Wisconsin DA threatening Sex-Ed teachers with arrest

[Amanita]

I was typing that one-handed last night and was kinda short on time, so maybe I can elaborate a bit now.
When you have a kid who has been kept ignorant of anything sex-related, it sets them up for a world of trouble. I've heard horrifying stories of women who were kept ignorant right up until their wedding nights! These women either ended up being practically raped by their much more savvy husbands, or hiding locked in the bathroom with their husbands pleading for them to come out! Horrifying all around.

And when you have naiive and sheltered youth, it is easy for somebody with ulterior motives to lie to or manipulate them. The victim doesn't have to be mentally challenged, even.
And there is always the risk that somebody who has been denied real facts will end up picking up "facts" anyway- on the street or on the playground, from other misinformed youth. Which means that myths like "You can't get pregnant if you do it standing up" or "douching with coke kills sperm" or "You can't get pregnant if it's your first time" are still being spread around and believed. End result? Kids who hear this stuff and believe it tend to find themselves in a world of trouble, pregnant or catching a disease. Perhaps sex-ed classes need a "mythbusters" segment.

[AdminAssistant]

I'm another one who believes comprehensive sex ed should be mandatory, along with...I dunno, 'empowerment training'? Telling teens that it's okay to say no, mean it, and get assertive if need be. And that no really, truly does mean no, and date rape is a crime and should be reported. That kind of thing.

[Greenday]

"douching with coke kills sperm"

For the record, douching with Coke DOES kill sperm. Just not all of it. Probably isn't healthy to do for a woman's insides regardless.

[blas87]

I had to make sure this DA wasn't from around this part of Wisconsin. We have so many teen pregnancies around here and such old fashioned beliefs around town, it wouldn't have surprised me if it was the local DA.

[IDrinkaRum]

I'm another one who believes comprehensive sex ed should be mandatory, along with...I dunno, 'empowerment training'? Telling teens that it's okay to say no, mean it, and get assertive if need be. And that no really, truly does mean no, and date rape is a crime and should be reported. That kind of thing.

I completely agree with this.

Comprehensive sex ed should be absolutely mandatory for children in school.

I have no problem with teaching my daughter about sex. However, no matter how much I read up on the subject, there's going to be something I miss or don't know how to tell correctly and that's where the teachers can step in.

Any parent who would opt out their children for any reason are stupid.

[blas87]

Abstinence only really worked for Sarah Palin's daughter

[BookstoreEscapee]

For the record, douching with Coke DOES kill sperm. Just not all of it. Probably isn't healthy to do for a woman's insides regardless.

Sets you up for a nice yeast infection, too. Sugar down there is generally not recommended. Unless of course you use Diet Coke. Wouldn't want to get fat.

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On a more serious note, I was reading the ABC News article on this earlier:
From the article:

In Wisconsin, children under age 17 who have sex with each other can be prosecuted as juveniles. Seventeen-year-olds who have sex with one another can be convicted as adults of a misdemeanor.

How do the presumably educated people that write the laws not see the illogic in this? When it comes to consenting to sex, you are a child and must be protected, but if you do have sex, you can be tried as an adult? How does that not make your head explode?

Then in comments there were two that really struck me. One was a very good point:

(Another commenter wrote: It would be great if parents where the ones that taught their children about sex and protection.) ------------------------------ According to the logic of Scott Southworth, talking to your children about sex and protection is a crime. Note that the question is not about whether the sex education is good idea or not. Question is if sex education teachers are commiting a crime. If mentioning the word "condom" by a teacher is crime, it must also be a crime if a parent or friend does it.

The other just made me want to scream:

Can someone explain to me how or why a teenager who can't be responsible about when and with whom to have sex will suddenly responsibly use birth control?

That’s WHY they need to be educated! How hard is this? If they are educated about all the important aspects they have a better chance of being responsible about using birth control and when and with whom to have sex.

