Tragedy At Maine Middle School

No, there hasn't been another school shooting… not yet, at least. But one can hardly argue that there hasn't been a “death” of sorts at Kings Middle School in Portland, Maine. On Wednesday evening, school board officials voted 5-2 to allow hormonal birth control pills and patches to be given to its students. Keep in mind that these students are between the ages of 11-13 years of age (grades 6-8).

Students at the school's health center must receive parental permission to use the center's services, but under state law, may decide for themselves whether or not to tell their parents about the nature of the care received.

Translation? Here is another “stake in the heart” of parents' right to know what is being done to their children at school. Is anyone even remotely alarmed at this? Does anyone not see the tragedy here?

The ACLU has long been an opponent of the rights of parents. For years they have advocated allowing a school administrator to take our minor children out of school, take them to get an abortion, and then bring them back to school by the end of the day - all without the parents' knowledge or consent.

Apparently, the disease is spreading.

Now parents, according to the ever increasing “progressive” (read: liberal) views of our society, have no right to know when their children are given hormonal birth control treatments (that could have potentially harmful side effects). But, apparently, school administrators do have that right. How is this acceptable? How is this even remotely logical?

Since when have parents become the enemy in our society?

I have an 11-year old daughter - and if some school administrator took my daughter out of school for anything without my consent - let alone to have any kind of medical procedure or treatment - well… let's just say that the quality of mercy would be a bit strained in me at the moment…

I hope any parent would feel the same way.

Those who favored the plan said it isn't about encouraging premature sex, but protecting kids who don't have strong support from their parents. Okay, that may be your intention, but not all things work out according to our intentions, do they? Trust me, this will encourage premature sex in teens - even younger than teens! These kids are 6th graders! And it is profoundly naïve to expect the removal of the threat of unwanted pregnancy to do anything but encourage premature sex in our youth.

Thankfully, some spoke out against the measure. Diane Miller, a school nurse from another district wisely said that this will give children an adult responsibility they are not ready for and expose them to sexually transmitted diseases and emotional problems.

Peter Doyle, a former middle school teacher rightly said the measure violates the rights of parents, takes the right to special knowledge of their children's health out of their hands, and even exposes children to cancer risks associated with the use of hormonal drugs.

Doyle said, “You all are going to be responsible for the devastating effects on young women when this goes through.”

As a nation, we need to take a long hard look at the example we are setting for our children. They need us. They need us to make wise choices where they are concerned - choices they are yet too immature to make for themselves.

Who hasn't lamented that children in our day are often forced to grow up too quickly. Then why encourage it even further by a giving 6th graders the “right” to decide for themselves whether or not to have sex, how to use condoms, and whether or not to use hormonal pills and patches.

No, this isn't a school shooting…thank God. But, given the long range effects this measure could have on our children's' psyche and the further descent of our society into the cesspool of “progressive” thinking, we can come away with the following conclusion…

Both are terrible tragedies.