Utah, which hasn't
really made it into the 21st century anyway, seems determined to roll itself further back. Just like the Republican party. In Utah's case, they're even taking a page from the GOP's presidential candidates, determining that the best way to protect our children from nasty things like sex is through
ignorance.
A bill to allow Utah schools to drop sex education classes — and prohibit instruction in the use of contraception in those that keep the courses — moved significantly closer to becoming law Wednesday. The House passed HB363 by a 45-28 vote after a late-afternoon debate that centered largely on lawmakers’ differing definitions of morality.
"We’ve been culturally watered down to think we have to teach about sex, about having sex and how to get away with it, which is intellectually dishonest," said bill sponsor Rep. Bill Wright, R-Holden. "Why don’t we just be honest with them upfront that sex outside marriage is devastating?"
Goodness knows we don't want anyone, particularly those of the female persuasion, getting away with sex. Which is almost exactly what we heard from the GOP candidates in
Wednesday's debate when asked if they supported birth control:
SANTORUM: What we're seeing is a problem in our culture with respect to children being raised by children, children being raised out of wedlock, and the impact on society economically, the impact on society with respect to drug use and all—a host of other things when children have children. [...]
ROMNEY: John, you know, I think as Rick has just said, this isn't an argument about contraceptives, this is a discussion about, are we going to have a nation which preserves the foundation of the nation, which is the family, or are we not? And Rick is absolutely right. [...]
And when we have programs that say we're going to teach abstinence in schools, the liberals go crazy and try and stop us from doing that. We have to have a president who's willing to say that the best opportunity an individual can give to their unborn child is an opportunity to be born in a home with a mother and a father. [...]
We certainly know from centuries of history that keeping children ignorant and telling them to just not do that nasty thing, but not actually telling them what that nasty thing is, is the most effective means of preventing teen pregnancy.
For all the concerned hair-pulling by the GOP establishment, this is the fight the rank-and-file of the GOP wants to have in 2012.