I love this story. CBS is reporting that a school district in Long Island, New York is urging students to abstain from touching each other due to the dangers of swine flu:
As students across America prepare to head back to school, officials and parents are bracing for a spike in swine flu cases. With the possibility that nearly 2 million people will be hospitalized, and 90,000 people across the county could die, one Long Island school district is taking no chances and has set into place a new “hands-off” approach to fighting the swine flu.
Chest bumps. High fives. Hugs and handshakes. Glen Cove Middle School students Ali Slaughter and Hannah Seltzer say that’s what friends do on the first day of school. But when students in the Nassau community return to school next week, the superintendent will be urging abstinence. Everyone from the tiniest tots to the biggest high school football players will be asked to limit skin-on-skin contact in an attempt to prevent the spread of swine flu when it re-emerges this fall.
“It will [be hard] because you really like your friends and you didn’t get to see them,” Seltzer tells CBS 2.
Abstinence from touching one’s friends? Come on. Give me a break. They’re kids. You can’t stop them from touching each other. It’s just unrealistic to ask them not to touch each other, right? They’re just going to do it anyway.
As studies (not shown here or even available anywhere) have clearly indicated, children are going to touch each other no matter what those in authority tell them, so it’s best to simply protect the children so that they touch each other in the safest manner possible.
Perhaps even full body condoms are the way to go.
So we agree? Let’s keep our kids safe.
Just like teen sex, there are inherent and deadly dangers to touching each other now.
And it seems to me that the danger of children touching each other would be far greater than students falling on top of each other while naked. But in one case school administrators around the country often say abstinence from sex is impossible but then they turn around to say abstaining from any contact is very possible for teens?
Not sure I’m understanding their take on this.
So I say full body condoms should be handed out to all students. Kids are going to touch each other. As adults we just need to protect them from themselves. It’s for the children.
September 1, 2009 at 5:38 am
I love it! I'll pass this along to Reno's Hug High immediately!
September 1, 2009 at 6:34 am
Agree. Less chance of being punished with a baby.
September 1, 2009 at 6:47 am
Nice to throw back at them what they think will work when they think it won't work for the other issues.
My girl had the opportunity to be in the 8th grade sex ed class – an opt out form or consent form was sent and my girl and I chatted at length about what to do. I left the decision to her – we've already covered sex ed (appropriately – open doors for more talk/listening as the hands of time turn) – she said NO. "Mom, there's no place in public that talking about sex is appropriate and it's disgusting to discuss it with teachers and peers." The teacher called and asked me why I wasn't "letting" her take the course and I said that she made that decision and that although I appreciate the school teaching sex ed as abstinence based, it's in fact, going to cover ground that goes against our Faith. Apparently a Catholic group does come in and promote "try to wait", but I only laughed and said they must be the sell out Catholics – real Catholics teach "wait.period." I'm proud of my daughter's decision.
September 1, 2009 at 11:06 am
Ha, ha, excellent point! Also, punished with a nasty virus.
It is worthwhile noting however that while sexual intercourse is not a necessity for an individual human person, physical love is: touching, hugging, shaking hands is an essential part of human interaction and is a necessity for a person to thrive emotionally.
Children who are not hugged and kissed by their parents have trouble later on, often with friendship, love and chastity.
So this is a real privation, though perhaps necessary in times of epidemic.
September 1, 2009 at 2:24 pm
Good for you, Sarah. And you're right, it's not true that kids have to "touch" each other, but it is true that those classes fall on deaf ears.
I still remember in High School when, even though we got decent advice in our marriage class, like heck if anyone knew how to appreciate it!
September 1, 2009 at 2:45 pm
There's no money in getting the kids sick with swine flu. Getting them pregnant however is different because, that's business to the abortuaries.
September 1, 2009 at 4:14 pm
Many teachers in public schools still teach that abstinence is the only sure way not to get pregnant or STDs…but they know that some kids will do it regardless and want to inform them of how they can prevent these things. Just like – if this principal said try not to touch each other, but if you do, wash your hands. Good advice for both.
And Rick – what makes you think that teachers care about business to the abortuaries? I think that's a tad paranoid to think that.
September 1, 2009 at 4:42 pm
In other words: don't rob banks, but if you do, make sure you wear body armor.
September 1, 2009 at 4:55 pm
Wow Sarah-Kaylah, any tips on raising such strong young children? Kudos to your daughter:).
Per Anon's comment, I was raised on the "abstinence will keep you safest, but just in case you can't control yourself…" All the while with the less than implied message that, "You're an animal, so you're never going to control your urges anyway." (Didn't help that my mom's a 1970's style feminist.)
The result: multiple partners, not caring about the emotional and spiritual damage I was unleashing on those I dated/ slept with, feelings of worthlessness, depression, suicidal thoughts and experimentation with alcohol and drugs to numb them. All in all, I had a GREAT high school and college experience. *sarcasm*
Let's just keep up sex-ed as usual since it works so well.
This is not to say that the intentions of those well-meaning teachers are all evil, but you know where paving your way with "good" intentions will get you… certainly not through the "narrow gate"…
There's always hope though as long as there are parents like Sarah-Kaylah handing on the faith and (first and foremost) the Holy Spirit to bring conversion about. Thank goodness for His goodness!
September 1, 2009 at 5:37 pm
For Sarah said . . . it takes constantly being there for your kids and constant prayer – and I do not mean control/paranoid behaviour. Let them know from the beginning that they are to come to you and trust you with everything. I have always told my kids I may not like to hear it or know it, I may not agree w/ their choices, but I am here to help them if/when they need it. . .but they have to trust me. AND THEN, live so they know they can trust you. God bless!
September 1, 2009 at 5:38 pm
Oh, and I'll mention: a good, faithful man for a father is key.
September 1, 2009 at 5:40 pm
Anon11:14: Perhaps I have reason to be paranoid.
http://divine-ripples.blogspot.com/2009_08_01_archive.html#4602195762403482374
Sex ed for teens: fornicate & abort(video)
September 1, 2009 at 6:29 pm
I thought of the scene from the movie The Naked Gun 2-1/2 – where Leslie Nielsen and Priscilla Presley were about to have "safe sex" by wearing full body condoms. But that's just me…
September 1, 2009 at 7:25 pm
Sarah-Kala, thank you for the encouragement! Thankfully I have an excellent husband to help me with this too:).
September 2, 2009 at 9:56 pm
I. Love. This.
September 7, 2009 at 2:46 am
Just a tip-off — since you talked about condoms in your post, your Google ads are showing ads for condoms. You should be able to log into your Adsense account and specify that you don't want those.
Good post!
September 7, 2009 at 2:46 am
Just a tip-off — since you talked about condoms in your post, your Google ads are showing ads for condoms. You should be able to log into your Adsense account and specify that you don't want those.
Good post!
June 3, 2010 at 4:22 am
I am so glad I ran into this article. I just wrote about the fact that abstinence is a VALID form of contraception, and our teenage girls are not hearing that message because adults themselves see it as an unrealistic option for them. Let me know what you think: http://www.thedailygetup.com/down/the-questions/why-does-america-abstain-from-abstinence