Birth Control Education

Regarding the Simi Valley school board meeting on Dec. 14, and the heated debate whether to include birth control in the Family Life curriculum, I find it interesting that by the board’s own admission, birth control and contraception are already being taught wholly without authorization. Therefore, one cannot point to the rising teen pregnancy rate in Simi Valley as the result of lack of birth control education.

In addition, the article said, “ . . . nearly an even number of people expressing opinions on each side of the issue . . . ,” but neglected to identify these people, which makes a significant difference. Fifty-one adults and four teens either spoke or turned in cards in opposition to the inclusion of birth control, while 15 adults and 48 students were in favor of the proposal. After hearing the studies and the statistics presented by the opposition and then hearing the shouts of the teens in favor of “education, not ignorance,” and their complete denunciation of said statistics as “bogus, slanted, and inaccurate,” it would seem that these angry young students don’t want education, they really want permission.

COLEEN ARY

Simi Valley