Kids, drugs, and rubbers

Ok, I know.  I really should start running again…  but I just don’t care to right now.  I’m exercising in other ways and am about to get back on the bike, so there.

 

But what comes with not running is unfortunately hearing all kinds of stupidity going on in the world.  I’m still pissed off that I know the name of the dog Ellen tried to dump on someone after she couldn’t live up to her responsibility.

 

I hate even knowing that insipid story exists.

 

But another stupid story is the school board in Maine making “all forms of birth control available to middle schoolers” without feeling the need to inform the parents.  Birth control pills are included in that list of “all forms” of birth control.  They kick you out for having asprin, but they’ll give you birth control pills and you don’t even have to tell your parents.  Something just isn’t right about that.

 

“There are some things kids just don’t feel comfortable talking to their parents about” said one board member.  So, the school board feels it’s a good idea to reinforce that discomfort rather than encourage that parent/child relationship to include even icky subjects like sex and death.

 

“Kids who are going to have sex are going to do it no matter what we do, so we might as well try and make it safe” was another quote I heard.  Yea.  I know they will.  Set aside the fact that these kids are still in middle school—10, 11, 12, 13 years old—and it’s still a stupid, stupid argument.  Kids who are going to ______ are going to _______ no matter what we do, so we might as well try and make it safe can be extended to any sort of activity.

 

Kids who are going to do drugs are going to do drugs no matter what we do, so we might as well try and make it safe.

 

Kids who are going to go on bloody gun wielding rampages are going to go on bloody gun wielding rampages no matter what we do, so we might as well try and make it safe.

 

Kids who are going to abuse and mutilate animals are going to abuse and mutilate animals no matter what we do, so we might as well try and make it safe.

 

Kids who are going to strap bombs to their chest and blow themselves up are going to strap bombs to their chest and blow themselves up no matter what we do, so we might as well try and make it safe.

 

It’s a pathetic and stupid concession of basic, simple responsibility to say “they’re going to do it anyway so we might as well” provide them birth control pills, rubbers, needles, weapons, stray cats, and suicide vests because we might as well make it safe and easy for them.  I mean, if it happens under controlled circumstances they might not feel anything bad like shame when they have to go to the pharmacy and buy their rubbers like we had to do when we were kids.

 

IT’S NOT LIKE THEY’RE HARD TO GET IN A STORE WITHOUT THE PARENTS PERMISSION!!!  That way you at least have to take some modicum of personal responsibility and actually ride your little tricycle to the store to buy your rubbers.  There were more than one occasion when I chickened out and couldn’t buy them because someone my parents knew was in the store.

 

And if you’re not mature enough to buy condoms, you’re not mature enough to use condoms.

 

But it’s not like our schools are trying to create mature, responsible people as they go through the education process.  Why should the kids be anything better than the parents?