School Clinics Needed

Bishop Leo T. Maher and others have taken it upon themselves to awaken the conscience of school board members by pressuring them to not create health clinics for students.

These clinics would provide students with physical exams, immunizations and contraceptives, perhaps, when counseling sessions uncover such a need. It would be, I think, unconscionable to deny young people services like these.

Many students, especially those who are sexually active, desperately need a place where they can go and sort out things and put their lives in order. I know. I was a father at age 18.

And I came from a good home, a caring home, a loving home, a home where I could talk about anything on my mind. But, let’s face it, not too many kids are going to discuss or admit that they’re sexually active, no matter how understanding their parents are.

Besides, I was a teen-ager in the mid-1950s. That was a period in history when store clerks seemed to suddenly turn deaf when they were asked if they had any prophylactics. I’m sure a lot of teen-age pregnancies back then were partly the result of a young man’s unwillingness to be embarrassed by having to yell out: “May I have a pack of Shieks, please?”

Females, of course, didn’t dare to even think about purchasing condoms. “You’ve come a long way baby” wasn’t even a Madison Avenue dream.

But the times have changed. This generation has an opportunity to seek medical help and counseling that might prevent them from having to assume the burden of parenthood before they’re ready.

No matter what one’s definition of morality might be, nothing could be more moral than providing our children with clinics where they can receive help in growing up and staying physically and emotionally healthy.

ERNIE McCRAY

San Diego