Birth Control Aid in Schools

I am writing this in disbelief at the decision of the Los Angeles School District to offer birth control information and contraceptives in a high school health clinic.

During a time when the AIDS scare is contagious, I’m surprised that Americans are still voting for sexual permissiveness, especially in our schools. I know that ignoring the problem of teen-age pregnancies won’t solve anything, but I agree with board member David Armor that such availability of contraceptives is like a green light for those teen-agers to have irresponsible sex. Trying to stop pregnancies from occurring is really only dealing with the symptoms. The root problem is immorality, and how it is encouraged by the media and other role models around us.

A friend of mine told me about one of the first episodes of the recent TV mini-series “North and South.” She was surprised at the explicitness of one of the bedroom scenes. We allow such shows on TV where our children can watch them, and then we wonder why none of them seem to have values anymore.

America needs to turn itself around morally, or we will continue to slide downhill. When kids are taught that it’s OK to have sex whenever, what do we expect them to do? We are advocating promiscuity in our culture, both by consciously encouraging it and unconsciously ignoring it. That’s where we must start: changing our role models, returning to a life style of morality so our children have an example to follow. We’re very much to blame for the problem.

I had mentioned AIDS earlier. Regardless of how the virus could’ve gotten to this country, it certainly wouldn’t have gone near so far so fast if we were faithful to sex only within marriage, as it is intended.

I could go on, but I just want to say that I am glad I’m not raising my children here in Southern California. I hope other people, parents especially, speak out against the lack of morals this ruling of the school board represents.

DIANE McDOUGALL

San Bernardino