Wisconsin DA Threatens Arrests Over Sex Ed

WrongSizeGlass writes "USA Today is reporting that the DA of Juneau County, Wisconsin, is warning teachers that they could face arrest over the new sex-ed curriculum. District Attorney Scott Southworth said a new state law that requires students learn to use condoms and other contraceptives 'promotes the sexualization — and sexual assault — of our children.' Southworth also said, 'I'm not looking to charge any teachers. I've got enough work to do.'"

Comments

Re:Sex

[couchslug]

In the US, religionists hate sex that isn't rationed according to their superstition. Americans, by and large, are religious, willfully ignorant, and ruled by fear. Any pleasure not rationed by preacher or priest is evil.

Re:News for Nerds??!!

[sopssa]

I've always seen the comma there: "Your rights, online". Makes a big difference. But yeah, this is more idle-worth than anything else.

No, I actually think its a good thing. It seems like US really needs this, and I would had been proud of my parents if they would had fight for a more open and sexually aware world for me. The truth is, everyone is going to have sex and 99% of people are going to do it during teenage. There will be problems if they don't know how to do it safely. It's fucking hilarious/sad that a teacher that teaches safety practices is threaten by an arrest to do so.

Same guy?

[MaggieL]

Gee, is this the same Scott Harold Southworth who was named a "CNN Hero" when he adopted a crippled Iraqi boy when he was deployed with the WI National Guard? Even though he's not married?

from: http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0707/15/sm.02.html

Of course there are people around us every day who are doing extraordinary things to make our world better. And all this year we are honoring them. We are bringing you stories of people that we call "CNN Heroes". And we're also inviting you to tell us about the heroes that you happen to know.

So, today we introduce you to a man from Wisconsin who went from fighting insurgents in Iraq to becoming a single father. Scott Southworth is today's CNN Hero.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ready?

SCOTT SOUTHWORTH, CNN HERO: No soldier goes to war with the expectation of coming home and adopting an orphan from the war zone.

My name is Major Scott Harold Southworth. I'm a member of the Wisconsin Army National Guard and the proud father of an Iraqi orphan by the name of Ala'a Adem (ph).

Come on, Ala'a.

My soldiers and I volunteered at the Mother Theresa Orphanage in Baghdad, Iraq. I did not choose Ala'a, Ala' a chose me.

When the sisters informed me that they were going to have to move him to the government orphanage, I instantly told them that I would adopt them. There were a number of obstacles to bringing him to the United States. Not having enough money and not having a stable enough career, not having a wife.

But I could not, as a Christian man, walk away from that little boy. It really was a step of faith for me to just put that into action. He's a good little boy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am.

SOUTHWORTH: I know you are.

It's been what, two and a half years since I picked Ala'a up in Baghdad? He's learning how to walk. He's doing addition and subtraction. He's learning to read the English language. He's just a brilliant little boy.

Come on, work those legs.

He's limited by some of the things he can do physically, but I never treat Ala'a as though he's disabled.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I love you.

SOUTHWORTH: I love you too, my buddy.

Ala'a is so much more a blessing to me than I am to him. I felt a ton of sympathy for Ala'a when I was in Iraq. But Ala'a didn't need my sympathy. What he needed was some action.
(END VIDEOTAPE)

And so now he thinks sex education is child abuse?

Re:Same guy?

[Anonymous Coward]

Looks like he objected to more than just day care:

WISPIRG; the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Campus Center; the Campus Women's Center; the UW Greens; the Madison AIDS Support Network; the International Socialist Organization; the Ten Percent Society; the Progressive Student Network; Amnesty International; United States Student Association; Community Action on Latin America; La Colectiva Cultural de Aztlan; the Militant Student Union of the University of Wisconsin; the Student Labor Action Coalition; Student Solidarity; Student NOW (Students of National Organization for Women); MADPAC; and Madison Treaty Rights Support Group.

Meh. While his motivations may be religious, mine are purely financial... I wouldn't want to pay a mandatory fee at a public school to subsidize student groups that have nothing to do with school either. There are already way too many fees as it is.

Re:Condoms promote sexual activity?

[Anonymous Coward]

It does promote doing dangerous stupid stuff online. "I don't really worry about it. Norton will protect me."

Why not make it voluntary?