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I graduated high school in 1993. Maybe it's just because I live in the Northeast(-ish - New Jersey) but I don't remember this being a huge issue (or an issue at all, actually). As far as I know my parents were not sent any information on what they would teach us in health class or given the option of keeping us out of the class. Freshman year they taught the basic biology (that we all learned in 4th grade anyway), and Senior year they got into birth control, abortion, STDs, etc. - including the option to say "no" which so many anti-sex-ed folks seem to think is left out. (Sophomore year was Driver's Ed and Junior year was drugs.) They were pretty comprehensive, expected that we could handle the material like relatively mature young adults, and didn't act like we were all going to run off to the nearest motel right after school because they told us how to use a condom (no bananas or anything like that.) The only thing I think they did wrong is that Senior year is too late for a lot of kids. Maybe Greenday knows more about the current climate, having gone to school in the same area (though not the same district), and much more recently than I.

[Parrothead]

I got sex ed every year since middle school. And my Girl Scout troop got a sex ed lecture from a nurse.

No one from my troop got knocked up.

[protege]

That’s WHY they need to be educated! How hard is this? If they are educated about all the important aspects they have a better chance of being responsible about using birth control and when and with whom to have sex.

That's how I see it too. Kids are going to do it regardless. If that's the case, why not inform them of the consequences?

I've posted about my Uncle Dick (who really *is* a dick, but that's beside the point) how he was "born again," and some of the things he's said over the years. Anyway, this is a guy who got upset over a scene in Top Gun--the one where the guys are in the bar, and the topic of "getting laid" comes up. Dick heard that, and went *ballistic!* His main beef was that the flick was "inappropriate for his then-17 and 19-year-old daughters

Oddly enough, it's no wonder that his now 28-year-old daughter...just had a daughter out of wedlock. (I'm not trying to slam single moms, OK?) Did I mention that he's against premarital sex? Yet, from what I understand, he hasn't mentioned anything since she got pregnant. Hypocrite, much?

That's the problem in this country. We have too many uptight assholes who flip out when sex is mentioned. They don't want their kids exposed to it, and then can't figure out why their daughter is pregnant at age 12. Give me a fucking break.

[Racket_Man]

I posted about this over at CS not thinking it was Fratching material.

I know this made the national news. I saw a segment about it on CNN's afternoon program.

The one thing the article does not state (but was stated in the national news story) is that Juneau County DA, Scott Southworth is a Evangelical Christian. So there is a REASON (at least in his mind) for stating that he will prosecute teachers for "violating" and "abusing" childern and "encouraging them to engage in 'forbidden sexual activity'. now teachers must act like the KGB and denounce/report/cause to be prosecuted all teenagers they think "might" be engaging in "forbidden sexual activity"

and yes I assume here in Wisconsin it is a crime for 2 minor childern to endgage in sexual activity (yeah right like that ever stopped any of them before). if there is actual sexual intercouse or any kind of sexual activity one or both of them can be charged as an adult resulting in adult jail time and be labeled a lifetime sexual offender with all that goes with that .

here are the stories (contains video)

interview with Scott Southworth
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/...iref=allsearch

anderson cooper segment with Scott as a guest
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/bes...iref=allsearch

another example of someone wanting to have ignorant childern and then wonder why they are curious about a "forbidden thing" , then experiment, then get a disease or get pregnant or get abused. why is it that when someone want to provide useful information and education to childern, some dumbass with a little power comes along who thinks information is just bad and imposes THEIR worldview on the majority.

[lordlundar]

I have no problem with teaching my daughter about sex. However, no matter how much I read up on the subject, there's going to be something I miss or don't know how to tell correctly and that's where the teachers can step in.

And of course the Bill Engvall bit about having to give his son "the talk" popped into my head. Bill says to his son to tell him what he knows and Bill will try to fill in the blanks.

Half hour later Bill's taking notes.

[Plaidman]

OK, I'm moving to Canada... between Utah DAs charging victims with crimes and now Wisconsin DAs threatening to charge people with crimes for following the law... I don't see how Canada could possibly be worse.

As a note to that DA, I don't know what drug you are on that makes you so delusional, but damn, unless it is the opiate of the masses, I would really appreciate if you shared.

Portland Oregon. Very gay friendly for the most part.

[tropicsgoddess]

This guy's a dumbass.

Agreed. Teens will still engage in sexual activities no matter what, but the class is to educate them on how to prevent unplanned pregnancies, STD's and how to recognize warning signs of abuse of any kind. I got the talk by my mom when I was young and my parents didn't object to me going through sex ed class either. Knowledge is key.