Op-ed

Here is an op-ed in response to a front page article in the News Graphic the day of the election (April 5). The article detailed a communication by 7 doctors and 2 others about how the Cedarburg School Board proposed new sex-ed policies. Here is the full op-ed.

Sex, Lies, and Screw-tapes

By Scott Sidney, April 7, 2022

Just what is this diabolical fascination members of a certain ideological worldview have with the sex lives of children? How is anyone to believe in or trust our local medical professionals who subscribe to that worldview, some of whom work in such notable facilities as Ascension, Children's Wisconsin or Aurora, when they make snide public statements that are demonstrably deceptive? What is their agenda?

“’Once again, the Cedarburg Board of Education is attempting to make a radical, regressive change to Human Growth and Development education in Cedarburg,’ according to the statement.  ‘At the school board policy meeting on March 30, changes to the policy statement on HGD education were proposed. These changes represent a huge step backwards in educating our children.’”

The News Graphic reported these remarks by 9 so-called professionals 7 of whom profess medical degrees in the Tuesday, April 5th edition; interestingly published the morning of the school board election.

A nearly identical HG&D proposal was taken up by the Grafton School Board on March 14th of this year using the same policy consultant company – Neola. Several complaining doctors work or reside in Grafton and yet, curiously, there was no slamming of that board’s consideration of potential changes; no “Having a professional opinion” broadcast as one disturbed professional put it. Why?

The Cease-and-Desist letter sent to these “professionals” - one of whom is a 20 year employee of Planned Parenthood whose primary business is in aborting children - was mocked. And according to FEC Contribution filings, at least one family member of other signatories donated to ACTBLUE an organization which promotes left leaning causes.

It’s not only eminently reasonable, then, to request others to stop lying about procedural facts but necessary to call out misleading accusations.

Here is an excerpt of the statement issued by the School District.

“[N]ot only did the Committee not recommend that Neola’s proposed changes to the Board’s HGD policy be approved, but the Committee did not even consider the proposed changes to the policy.” [emphasis mine].

There is a belief by the moral elite above us that their approach to a child’s sex education is far superior to some backward, ole fashion notion which includes abstinence; that allowing intimate discussions regarding a child’s development is far too important to leave to regressive parents; regressive parents who by the way were raised in the full bloom of the sexual revolution but still cling to quaint notions of modesty.

Let’s look for a moment at resulting inarguable failures of some new-fangled sex ed experiments. “Congress set up [a] program in 2010 to analyze and fund teen pregnancy programs that don’t focus primarily on avoiding sexual risk.... [in 2016], HHS highlighted …the programs… [W]hat was shown was marked ineffectiveness, and in some cases increases in sexually risky behavior.”

So, why do it? It is an ideological, political worldview which considers children wards of the state. One need only review incidents in the last couple years to conclude that the moral elite wish to dispense with meddling parents and to fully indoctrinate children as young as kindergartners into an adult world of sex.

In fact, the American Association of Pediatrics (District policy critics include pediatricians) says this, “The physician … should not ‘inform parents/guardians about the teenager’s sexual identity or behavior; doing so could expose the youth to harm.’”

It’s plain to see there is a concerted effort by politically motivated ideologues and state education collectives to wrest control of children from parents through a variety of obnoxious programs including Critical Race Theory and offensive sexual instruction. Parents raise children. Not civil servants or procacious, dissembling professionals.

-Shorter version in the NewsGraphic on April 14, 2022.