[Droideka-TheGuy]

Why do they require this? Christian families (Such as my own) don't want our kids to learn this at school. It's my personal belief that kids should be taught this at home. However, I'm not saying that it should be banned. But why not make it voluntary? Parents should be able to choose whether or not sex-ed is right for their own kid. The state shouldn't tell us that our kids have to go through their particular sex-ed programs. I remember when my dad gave me "The talk". Most awkward ten minutes of my life, but there is no way I'd have wanted to learn that in school. If it was a voluntary program, I doubt there would be so much fuss over this.

Re:Sex

[Duradin]

It's like you're trying to say violence and killing aren't natural human functions.

Re:Someone needs a firing...

[MightyMartian]

I'm sure the guy knows that the odds of a successful prosecution are nil. He's grandstanding for God.

EndGame

[ObsessiveMathsFreak]

At last, 10 years of Paedophile and Child Pornography hysteria are beginning to pay off dividends. It begins with Sex Education classes, which by now are probably liability time bombs for all adults involved. It won't end there though. This has been the Endgame all along; a return to the social mores of the 1950s or earlier.

Child porn hysteria is toppling the fucking Catholic Church! What hope does your feeble "Free Society" have?

Re:EndGame

[geekoid]

Child porn hysteria has nothing to do with covering up priest who sexyuall assaulted children.

The bottom line is that no church goers can know if their priest sexual assaulted someone and if their children is in danger.

I mean, they would just move them and still let them be around kids. It's fucking irresponsible. It also means the pope isn't infallible, or god want's kids raped.

They could of at least sent them off to some monastery.

Re:Sex

[Anonymous Coward]

Since there is no empirical evidence for any of the supernatural claims made in the Bible, then yes, you are blindly following your preacher and books. Sorry. Doesn't the good and bad of life make more sense when you reject the idea of gods? It sure does to me.

Just Plain Misguided

[SplicerNYC]

Teaching kids safe sex is crucial but all this person sees is "sexualization"? It doesn't make me question sex-ed, it makes me question what's in the mind of this D.A.

My daughter annouced to me

[geekoid]

that she is a 'Nerd In training'.

I have never been happier.

Re:Translation for the legislative impared.

[Red Flayer]

Just to play devil's advocate... what about consensual rape? I mean, juveniles aren't capable of legally consenting in the eyes of the law... so even though *in reality* they are consenting, in the eyes of the law they are victims of a crime (like statutory rape).

IF (and that's a big if) graphic sex ed does lead to greater incidence of sexual activity among kids under the age of consent, then he's probably technically correct.

I do think he's most likely grandstanding for political reasons, though.

Re:Translation for the legislative impared.

[moogied]

No, these were the best legislators we could get that weren't making more money in the private sector. The *best* lawyers are still private and laugh at how horrible our elected ones are. They then skewer them in court and hug there money on the way home.
Or in slashdot:
1. Be awesome in the private sector.
2. Don't run for office.(Replace this with ????? for old school fans)
3. Profit!!

Re:Translation for the legislative impared.

[HiThere]

???

You mean that these effects are caused by religion, or that you think they would be prevented by religion? I can't tell.

I know that *I* see the effects as being caused by religion, and not even all religions, but only by a group who are destructive of society in an attempt to increase the number of followers.

E,g,, I don't blame the Unitarians, the Friends, or the Mennonites (among others). I don't blame any religion that emphasized responsibility more than ignorance and self-control. (N.B.: self-control is a delusion. The ego is not the center of the mind. But blending ignorance with a belief in self-control is a true recipe for disaster.)

Re: Lunatic D.A.

[dbkluck]

I would love to watch this fool try to prove that sex education promotes sexualization of a child much less sexual attacks or whatever.

You might love to see him "prove" that until you remember that in his line of work, "prove" doesn't mean "demonstrate conclusively by scientific evidence," it means "convince 12 citizens of Juneau County Wisconsin."

Re:Translation for the legislative impared.

[Idiomatick]

To add to Martin Blank if you feel you haven't been shut down enough.

Religion---------------------% have been divorced
Jewish------------------------30%
Born-again Christians---27%
Other Christians-----------24%
Atheists, Agnostics------21%

Facts suck I know.

Re:Translation for the legislative impared.

[Anonymous Coward]

I lived most of my life in Wisconsin, and had friends who were caught for this very thing, maybe 15-17 years old at the time. They were both given the charge of statutory rape, but the judge posed the question, "So what did they do, rape each other?" Then he quite wisely threw out the case.