Originally Posted by CDNBear

That would be comical if not farcical scene to be sure.

Quote: Originally Posted by wulfie68

Absolutely. This situation seems to be something that was a) hastily pushed through, b) pushed through knowing later revisions to existing codes would be required or a combination of the above.

The potential for comedy is definately there but I was thinking more in terms of how does he make a case that you alluded to above: the law requires teachers to break the law so the teacher is damned if they do or damned if they don't. I want to see the logic he presents in court to say one teacher deserves to be punished for breaking one law vs another teacher who breaks the new one. If he can present an intelligent argument to convince a jury, maybe his political sights should be set a lot higher...

Quote: Originally Posted by CDNBear

LOL, well now that you expanded on it, I hear you and agree. I was picturing a stuttering boob. I guess this is something akin to the glass half full, et al. Where you see the potential for a monumental achievement, I the possibility of buffoonery, lol. This of course follows along with what I said about you the other day, lol. How did the wife and step son take to my impression of you? lol.

SJP's comments about this being an "only in America" thing are true to the extent that in the US county DA's are elected and thus are more politicized pretty much by default, but for all his grandstanding about the backwardness of Americans,

he lives in a province that doesn't believe that a person is a full adult at 18... or else why isn't the drinking age 18 in Ontario? And wasn't SJP one of those lambasting the Canadian Women's Hockey Team for "breaking the law" and letting 18 yr olds consume alcohol? Some consistency of position from him would be a welcome change, but I don't really expect it, given his fixation on trying to attack the USA, Alberta, the Conservative Party and anyone else who says or does anything he doesn't agree with...

Quote: Originally Posted by Tonington

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Insanity. Give them the tools to make informed decisions, and you could be arrested and charged potentially with felony delinquency of a minor.

Did I say insane already? Insane...

Quote: Originally Posted by EagleSmack

Need classroom instruction of how to put on condoms.


Really?

Quote: Originally Posted by EagleSmack

Need classroom instruction of how to put on condoms.


Really?

The state law, called the Healthy Youth Act, took effect in March. Starting this fall, it requires schools with sex-education courses to teach students medically accurate, age-appropriate information, including how to use birth control and prevent sexually transmitted diseases. It also requires the classes to include information about how to recognize signs of abuse and how alcohol can affect decision making.