Comment and Opinion

The P.E.R.S.O.N. Project

and

GALE

I don't care how people choose to live their lives as long as they leave me and other uninterested people alone. In fact, I am disinterested as well as uninterested, that is, I am both impartial and I don't care at all. I do become interested, however, when it comes to what people do to and with children because all members of a society have a responsibility for the welfare of children. Part of that responsibility is a concern about what children are taught at school.

If a group of Christians, Muslims, Jews or atheists wanted to come into classrooms and conduct lessons dealing with the advantages of their particular religions or world views, paying particular attention to their special needs and providing examples of famous members of their groups to act as role models, there would be outrage and much discussion of the separation of church and state. The reaction should be similar if the NAACP, the KKK or some other race-based organisation wanted to come in and talk about how good it was to be a particular colour.

I put talking to young children about sexuality in the same category. I don't really care what sort of educational materials these organisations make if they distribute them only to high-school students. I just do not believe that discussion of sexuality and sexual lifestyles is appropriate material for children in infant or elementary schools. Change "K-12" to "7-12" and I will be happy.