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Author Topic: The Waxman Report and what you can do
gheathen
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Here is the report regarding the errors prevalent in Abstainance Only education: http://www.democrats.reform.house.gov/Documents/20041201102153-50247.pdf

What you can do:
Print out the report, read it, it's a pretty light read almost jargon free, and make copies to distrubute to others.

Use the report for talking points with the media, your representatives, the local school board, and anyone else who will listen.

Write to your representatives!

Parents, obtain permission to sit in on a few of the sex education courses taught at your child's school to determine if the courses contain factual errors or ideological information.

Students, read the report! Print it out and carry it with you to class. If you see any of the errors mentioned in the Waxman report, raise your hand and point said errors out to the class. Bring medically accurate information to class to refute dogma and erroneous documents. Print out several copies of a Bill of Rights and distribute them in class. Feel free to use this one:

The Student's Bill of Rights Regarding Sexual Education

I have the right to a comprehensive education regarding my sexuality.

I have the right to be taught medically accurate information regarding human sexuality, contraception, disease control, rape, rape prevention, abortion, pregnancy, menstruation, masturbation, and sexual intercourse.

I have the right to challenge information presented in the classroom if I feel that it is erroneous, based on religious dogma, or flawed.

I have the right to bring medically accurate information into the classroom to refute said erroneous or misleading texts.

I have the right to engage the classroom in a discussion about the efficacy and safe use of contraceptives.

I have the right to be educated about my own sexuality and identity free from stereotypes and religious dogma.

It is my health that is at risk if these rights are not recognized and upheld.
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Keep a copy to distribute to the principal, if you get sent to the office, written up, or suspended clearly and calmly inform the school administrator that you feel your sex education is inadequate and that you have a first amendment right to distribute literature to your classmates saying so. Keep the number to the local ACLU close by and inform the school that you are perfectly willing to call and begin a case.

Teachers, speak up! Write the paper, write your representatives, go on the radio, and stand up at PTA and school board meetings and protest the gag that has been shoved into your mouth. Bring the Waxman report and the texts for the cirriculum and start airing Abstainance-only's dirty laundry in front of anyone who will listen. And ditto on the ACLU for you if you get punished.


Posts: 6 | Registered: Feb 2004  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Heather
Executive Director & Founder
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A couple things, some of which I mentioned in your other post.

1) For starters, please do not create missives for circulation which appear to be coming from Scarleteen without our permission. If one were to print out what you've posted here with the only ID being the ST link at the bottom, it would appear it was circulated by us.

2) That's an issue because it's not in our best intersest to have anything inaccurate circulated by us, including things as benign as spelling abstinence correctly, and more serious, like stating that US teens have a legal right to comprehensive sex ed in public education which is, sadly, not the case.

3) Before you inform teens to contact the ACLU via a missive like this, it'd be a really good idea to contact the ACLU YOURSELF and find out what their current standing is on this issue, what sorts of cases, if any, they ARE willing to enter into, and what the real legal rights here are. The ACLU is also not the best place to go for a suspension, as they are incredibly busy all of the time, and even getting the wheels turning should they TAKE a case takes a LOT of time in most instances.

I can tell your heart's in the right place absolutely, and good for you for being proactive. But per posting things like this here, especially if you're signing our name on them, there are protocols one should try and follow, like passing it by us first.


Posts: 63402 | From: An island near Seattle | Registered: May 2000  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
   

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