It’s a question every parent dreads: “Where do babies come from?”
But if House Bill 2797 becomes law, it might be replaced by a more alarming question: “Where did this baby come from?”
Because Lawton Rep. Ann Coody’s bill, also known as the Humanity of the Unborn Child bill, would ban all public money for sex education. Oklahoman teens seem to know a lot about how to have sex, as evidenced by the state’s rank as No. 2 in the nation for teen births, they’re just a little fuzzy on how to avoid pregnancy.
Oddly enough, Coody’s bill would also mandate schools to teach anti-abortion curriculum to students. Which, considering how often sex is involved in pregnancy, seems like it would qualify as sex education.
If you’re thinking, “Oh, don’t worry, this is one of those bills that people make a big fuss about, but it never makes it out of committee,” here’s the bad news: It did make it out of committee, and the House of Representatives and is now its on the way to the Senate.
Remember that Blood on the Highway film we watched in high school drivers ed class? We imagine this would be like showing students that movie, then neglecting to instruct them in basics like defensive driving or how to operate a vehicle. Things won’t end well once they get out into real-world situations.
Print headline: Sex ed dead?
This article appears in Mar 9-15, 2016.