The March 6 issue of the Juneau Empire included students and others who were quoted in support of Planned Parenthood in our schools, claiming that it provides a needed and valuable service to our youth. I wish to provide an alternate view of Planned Parenthood and its philosophy.
I do not believe the issue is whether or not sex education is a good thing. The issue is who should provide it. First of all it is a responsibility of parents. When they fail to do so, why can’t a school nurse do this?
The controversy over Planned Parenthood in our schools arises from a knowledge on the part of many parents of the Planned Parenthood philosophy regarding sex and abortion.
Planned Parenthood is in the sex and abortion business. It promotes sexual promiscuity and is the largest provider of abortions in the country. Planned Parenthood targets our teens, opposes parental rights and undermines the parent/child relationship. Recent revelations about Planned Parenthood’s involvement in harvesting and selling aborted baby body parts is only part of the story. Planned Parenthood has a history of protecting statutory rapists when minor children seek an abortion. This is not an organization that we should welcome in our schools.
We are told that Planned Parenthood provides sex education without morality. We tell our children not to drink alcohol, take drugs and smoke — yet there seems to be a problem with telling them not to have pre-marital sex. Teaching abstinence on one hand and handing out condoms with the other is doomed to failure. This is a mixed message that undermines efforts to teach our children about sexual restraint.
The Planned Parenthood philosophy is that our children are going to have sex anyway, so we need to provide them with condoms and have abortion as a backup. Our children are not animals without the ability to control their actions. We should make it clear what is expected of them. We know well the physical, psychological, spiritual and moral havoc brought about by unrestricted sex in our society — from sexually transmitted disease to abortion.
Inviting Planned Parenthood into our schools gives legitimacy to an organization that doesn’t deserve it. Their philosophy of free sex will seep into their teaching. Planned Parenthood still honors founder Margaret Sanger, who has a philosophy of sexual permissiveness. Our children need to be protected from such an organization.
Sidney Heidersdorf
Juneau