Sometimes Idiocy Prevails

King Middle School in Portland, Maine has decided to dispense birth control to middle-school students—kids as young as 11 years-old—without parental consent. Two reactions to this event are common: First, abject horror on the part of people who think that helping children have sex is unacceptable, and the second goes something like this: “Well, their hormones are running wild, and you can’t stop it, so we might as well teach them to indulge in sex safely.”

I find it shocking that schools require parental permission before giving a kid an aspirin for a headache, but will give them physical exams and then prescribe condoms and birth control devices—implicitly sanctioning sexual activity—all without parent’s consent, or even telling parents what they have done. This is incredibly arrogant, among other descriptors, and probably unconstitutional. Can you imagine Thomas Jefferson, George Washington and James Madison discussing whether or not the government ought to be helping school-age children have sex?

True enough that people are hard-wired with hormonal impulses, however the age at which the impulse activates has dropped significantly. When I was 11, neither I nor anyone that I knew even had suspicions about sexual contact, let alone actually doing it; sexual activity was a few years down the road. Even at 13 or 14 having sex was almost nonexistent. Yes, that was a long time ago, but that is one of my points: as time goes on, younger and younger kids are becoming sexually curious and sexually active. And the public schools are now helping them do this. One wonders just where it will stop: Is there any age that is too young to hand out condoms, birth control pills and teach about sex? Maybe we should teach them to have oral sex instead.

The permissive, self-indulgent, anything-goes, toss-aside-traditional-modes-of-behavior, and don’t-tell-me-what-to-do-attitude that began in the 60s is to blame for this recent example of cultural devolution. So, we are going to allow hormones to have domain over our common sense and our sense of morality (what’s left of it)?

Joey and Margaret, two eleven year-olds, have both gotten condoms from their school a week ago. The two kids are listening to rap music, and the lyrics say something about the rapper “taking his bitch” and the two are overcome by their hormonal impulses and decide to pursue their passions. Joey says, “Oh, Margaret, I left my condom at home, and Margaret says, “And I loaned mine to my little sister. But that’s okay, Joey, I haven’t started ovulating yet, so it’s okay to go ahead without one. I’m your bitch, Joey. Take me.” This is the mentality of the people we are arming with birth control devices and sending into battle.

This idiotic movement is an outgrowth of the attitude that I can do whatever I want, and everybody can do whatever they want as long as it’s not against the law and doesn’t hurt anyone else.

We have abandoned our obligation to take responsibility for our actions. If you get pregnant, or if you get someone pregnant, you are obligated to have the child and raise the child. That’s the way it works. We know what causes pregnancy; it isn’t a mystery. If you don’t want children, either do not have sexual intercourse, or make damned sure you are protected, but be prepared for the consequences if manmade mechanisms fail to work properly. Be an adult, not a wimp.

The idea that it is ever acceptable for 11-year-old children to have sex is ludicrous. It is so goofy that no thinking person could ever subscribe to such a ridiculous idea. Yet, we have government schools deciding to pass out condoms and birth control pills to children without their parents approval, or even their knowledge. And we are going to sit by a let this happen?

Some may point out that hundreds of years ago it was customary for girls to marry and bear children at age 14. You may have noticed that as we became more civilized we’ve moved away from that idea because along the way we realized that 14 year-old girls are not emotionally or intellectually prepared for motherhood. But now we seem to be saying, by virtue of our schools giving condoms to 11 year-olds, that it is OK for them to have sex and perhaps become parents.

The idea that because a certain harmful situation exists we adapt to the situation rather than correct it is bizarre. If people are driving well above the posted speed limit on a stretch of highway and that increased speed makes driving there risky, do we merely raise the speed limit? Or, do we take action to slow down the drivers? Do we acquiescence, or do we attack the problem?

Giving condoms and birth control pills to 11 year-olds is avoiding the issue. It is cowardly. It is dangerous. It is stupid.

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