In Their Own Words

Regarding the Portland school district's decision to provide birth control pills confidentially to middle schoolers, we find this in, of all places, the New York Times:

PORTLAND, Me., Oct. 19 — Carissa Porcaro, a student at King Middle School here, did not hide her feelings about the Portland school board’s decision to let the independently operated clinic at her school provide girls access to prescription contraceptives.

Wearing a sticker with the words “I’m against giving out birth control” written in black marker, Carissa, 13, said she did not think the school should make the drugs available. Her mother disagrees.

“She thinks it’s really good,” Carissa said after school on Friday. “I think it’s stupid because what people are saying is that it’s O.K. to be sexually active.”

See?  The kids know.  Allegedly this is being done to reduce the pregnancy rate at this age, where according to the story seven girls became pregnant last year.  My bet is that there will still be pregnancies, because kids at this age don't plan ahead, and that the percentage of those reporting that they are sexually active will see a substantial increase.  There's also this quote from a woman who clearly wants the government to parent her child:

“I think it’s a great idea,” said Cathleen Allen, whose son is enrolled at King. “Someone is finally advocating for these students to take care of themselves.”

Ahem.  That would be your job, Ms. Allen.  That would be your job.

Comments

[Eileen]

Interesting,
So sending out the wrong message is a real risk.

I don't know the right answer.
Not all Parents are good parents, and sometimes it is the role of Society to help raise the Children. Some parents make very poor decisions, others are just selfish and tuned out.
How does society help these children without infringing on the rights of parents who are doing their job.

One of my nieces ended up Pregnant as a minor.
Her parents had no idea she was sexually active, and she somehow managed to have been pregnant twice, the first one ending up as a mis-carriage, with her parents having no clue.
But I think her parents handled it well enough after it happened, and the child is being raised in a home that includes 3 generations.
As for my niece, well instead of completing high school that year, and going off to college, she had a child.
But the high school diploma was eventually obtained, and college can still happen.

[King Pandeen]

If two 11-year olds go the 'famly way' and decide to get married, we will have the domestic story of the decade.

The movie possibilities alone will be staggering.