Slog - Comments on "Herpes on Its Eyes." Oh My God. Pass the Sex-Ed Bill.

Comment by Silvertail

Silvertail — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 11:32:37 -0800

By all that is good in the world, I wish these assholes that oppose this, would just shut the fuck up, and let an important subject be properly taught based on medical information. Yeah and I also want a unicorn...

Comment by switzerblog

switzerblog — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 11:49:11 -0800

Hate. them. so. much. Must. restrain. fist. of. fury.

Comment by David in Wedgwood

David in Wedgwood — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 12:05:11 -0800

I graduated from WF West High School (Chehalis High School) in the early 80s and believe sex ed was far more comprehensive back then. No surprise that it's regressed considerably since.

The current principal, Linda Smith (lsmith@chehalis.k12.wa.us) is a real right-wing whack job.

She's the same "educator" who kicked out a speaker talking about AIDS because he acknowledged to the students that he is gay.

http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=2537867&date=19970507&query=chehalis+gay

Let's hope the bill passes so the kids there and in other small conservative towns throughout the state have a fighting chance of being prepared for the real world.

Comment by Jake of 8bitjoystick.com

Jake of 8bitjoystick.com — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 12:44:18 -0800

Kitsap Represent! Represenatives. Appleton, Lantz,Haigh, and Seaquist are all sponsors. The Washington State Young Democrats are pushing for this bill.

Comment by Gloria

Gloria — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 12:52:33 -0800

Herpes on its eyes? Ewwwww.

Comment by Will in Seattle

Will in Seattle — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 13:04:14 -0800

You know that God has a special place in Hell for those who promote ignorance. And an even more "interesting" place for those who actively help.

Comment by Silvertail

Silvertail — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 13:13:56 -0800

Oddly enough they taught us accurate information when I was in school, in suburban Ohio of all places. Of course that was like 15 years ago...

Comment by Laurence Ballard

Laurence Ballard — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 13:43:29 -0800

Oh, gods.

A medical volunteer for this disease for nearly a decade, testimonies like Chehalis High School senior Ashley Thomes is why I became involved in the first place. Basically an inconvenience for most men, Herpes Simplexes are far more dangerous for women, especially expectant mothers. An unknown active lesion in the birth canal during delivery can have devastating effects upon the newborn. It strikes me as nothing less than criminal neglect on the part of school administrators designing these 'sex education' classes not to impart such basic scientific and medical information.

Comment by Original Andrew

Original Andrew — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 14:33:33 -0800

But it's "Ignorance Only" education!

If we don't tell teens about sex, they'll never think about it!

Comment by him

him — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 15:07:57 -0800

lol @ OA. True, so true.

Comment by Phil

Phil — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 15:23:33 -0800

re: "cultural sensitivity": I'm guessing they want to avoid making kids feel uncomfortable about the fact that their own wee-wees might not look like the ones pictured in textbooks, since, for example, male genital mutilation is still practiced in some cultures (like here in the United States, where something like 20% of parents still have part -- the most sensitive part -- of their sons' penises cut off at birth).

Comment by keshmeshi

keshmeshi — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 15:32:17 -0800

Most of the wee wees I saw in textbooks were cut.

All it would have taken was a Cesarian section to keep the baby from getting herpes. I'd also like to know what was the problem with her doctor. Didn't he/she suggest some STD tests, considering that the girl very likely had never used protection?

Comment by Phil

Phil — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 15:54:38 -0800

Forget the 20% figure; I had my numbers mixed up (it's 20% in Canada). In the United States, in the 1970's, the circumcision rate was about 90%. In the 1980's, it dropped to a little over 80%, and now it's about 60%. Interestingly, it's significantly higher in the Midwest, and significantly lower in the West.

Yuck.

Comment by Toby Nixon

Toby Nixon — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 16:03:51 -0800

Josh, I don't know why you're touting the fact that HB 1297 has three Republican sponsors, and congratulating Democrats for "taking Seattle�s suburbs out of the hands of the George Bush right" as though this was an improvement (on this issue). Last session's medically-accurate sex education bill, HB 1282, had seven Republican sponsors, more than twice as many. I know because I was one of them. I voted for the bill as well. Oemig repeatedly lied about this issue in his campaign, falsely claiming that I opposed medically-accurate sex education. Does this really make you proud?

Comment by Josh Feit

Josh Feit — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 18:49:47 -0800

Toby,
I hear you.

Comment by Ashley Thomas

Ashley Thomas — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 18:13:51 -0800

Hey everyone! Thanks so much for all your support!!! It is just crazy that teens are not being taught how to prevent an unintended pregnancy, but we are being taught how to do calculus equations. Calculus definately has its place in our lives, but I think medically accurate information about birth control methods possess a little bit more importance. Abstinence education is not the problem, it's Abstinence-Only that is the major problem.
I just don't understand why anyone would oppose giving teens medically and scientifically accurate information.
Thanks again for all the support for this bill, it really means a lot!

*my last name is actually Thomas, but no worries.