Abstinence still what schools should teach
The letter writer from Ingleside (Fence Post, Sept. 12, 2008) who took such delight in writing about the supposed failure of abstinence-only education because of the pregnancy of Sarah Palin's daughter illustrates the need for school choice in our educational system.
Many people can sympathize with Sarah Palin. Parenting in today's world is challenging. I admire her stand to support her child even though this must have been a personal disappointment for her. I admire her for welcoming her Down's syndrome child into her family instead of getting an abortion.
Parents are the primary educators of their children. It is their right and their responsibility. If the letter writer from Ingleside, say, believes in giving their son or daughter condoms on prom night, that is her right. But when it comes to comprehensive birth control programs, obviously to be taught in schools, that's another matter.
Many parents try to teach their sons and daughters that sex is reserved for those under a vow of marriage. As a Catholic, my faith advocates this position along with the additional restriction to birth control. If public schools agree with the letter writer from Ingleside about "a comprehensive program that also teaches birth control," that infringes on my right as a parent and also my First Amendment right as a citizen on the grounds of freedom of religion.
In this complicated world of diverse beliefs, it's time to establish educational vouchers where the parent can decide what type of school system they want their children to go to. By allowing private/religious schools to compete with public/government schools, vouchers would respect parental rights and religious rights, as well as providing much needed competition for the current state-run monopoly system called public education. Many taxpaying citizens would prefer to give their educational tax dollars directly to parents instead of the current monopoly that is unfortunately influenced by politics and labor unions.
James M. Sheehan
Antioch