Blair Seems To Be With Us

Hey, this is fun. I gotta say, Montgomery Blair High School has the nicest on-line newspaper. They call it the Silver Chips Online. I don't know why they call it that, but it's first-rate. Technically, they drive everything off php scripts, with beautifully designed, aesthetically appealing stylesheets, so the presentation is very consistent, and the content of the stories is way beyond what we had when I was in high school, when they had to carve all the news into clay tablets with a pointy stick.

Last week, they did a kind of ... well, it's not a survey, but they asked people on campus what they thought about the new sex curriculum. Specifically, they asked people What do you think about the inclusion of condom and homosexuality education in health classes?

Some random quotes from the story -- I'm going to leave people's names off, but you can go there and read it all:

High school students have children at the age of 16, much before they are ready. If use of birth control is taught, these unwanted pregnancies may be avoided.

People are much more likely to intolerant toward things they do not understand. However, whatever students believe homosexuality is acceptable or not, it is the educators' responsibility o teach students how their fellow citizens live."

I think the addition of condom and homosexuality is good for the Health Curriculum. Students should know about these topics and be open to talk about them. Many teenagers chose to have sex and yet know nothing about how to be safe.

I think including condom and homosexuality education in health classes is a great idea. It would prepare students to be able to view the world around them with open minds. Believe it or not, we encounter subjects like these every day already. There's no use in being naive about it.

It's unrealistic to think that students wont have sexual relations so you might as well teach them how to do it safely. Second of all, i am glad to see that homosexuality education has been added to the health curriculum.

I am glad to see the inclusion of condom and homosexuality education in health classes.

I am glad to see the inclusion of condom and homosexuality education in health classes.

In learning about homosexuality, students will be able to formulate their own opinions about them instead of agreeing with some homophobic friends.

Discrimination is based upon ignorance, and today many people are misinformed that being 'straight' is the only natural sexual orientation. This discrimination encourages homosexuals to try to remain 'in the closet' for an extended period time, which is not healthy for them.

Also condoms is a way to help the community prevent unneeded abortions.

Homosexuality and condom education should be included in health classes, because it is not effective to keep kids ignorant and hope that this will keep them straight and abstinent.

I do not see any issue with the inclusion of condom and homosexuality education is health classes. These things are part of life, and by high school we should be as prepared as ever to deal with them.

School must keep up with the changing needs of our society, so condom and homosexuality education should be included in health classes.

Students need to be taught about reality, not about an idealist world for conservatives.

It is absolutely necessary that in a free and secular society that we accept different lifestyles, including homosexuality.

There is so much ignorance and propaganda about both of these subjects. With the AIDs epidemic, condoms are more important now than ever. With homosexuality the high emotions about this topic can only lead to miseducation. To prevent ignorance and promote awareness, lessons on condoms and homosexuality should be included in health class.

Great, bright bunch of kids. Every single one was positive, even enthusiastic about the changes that are being introduced.

What can you say? Whether their parents like it or not, these kids are learning to think for themselves.